VIKING CRUISE LINE IS NOW #1

Is Donald Trump losing total control of Republicans?  The answer is, absolutely. 

A couple of days ago, Republican Rep Lauren Boebert completely defied President Donald Trump.  She refused to take her name off the Epstein discharge petition.  In the past, she did anything he asked.

U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) joined Boebert as the only Republicans signing the petition, which needed 218 signatures to force a vote.

All signs show that this vote will occur on Tuesday.

An even more surprising rebellion came from Republican Rep. Marjorie Green:

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said the battle over the release of the Epstein files has sent President Donald Trump “over the edge” and accused him of putting her life in danger after he publicly withdrew his support for the Georgia Congresswoman. 

Greene, standard-bearer of the MAGA movement and formerly strong supporter of the president, said in a post on X Friday night that it was “astonishing really how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level.”

The White House press secretary touts Donald Trump as the “most transparent and accessible president” in American history, citing his constant engagement with the media and practice of including reporters at government events. But in the past few days, Trump has been uncharacteristically reticent around journalists. It seems clear that he’s rattled by the Jeffrey Epstein crisis — the rare political issue that he can’t talk his way out of without alienating his base.

It was a decade ago when I took my first European river cruise.  I remember previously gazing at the top-rated river cruises and saw that Tauck was #1 with 5 stars.  Uniworld was #2 with 4.5 stars, #3 AMA Waterways with 4, #4 Avalon with 3 and #5 Viking River Cruises with 3.  I went with Tauck, and the experience was memorable.  Viking ships were considered then to be mediocre.  This was 2015, and Viking launched its first ocean ship that year, the Viking Star.  Still operates, mostly in the Mediterranean.

A year ago I reviewed the Viking Cruise Line.  Some history.

• First established by Torstein Hagen in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1997.  He was financed by oligarchs.
• He is still Chairman and CEO at the age of 82.
• Here is what I said on 21November2024:

• How has Viking suddenly become #1 in almost all areas of cruising? Cruise Critic gives five reasons for first-timers.

• 
  Is fairly inclusive.  One fare covers beer, wine, soda at every meal, at least one shore excursion for each port, all meals, thermal spa facilities, WiFi and entertainment.
• Has in-depth tours.
• While ships are pretty, practicality reigns.  Close to where you sit will be an outlet.

• 
  You've got a choice, but not too much choice.  No casino, no children under 18 and big cabins.
• Food is excellent with variety aplenty.

• Manfredi is their Italian restaurant.
• Chef's Table has five course menus.
• Buffet has a lot, even sushi.

According to Google AI:

• Viking: Operates a fleet of 100 ships across its river, ocean, and expedition categories, all under the single "Viking" brand.
• 
  Carnival Corporation & plc: This parent company is the world's largest cruise operator and has a combined fleet of over 90 vessels (specifically 93 as of March 2025) across its nine different brands, which include Carnival Cruise Line, Princess, Holland America, and Cunard, Seabourn, among others.

Los Angeles (October 21, 2025) – Viking® (www.viking.com) (NYSE: VIK) today announced the naming of its nine newest river ships—including the company’s 100th ship—during a simultaneous ceremony in Basel, Switzerland. Of the nine new river ships, the Viking Annar, the Viking Dagur, the Viking Eldir and the Viking Honir will sail Viking’s most popular itineraries along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The Viking Nerthus, the Viking Gyda and the Viking Tonle sail the Seine, Douro and Mekong rivers, respectively. The two other new ships named today—the Viking Thoth and the Viking Amun—sail the Nile River. The ceremony also marked a major milestone—Viking now has more than 100 ships across its award-winning river, ocean and expedition fleet, more than any other cruise line.

The naming of Viking’s newest river ships follows a string of recent accolades for the company. Viking was rated #1 for Oceans and #1 for Rivers by Condé Nast Traveler for the fifth year in a row in the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated a “World’s Best” by Travel + Leisure—no other travel company has simultaneously received such honors by both publications. Viking was also recognized in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines rankings as Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean for the fourth consecutive year. Viking’s ocean ships continue to be rated and “Recommended” as part of the Forbes Travel Guide Star Awards, an annual independent evaluation for luxury travel brands. Additionally, Viking received seven awards across its ocean, river and expedition categories in the Cruise Critic 2024 Best in Cruise Awards.

I indicated at the top that Viking Cruise Line is now #1, and it is in both number of ships and honors.  However, the company's name changed from Viking Cruises to only Viking.  There are three divisions:  River Cruises, Ocean Cruises and Expeditions.

We took a Viking Christmas river cruise last winter.  It was only okay, but the problem was me, not Viking.  I could not sleep.  This began on our 39-day Norwegian cruise from Seattle to Southampton, and continued on the Viking.  It was also not a real Christmas cruise because those Christmas markets did not begin to open until the trip was nearly ending.

Well, anyway, that experience made me feel like I should give them a second chance, so we just made reservations to this coming spring go on a 13-day cruise between New York City and Toronto on the Viking Octantis.  

• We begin Honolulu, spend a few days in Las Vegas, a few more in Denver, then fly to Memphis to catch an American Cruise Line ship to New Orleans.  
• We then fly to New York for the Viking cruise.  
• From Toronto, another 13-day journey, but on Canadian VIA and Rocky Mountaineer trains to Vancouver.  
• Finally, fly home to Honolulu.

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VIKING CRUISE LINE

Viking Cruise Line was established by Torstein Hagen in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1997.  He had helped some Russian oligarchs buy a shipping company, and they sold him four river cruise ships cheaply, which became the founding fleet of Viking River Cruises.

Must have done well, for in 2000, Viking purchased KD River Cruises of Europe, bringing Viking's fleet up to 26 ships, the largest in the world.

• Revamped their ships, aiming for older travelers.
• No gyms and pools, maximizing passenger load.
• Expanded into China in 2004 with Yangtze River cruises.
• In 2007 had 23 ships in Europe, Russia and China.
• In 2011 entered a new phase of growth by sponsoring PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, with plans to ad 40 ships of "longship" design over a five-year period.
• In 2013, modified name to Viking Cruises to launch oceangoing vessels.
• Christened two new ships in on back-to-back days in 2014, a Guinness world record.
• 
  First ocean ship was the Viking Star in 2015, holding 930 passengers and 602 crew.
• By 2018, reached $3 billion in annual revenue, carrying 440,000 passengers with 8,000 employees.

• 
  Also that year announced their intent to expand to the Mississippi River, debuting in 2022.
• Also by 2018 had five ocean vessels, and being smaller than competing cruise ships, could enter smaller ports.
• Also in 2018 indicated that the company would have smaller ships to enter the expedition market.  
• 
  First circumnavigation in 2017/8 with the Viking Sun, and announced an intent to have that this ship in the future would have an Ultimate World  Cruise, 245 days, stopping in 59 countries and 113 ports.
• In 2019 operated 76 river vessels.  European ships accommodated 190 passengers, with the Mississippi ships holding 386.
• In 2020, shortened name to Viking.
• Began Viking Expeditions journeys in 2022.
• 
  Torstein Hagen, now 81, is still Chairman and CEO.
• How has Viking suddenly become #1 in almost all areas of cruising? Cruise Critic gives five reasons for first-timers.
• Is fairly inclusive.  One fare covers beer, wine, soda at every meal, at least one shore excursion for each port, all meals, thermal spa facilities, WiFi and entertainment.
• Has in-depth tours.
• While ships are pretty, practicality reigns.  Close to where you sit will be an outlet.
• You've got a choice, but not too much choice.  No casino, no children under 18 and big cabins.
• Food is excellent with variety aplenty.
• Manfredi is their Italian restaurant.
• Chef's Table has five course menus.
• Buffet has a lot, even sushi.

I recall being on a Tauck European river cruise a decade or so ago, and Viking was just a mediocre river cruise competitor.  Well, Viking just earned top honors in U.S. News and World Report's 2025 Best Cruise Line Rankings.

• This was the fourth consecutive year Viking was named the Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean.
• Viking was in 2024 also rated by Condé Nast Travelers as the World's Best for Rivers, Oceans and Expeditions.  Second year in a row.
• Additionally, Travel+Leisure's 2024 ranking has Viking as the best for all three types of ships.  Also second year in row.

Well, after I post this blog, we catch a taxi for the Viking Tir 2-week European Christmas River Cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest.

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WORST TO BEST CRUISE LINES

We are scheduled to fly from Honolulu to Seattle in 8 days, then on to Iceland for a few days.  Never been there.  Then board a cruise to Montreal, with a positioning sail to optimize our chances of seeing the total eclipse of the sun on 12August2026.  We'll drop by Greenland for a couple of stops.  From Montreal, fly to Vancouver to board another cruise back to Hawaii.  So today, the topic is related to cruising.

I'll begin first with Hurricane Fausto, now at 85 MPH, centered 900 miles from Hilo, and moving west at 14 MPH.  Hurricane force winds extend through a 90-mile eye, with tropical storm-force winds a radius 175 miles out.  The good news is that Fausto is expected to weaken and slide by north of the Hawaiian Islands.

Next, those ongoing wars.

• Day 1,613 of the Ukraine-Russia War, and really Day 4,539 days since the Crimea takeover.  Today, mostly drone attacks these days, with no peace talk progress.
• Day 149 of the U.S./Israel vs Iran War features a kind of lull, with some movement in Omani-mediated talks in Tehran regarding maritime transit.

27-year old Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia won five stages and the championship of the Tour de France.  He has now been the victor of this race five times.  Is he now the GOAT in cyling?

The Tour wended through wildfires and extremely hot temperatures in Spain and France.  Adjustments had to be made.

I've been on more than a dozen cruises, and, frankly, I feel a lot safer at home.  However, I asked Google AI:

Cruise ships are generally very safe and highly regulated, often safer than staying home in terms of security, but they pose higher risks for infectious diseases due to close quarters. While serious crime on ships is rare, viruses like norovirus can spread quickly, and medical care is limited compared to land. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Safety Considerations:

• Disease Transmission: Ships are environments where viruses can spread easily; however, they also feature rigorous cleaning protocols.
• Security: Cruise ships have security personnel, cameras, and controlled access points.
• Medical Care: While ships have medical facilities, they are not hospitals; severe emergencies may require helicopter evacuation.
• Regulatory Inspections: Ships must pass CDC sanitation inspections, with many being very highly rated. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Ultimately, for most, a cruise is very safe, but it requires personal hygiene precautions (like frequent handwashing) to manage health risks. [1]

A few cruise rankings.  The worst to best cruise lines in 2026.

• #10  MSC
• #  9  Carnival
• #  8  Norwegian
• #  7  Princess
• #  6  Royal Caribbean
• #  5  Disney
• #  4  Celebrity
• #  3  Holland America  
• #  2  Virgin
• #  1  Your favorite cruise line missing?  They rank six of them #1, including, most probably, yours.

Cruise Blog this year ranked 10 cruise lines from worst to best.

• Worst:  
• Norwegian Cruise Line.
• They are nickel-and diming you, and are profit-driven.
• Seems restrictive.

• 
  Carnival Cruise Line.
• Their rewards program is now based on onboard spending rather than number of nights spent on cruise ships.
• For most, status only valid for two years.
• Increased cost of internet and drink packages.
• Mostly older ships with limited itineraries.
• Some pluses include non-stop entertainment and great fast-casual dining options.
• They do have the large ships.
• Holland America.
• Operated by Carnival.
• Has been stagnant for years.
• Now only modernize old ships rather than build new ones.
• A plus is their destination-focused itineraries.
• Target audience is retirees and older travelers, meaning little in nonstop entertaining and more lectures and wine tastings.
• Margaritaville at Sea.  New.
• Disney Cruise Line.
• 
  Royal Caribbean International.  Owns the mega-ships.  Ideal for families.
• Princess Cruises.
• Owned by Carnival.
• Caters to elders.
• Good packages.
• Virgin Voyages.
• Targets adults-only travelers.
• Trendy.
• Small ships, but stylish.
• Celebrity.
• Member of Royal Caribbean Group.
• Targets families.
• Worldly itineraries.
• Elegant dining rooms.
• Sort of the best of the worst.
• 
  Best.  Only lists MSC Cruises.
• This is the top of their list.
• But tends to be overcrowded with poor service and mediocre food.
• Much cheaper.
• That's it!  And, particularly note that the BEST cruise line on this list is the WORST cruise line in the previous list.  Plus, what about the rest of the cruise lines????  

I asked Google AI, rank all cruise lines:

Major cruise lines are broadly ranked from budget/lower-tier passenger satisfaction to top-tier luxury experiences, starting with MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, and Royal Caribbean at the lower-to-middle end, and moving up to Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, and luxury lines like Viking Ocean Cruises at the top. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

All that makes me wonder about cruises we have recently taken.  Yes, Viking, but also Seabourne, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania and American River Cruise Lines.  Plus, upcoming on future trips are Azamara, Silversea Cruises and Crystal.  Google AI referred me to the 2026 U.S. News and World Report ratings.

• 
  I finally saw some of "our" cruise lines in the category, Best Luxury Cruise Lines.
• #1  Viking
• #2  Explora.  Explora Journeys is a new luxury lifestyle cruise brand launched in 2021 by the MSC Group. It features all-suite ships, inclusive amenities like fine dining and beverages, and a growing six-ship fleet. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
• #3  Regent Seven Seas Cruises
• #4  Silversea Cruises
• #5  Oceania Cruises
• #6  Seabourn
• #7  Azamara
• #8  Crystal
• Want further details?  

The No. 1-ranked cruise lines in these new categories include Viking Ocean Cruises for Best Cruise Lines for Dining – Luxury; Virgin Voyages in Best Cruise Lines for Dining – Mainstream; Celebrity Cruises for Best Cruise Lines for Wellness; and Crystal in Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers. In addition, newcomer Explora Journeys had an impressive showing, placing in the top three across six categories.

The Best Cruise Lines for the Money ranking has a new No. 1 this year, with Virgin Voyages leading as the best value among ranked cruise lines. Disney Cruise Line holds the top spot in both the Best Cruise Lines for Families and Best Cruise Lines in the Caribbeanrankings. In addition, Viking Ocean Cruises continues its reign as No. 1 in three categories: Best Luxury Cruise Lines, Best Cruise Lines for Couples and Best Cruise Lines in the Mediterranean.

To close, from Gan Jing World, 500,000 moss phlox (shibazakura) at the Fuji Shibazakura Festival this past spring.  Want to see it in person?  Runs from mid-April to late May.  Hmmm....we plan to be in the Orient this coming  spring.

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