Viking Cruises - Trends for 2018

Viking, the multi award-winning cruise line, has revealed its top trend predictions for travel in 2018. Based on current booking patterns and customer insight from the thousands of guests that travel on its river and ocean cruises each year, Viking has compiled this exclusive list of where, when, how and why consumers will be travelling in the year to come.

Russia
Tourism to Russia has been growing steadily over the past few years and 2017 was a record year. Driven perhaps by a trend for off-the-beaten track destinations, 2018 looks set to see record high numbers of UK travellers heading to the Baltic nation, drawn to its rich history and the swirling onion domes and stout towers of Moscow’s Red Square. Viking’s ‘Waterway of the Tsars’ river cruise itinerary is one of its most popular and demand is always high. The 12-night cruise offers guests the chance to really explore Russia’s unique culture, through exclusive experiences such as sharing a meal with an Uglich family, visiting a traditional banya and privileged access to the Hermitage Museum.

Scandinavia
First it was Hygge, now it’s Lagom and possibly Lykke, but one thing is for sure, the UK’s love affair with the Scandinavian feel-good factor of cosiness and conviviality is far from over and in 2018 travel to the area is looking to be more popular than ever. Offering natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun, breathtaking landscapes in its serene Fjords, and once-in-a-lifetime excursions such as king crab safaris, Scandinavia continues to entrance travellers. With its own authentic Scandi heritage, Viking allows guests to experience all this and more through cruises such as ‘Into the Midnight Sun’ and ‘Homelands’, whilst also immersing guests in the Scandinavian lifestyle through the sleek Nordic design of its ships, which boast light, modern interiors, traditional Scandinavian food and a Nordic Spa.

Off-Season Travel
Travellers often take a holiday to escape winter, but in 2018 expect to see an increase in holidaymakers flocking to traditional summer destinations out of season in order to make the most of off-season prices and to avoid the crowds. With cooler temperatures, many destinations that are popular in July and August actually offer better conditions for sightseeing and exploration in the winter and early spring months. Viking offers a number of winter Mediterranean cruises at times of year when there are fewer tourists and more opportunities for maximising time and chatting to locals, who are much more relaxed outside of high season.

Active Over Sixties
Expect to see more demand for the over sixties wanting to get active, stay healthy and try new activities on their travels in 2018. Whilst fitness-focused trips are nothing new, increasingly this older demographic is also prioritising well-being when deciding where to travel and who with. Responding to requests for more options to stay active whilst cruising, in addition to the well-equipped fitness centre, Viking’s Ocean ships now offer personal training, pilates, tai-chi and yoga. The LivNordic spa, promotes a balance of hot and cold therapies – but the most iconic feature is the snow grotto, a small glassed-in room in which ice shavings fall from the ceiling. Recent research from Viking found that the majority of its guests still feel as if they are aged 30, and it seems they are no longer demanding journeys that they can keep up with, but ones that can keep up with them!

Viking launches its fifth 930-passenger ocean ship, Viking Spirit in 2018. In April Viking River Cruises subtle eye-catching design will arrive on the ribbon of liquid history that is the Nile. Viking Ra will feature three suite stateroom categories for 48 guests. The ‘Pharaohs and Pyramids’ cruisetour begins with three-nights in Cairo before flying to Luxor for Karnak. On the eight-day roundtrip cruise to Aswan there will be privileged access visits including the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. If you are tempted to see the world the Viking way call our cruise specialists now on 0808 256 6742.