Non-native English speakers welcome on Viking?

Hello Everyone!

We feel a little embarrassed to post this thread but as the following issue could be quite a deal-breaker for us, we have to get some advice/opinion from people who have already traveled on Viking Ocean.

We are very experienced travelers, having already cruised with a variety of international cruise lines in the past and we enjoyed our voyages all the time. Being German with (reasonably) good English language skills we never had any problems getting along and always felt welcome and being treated "equally" on ships where English was the official language and the majority of fellow travelers were American/English/Australian etc..

For one of our next trips we were now considering Viking Ocean as the whole product sounds very appealing to us.

We already knew that Viking is not marketing their ships in Europe (except UK) and we would have to go through our U.S. travel agent we have already used a lot of times. However, when getting into detail preparing to book, we stumbled upon something a little bit "disturbing", namely an interview of Mr. Torstein Hagen, the CEO of Viking where he gave precise statements about his target customers.

Quote:

Hagen described his target audience as "people with some curiosity, who have worked hard and earned some money. They haven't had time to see these places -- and not just see, but experience the culture. They're grown-up people. They speak English. They are 55-plus."

He paused. "We target people like me."

He's equally clear about people he is not interested in: "We have no need whatsoever to say we want some younger people onboard. If you have teenagers, then you should go somewhere else. We don't encourage [inter]generational travel. We market to North Americans, Brits, Australians. Nothing else. No Turks, no Brazilians. They may sneak on a person from Hong Kong or whatever, but the language is English, and it's the ambiance of these types of people [that we strive for]."

At first, we could not believe what we were reading, as this really sounds quite racist and we think the nationality of their guests should not be of any importance for a cruise line, but Mr. Hagen seems to be very serious about this. This impression was confirmed after we sent an email to the official Viking customer service center, politely asking if they would foresee any problems with us booking a cruise and never (!) even received an answer.

Now one thing is what the (in)official policy of the company might be, but what is much more important/interesting is how this is handled on the ships.

Can anyone of you give us a report if they have seen any international, non-native English speaking fellow guests on one of Viking Ocean's ships and if so, if you had the feeling that these guests had any "problems" or if they were treated differently.

It's really sad having to ask this question but we feel it's important to be clear about this so we won't be disappointed should we decide to book.

Thank you very much in advance for your advice!

He is speaking about to whom he markets, targets his advertising dollars. On viking Ocean I have encountered intergenerational families with 16 & 20 year old daughters. I spoke to one family and the girls told me they loved the cruise.

The English emphasis is that the staff is trained to speak English, though few are from English speaking countries. Guests who struggle with English might have difficulties and not have a good time.

Based on your excellent written English, you should have no problem.

You'd certainly have fun with the other guests.

I agree that the language can be a bit off putting, but philw1776 gave a good explanation. I think you would enjoy Viking.

Although we haven't cruised with Viking Ocean yet, our first cruise is next week, on all other lines we have been on one of the great joys has been meeting people from other countries. I would imagine that most of Viking's travelers are experienced and sophisticated enough to feel the same way. I hope you take the cruise--which one are you thinking of?

English is my native tongue, and I have been studying German for the past six years. On all our cruises, I seek out German speakers so that I can practice my skills. Maybe we will be on the same cruise sometime in the future.

I hope you take the cruise--which one are you thinking of?

We are thinking of the 29 days Viking Spirit South Pacific Sojourn in November 2018. Looks like a lovely itinerary.

After reading the first replies, we feel a little bit relieved and this confirms what we already hoped/imagined. We, of course, understand that it is is important to be fluent in English to fully understand and enjoy everything which is offered/presented but the nationality really should not be of any interest. And it looks like this is also how it is "practised" on board. Thank you!

I can only say that having just been on one Viking Ocean cruise, there was a diverse and interesting mix of passengers - I noticed no-one being treated any differently to anyone else and it is a beautiful, classy, elegant experience which we loved. The furnishings are very Scandinavian which is quite appropriate for a Norwegian-owned cruise line and may not be to everyone's taste but they were clearly carefully chosen with adult guest comfort in mind. The staff (officers and crew) were from many nationalities and where English was not their native language, all spoke very good English and interacted very well with all. I'm sure if there are any German speakers amongst them, they would be very happy to converse with you in your native tongue. Personally and it is only our opinion, we would hate to see younger guests on board these very grown up ships! It was bad enough seeing some so called older grown ups putting their dirty shoe clad feet up on the beautiful leather sofas ....

We had the pleasure of meeting Torstein Hagen and Karine Hagen on board the Viking Sky christening voyage and they were both quite charming and interested in what we thought of their ship. The quote you pasted came from a presentation made in 2013 by Torstein Hagen to a gathering of mainly press for a launch for Viking River cruises - the ocean ships were still a way off then. I can't imagine any of the comments were meant in any way shape or form to be racist. I read them as marketing comments. After all as a Norwegian, he's not a native English speaker himself, is he!

Enjoy your cruise! :D

Our experience cruising has also been that those from countries other than Viking's target market are welcomed and sought out by other passengers.

If the goal is to broaden one's cultural knowledge and experience, we learn a lot more from those from other countries than we do from the typical American cruiser.

We would have loved to meet you onboard our cruise! We live in Tucson but my brother and his wife are in Chicago...and she is from Bavaria. We love Germany. I love meeting lots of folks from other countries and having great conversation. I'm surrounded by Americans every day...I travel to experience other cultures and meet lots of people.

I agree with the post that emphasized not being able to fully engage in activities on board if you don't have a some command of the English language. When I have traveled outside of the country, I was fortunate that there are a lot of English speaking people in Europe and in Mexico, because I can at least figure out where I'm going or what I need to do. I think it would be difficult for somebody who has no grasp of English at all, and everything was written in English and spoke in English so that I perhaps did not comprehend what was happening. However, why bother to travel if you don't want to experience another culture or meet people from around the world? I hope you have a great time, and enjoy your trip!

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OP, please go on the cruise. I think you will have a great time. As others have said, the cruise is so much better when there are passengers from many different countries.

I am sure you will be fine, your English is excellent. It will be more interesting to see how my 25 year old daughter is treated since she is coming with me :)

I am sure you will be fine, your English is excellent. It will be more interesting to see how my 25 year old daughter is treated since she is coming with me :)

Unless your daughter acts like a toddler, she and you will be just fine. On my two cruises, I had people younger and older than me. I am 51.

I am sure you will be fine, your English is excellent. It will be more interesting to see how my 25 year old daughter is treated since she is coming with me :)

I set sail on the Viking Sky in 31 days.. I am 27 years old and my wife is 29.

I think we may be the youngest on board by a margin. Our itinerary is the Caribbean so

it may attract a slightly younger group.

I am sure you will be fine, your English is excellent. It will be more interesting to see how my 25 year old daughter is treated since she is coming with me :)

I think you should be confident that she will be treated with respect and courtesy, as is every guest - regardless of age or skill with the English language. The only question is whether the style of the cruise will be to her liking. There will be no cruise director calling guests to a high energy meet and greet at the pool. There are no climbing walls or water slides. There is no shopping mall. The music is subdued, and the shows identify with an older generation, for example, the music of ABBA, or Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin (the "Rat Pack"). Some 25 year olds will be fine with this, others will be bored.

I think you should be confident that she will be treated with respect and courtesy, as is every guest - regardless of age or skill with the English language. The only question is whether the style of the cruise will be to her liking. There will be no cruise director calling guests to a high energy meet and greet at the pool. There are no climbing walls or water slides.

 

She is aware it will be us old farts (I was 37 when I had her) We will be doing so many tours at all the ports, she says she is good with hitting the pool and relaxing when we get back to the boat. This will be her first cruise so she has no clue what goes on on a big ship :) Maybe I will take her on a NCL next time :) I have a feeling Viking is going to ruin me for going on any other line.

I am sure you will be fine, your English is excellent. It will be more interesting to see how my 25 year old daughter is treated since she is coming with me :)

While younger pax are not the the target audience, they do sail Viking and they are treated just like any other passenger--like an adult. And don't worry, we may be old in years but most everyone is young at heart. She will fit in. don't worry about that.

I set sail on the Viking Sky in 31 days.. I am 27 years old and my wife is 29.

I think we may be the youngest on board by a margin. Our itinerary is the Caribbean so

it may attract a slightly younger group.

Yes I bet Carrib crowd is younger.

Been on several Viking cruises river & ocean where there was a couple your age, once even younger. They had a great time.

Cruise 2 weeks ago Bordeaux River had 2 couples in their late 20s. I think the wine tastings was the attraction. :)

Yes I bet Carrib crowd is younger.

Been on several Viking cruises river & ocean where there was a couple your age, once even younger. They had a great time.

Cruise 2 weeks ago Bordeaux River had 2 couples in their late 20s. I think the wine tastings was the attraction. :)

We did Midnight Sun (June) and NYE in the Med and on both cruises there were families traveling with older teenagers, multi-generational groups and multi-family groups, just a handful, but they were there.

I took my then 21 year old daughter on Oceania. On embarkation she looked around and said "why is everybody so Old!". However she did enjoy the cruise. She loved the ports with some extra shopping thrown in. Plus of course the young crew, officers and entertainers, loved her !

Before the cruise I asked on th Oceania board whether she would enjoy the cruise and there were many who said she wouldn't. Plus a couple of posts questioning my parenting skills. I had posted that I was paying for her after she had spent a summer in Europe in a low paid Nanny job. This met with some violent disapproval and in fact one poster's reply had to be taken down.

People on the Viking Board seem much less judgemental thank goodness.

I took my then 21 year old daughter on Oceania. On embarkation she looked around and said "why is everybody so Old!". However she did enjoy the cruise. She loved the ports with some extra shopping thrown in. Plus of course the young crew, officers and entertainers, loved her !

Before the cruise I asked on th Oceania board whether she would enjoy the cruise and there were many who said she wouldn't. Plus a couple of posts questioning my parenting skills. I had posted that I was paying for her after she had spent a summer in Europe in a low paid Nanny job. This met with some violent disapproval and in fact one poster's reply had to be taken down.

 

People on the Viking Board seem much less judgemental thank goodness.

Nothing like receiving helpful feed-back that will help you decide--and frankly that one comment makes it less likely that I would choose that cruise line for future cruises. I find the the people who make up the CC forum are a good reflection of the attitudes you will encounter on your cruise.

Nothing like receiving helpful feed-back that will help you decide--and frankly that one comment makes it less likely that I would choose that cruise line for future cruises. I find the the people who make up the CC forum are a good reflection of the attitudes you will encounter on your cruise.

Wow, that is horrible! I am so sorry they were that ugly to you!!

My daughter has always wanted to go to Italy, I have always wanted to go on a cruise. Since I am single and must pay double price to do so I invited her to come along. She is 25 going on 40, a real old soul and she knows the average age will be 50+ I am sure she will do fine.

On our into the midnight sun, a young gentleman was cruising with his mother, he had a great time, getting involved in one of the shows and receiving a lot of attention. It depends on the young person. My cousin is 15 and very mature for his age, he would have a fabulous time on Viking .

Please do give it a try. It's our first ocean cruise but we've enjoyed 8 river cruises with Viking. We love when there is a mix of passengers to enrich the experience. We certainly hope that the marketing targets which are business decisions don't influence you. The welcoming, friendly atmosphere of both staff and guests is a big part of what draws us back to Viking and we're confident that ocean will be no different. We've never seen anyone treated anything but cordially on Viking. On one cruise we even had a youngster who was in her early teens with health challenges. She was delightful and everyone went out of their way to make her welcome and included. Language would only be a real drawback if you felt you couldn't enjoy the tours or programs. We would love to meet you on your travels and we hope you'll find your adventures and fellow cruisers every bit as enjoyable as we have.

After our West Indies cruise last year, my husband and I were sharing highlights. We have always enjoyed meeting folks from all countries and Viking brings a delightful mix of folks................Because of that, we booked another Caribbean cruise for Feb 2018 even though we've been on 10 previous cruises to that area Dinner table for 8 is always our request in the Dining room. Last cruise we were lucky enough to meet a 25yr young lady from the Mid-West. Each evening she would find us to update us on her families excursions that day. We felt very lucky to have met her and looked forward to the daily updates.

The diversity adds so much to the experience for the young and young at heart. I think you will be very pleased with any Viking cruise you choose.

Feb 05, 2018 Viking Sea - South America and the Caribbean

Feb 15, 2017 Viking Star –West Indies

Sep 14, 2015 Viking Star –Med Odyssey

2014 Celebrity Silhouette

2012/2013 Celebrity Equinox

2007/2009 CelebrityConstellation

2006 Celebrity Infinity

2004 Carnival

1988 RC Sovereign of the Seas

1987 NCL M/S Skyward