为什么维京巡游仍然是河流的标准
byBrittany Chrusciel/
Rare cheese, a glass of Cotes du Rhone, and Paris gliding by — it’s not only the evening of your Parisian dreams, it’s just another night spent as a guest on a Viking river cruise along the Seine.
Now in 25 years of operation, Viking has since branched into ocean and expedition cruising. But through its early and aggressive marketing of river cruises and its world record-breaking deployment of river ships, Viking has become synonymous with river cruising for most consumers.
Yet, the very same traits that have grown the Viking river brand — economics and what Chairman Torstein Hagen calls “understated elegance” — are what critics and competitors use to refer to the product as mass-market.
我将承认,在该行业中已经有十年了,并且有机会乘坐其他河流邮轮公司,我经历了许多其他品牌的差异化者:面向窗户的床,更多的空间,更多的豪华,更多的游览 - 甚至是品牌 -这为夜生活提供了更年轻的乘客群。不久,在我在维京圣诞节市场上的第一次新闻之旅与我的第一个河流巡游之间,与我的祖母一起过去,这几年过去了,完全是在2010年在巡游事业之前。
Now, a dozen years later, I was able to experience a mini Seine River sailing on the newly inaugurated Viking Radgrid, and in a relatively short amount of time I was reminded of why Viking remains a leader in the industry. It’s not a monopoly they have, but in the course of two-and-a-half decades, Viking has made connections that serve to solidify a benchmark in service and guest experience. The following are a handful of the ways in which Viking still has its spark.
首选的对接位置
We’ve heard that good things come to those who wait, and according to Hagen, most of Viking’s major accomplishments have taken seven years to achieve. This includes securing an ongoing agreement for the preferred docking location at Port de Grenelle in Paris. Sure, bus tours mean that passengers are expeditiously escorted and transported to where they need to be. But a berth near the Eiffel Tower offers indisputable views and a prime location that is truly within the heart of Paris. It’s the difference between arriving onto the ship and feeling stuck without a guided tour and being able to take a stroll after dinner to fend off jetlag by soaking in the City of Light’s romantic atmosphere on the very first night.
Apart from Paris, Viking has secured preferred docking in other prime locations including the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt.
Experienced Tour Guides
I’ve had excellent tour guides on river cruises across various companies; even those serving Viking customers don’t always work for Viking exclusively. However, I’ve been told that due to the number of ships that Viking has in service, which means more passengers, more tours, and ultimately more business for guides, the most experienced (and therefore in-demand) guides prefer to work with Viking because it’s a better guarantee of regular employment. This was the case on our Seine River excursions, which were led by a few guides, but one guide in particular who made a huge impression on myself and other guests.
Her name was Sandrine and she relayed an encyclopedia of knowledge in a conversational way, impressing all of us with her depth of experience and of course her relaxed French demeanor. During a food tour (one of Viking’s optional excursions), as we took bites of cakes from a local patisserie, she relayed that during certain periods in history using almonds was avoided because cyanide has a slight almond flavor and nobles were afraid of being poisoned. A fellow guest and former travel executive marveled that across a dozen or more food tours in Paris, she had never learned as much as she did in our short time together with Sandrine. Needless to say, she was a popular guide requested again and again throughout our time together on the Seine.
Stellar Onboard Service
有人可能会争辩说,在命名巡游中,机组人员处于最佳行为。但是您也可能会争辩说,在本赛季的第一次航行中,机上服务可能会再次找到其凹槽。在Viking Radgrid上,我发现该服务友好而可靠。新员工与经验丰富的河流邮轮专业人士一起工作,结果始终是积极的。饭厅中的一家服务器向我们解释说,维京人作为雇主,让船员“成为自己”,因为他被允许让他的个性通过他的服务来发光。因此,我们在整个午餐和晚餐期间都受到了轻松的双关语,笑话和笑话。休息室中的一位年轻服务器向我们解释说,由于他在公司工作了多年,他拥有自己的房间。我们很高兴认识Radgrid的工作人员,在我们的观察中,本赛季的第一次航行毫无障碍。
An F&B Program That Just Works
All-inclusive makes for a relaxing vacation, but let’s face it: it also ramps up the price tag. We appreciate Viking’s approach to alcohol, which offers cruisers the standard beer and wine at meals but leaves the spirits to an added-fee package. This allows for customers to create an all-inclusive drinks experience — or not. The price of the Silver Spirits drink package is a reasonable one, at an estimated $150 per person on a weeklong cruise, or $300 per cabin for a couple. Not only does it include your nightcap cognac, but premium sommelier’s choice wines, which on a river cruise in France were exceptional, as you can imagine.
Additionally, we didn’t have a single bad meal onboard, and in fact the fish each evening was a standout as corroborated by other guests. A cod with frizzled leeks was a surprise for us on menus full of scallops and Chateaubriand. Teatime is a true teatime without a teabag in sight. A tiered platter is set out each afternoon with a tantalizing variety of finger sandwiches and pastries with homemade scones served tableside. Teas, like an “organic jade sword” are presented in a single-serving steeper.
There is still a buffet element to breakfast, for those who enjoy helping themselves, but guests also have the option of a menu. Fresh berries with mascarpone well complemented the egg of the day, which ranged from shakshuka to quiche.
An Underestimated Attention to Detail
所有维京Longships,有几十个relatively identical, designed in the spare Scandinavian aesthetic. So you might be wondering: What detail? It’s usually the most intuitive design that’s the best kind of design, and there are these types of touches throughout a Viking river ship — ones that seem straightforward but took a lot of thought to incorporate. For example, Hagen talked us through the decision to make Viking’s toiletries clearly labeled; easy to identify in different colors; and with an easy-to-open snap cap, eliminating the need to peel off a foil tab or plastic wrapper before use. Staterooms in any category include heated floors in the bathrooms (an indication of the line’s Norwegian heritage). Lights include a dimmer. TV remotes are designed to be foolproof. Each day, a different book was displayed on the shelf in the library, pertaining to the destination; for example, in Paris, coffee table books on pastry and fashion icons were highlighted.
Competitive Pricing
我们可以在生计的一天分析平方英尺,但是许多客户(尤其是首次巡洋舰)几乎仅仅基于价格标签来确定他们的购买决定。Hearing from a longtime hotel director with the brand, along with the company’s chief architect, the story we’re told about Viking squeezing as many people per ship as possible is quickly dispelled by an explanation of how space onboard is used in innovative ways to accommodate ample balconies, suites, and also the standout Aquavit Terrace that provides light, air, and plenty of seating at the bow of the ship. The fact of the matter is that the higher passenger capacity provides lower fares. One look at the sprawling sun deck with loungers and a full herb garden helps to understand that these are far from sardine ships. In fact, they’re Longships, and their footprint only continues to expand.
所有照片由布列塔尼·克鲁斯切尔(Brittany Chrusciel)提供。