Viking Line's ships will be hosting a record number of special cruises next year, over a hundred. The themes vary from champagne to stand-up and from different music genres to fashion.
Right now, the craving is particularly strong for relaxed and down-to-earth themes such as needlework and gardening.
When tickets went on sale for the Kaija Koo special cruise on Viking Grace in May of next year, all 2,000 tickets sold out in two hours. You'll have to be almost as quick if you want to get a seat on Viking Line's special departures to Visby next summer – last summer, all four departures were sold out.
In addition to artists and rare destinations, travelers are increasingly attracted by different themes, which take up the entire ship or, for example, the conference department. Next year, Viking Line will arrange over a hundred special cruises, which is a new record for the shipping company. A total of over 60,000 passengers are expected on these departures.
”"There is always a fantastic atmosphere on our special cruises, and they broaden people's ideas about what a boat experience looks like. People don't come to the special cruises primarily to shop in duty-free or admire the archipelago views, but to enjoy programs built around a shared passion and to meet like-minded people. For us, the special cruises are a working way to reach target groups that are not interested in traditional cruise products," says project manager Jaakko Ahti, which is responsible for Viking Line's theme cruises.
Specialty cruises are booming right now, but Viking Line has been organizing them since the 1990s. Just ten years ago, self-help wellness themes were a surefire draw on specialty cruises: the focus was primarily on physical well-being and lectures about it. However, the pandemic has highlighted softer themes and a desire for tangible experiences.
”With the corona, a more relaxed perception of well-being started to gain ground. Instead of strict routines and discipline, people started looking for other things that made them feel good – gardening, cooking and needlework are good examples,” says Jaakko Ahti.
”This spring, we went with 150 passionate crafters to the legendary craft shop Karnaluks in Tallinn, and last autumn we headed to the Sewing & Craft Festival in Stockholm. Both trips were fully booked in a couple of days, as was our garden cruise to Estonia. Usually, passengers have their hands full of shopping bags when they leave the ship, but on the garden cruise they carted berry bushes and summer flowers ashore.”
On the music front, 90s dance and rock are the hottest right now. Finnish hip-hop and rap are also on the rise, and in January Finland's top rap artists will gather for the second time on Viking Grace's cruise The Shipment. But music of a completely different kind also attracts people: the Beatles cruise with Gabriella brought together three generations of fans – including young people whose grandparents had listened to the Beatles.
”I believe that thinking in age categories will disappear completely in the future, so that the theme itself will become the most important thing. Anyone between the ages of twenty and ninety can be interested in fine vintage wines, garden trips or metal music.”
Special cruises in winter and spring 2024
Helsinki–Stockholm
- Wine cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm 7–9.12.2023
- Rockabilly cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm 26.1.2024
- BTS goes Stockholm! 60's music from Helsinki to Stockholm 16–18.3.2024
Helsinki–Tallinn
- Retropenus 90s Party Cruise – the best 90s songs on Viking XPRS mini cruise 18.11.2023
- Eurovision Cruise mini cruise 9.12.2023
- Finnish-Swedish Danish cruise to Tallinn 13.12
Turku–Stockholm
- The Shipment – Modern rap music's biggest cruise on Viking Grace 13–14.1.2024
- Flame Jazz Cruise 23 on Viking Grace 3.2.2024
- Whiskey cruise from Turku on Viking Grace 22.3.2024
According to the press release.
