Many children have the first boat trip of their life ahead of them – traditions also play an important role on the newest vessel to sail the Baltic Sea
This year, cruises will be even more exciting than usual for many children. Given two years of Covid, younger age groups have not yet experienced sailing to and from Sweden. The traditional pleasures – the ball pit, amazement at nature in the archipelagos and encounters with the ship’s cat, Ville Viking – also play an important role on the newest vessel to sail the Baltic Sea, Viking Glory. “Cruises are part of our tourism tradition, something children have grown up with from an early age,” says Terhi-Anna Wilska, who is a sociology professor.
Many children have an unforgettable experience to look forward this spring and summer to as families start to travel again. This is also reflected in Viking Line’s booking figures. This summer will be bustling: an exceptionally large number of departures have been booked during the different holiday periods. Viking Line’s new vessel, Viking Glory, has clearly had an impact on the upturn in ticket sales.
“Particularly in coastal areas, sailing to and from Sweden is part of Finland’s tourism tradition, which children have grown up with from an early age. The tradition of taking a boat journey has been passed down from generation to generation. Nowadays, it has become more a question of family tourism, with people enjoying spending time together and sitting down for a nice meal,” says consumption researcher Terhi-Anna Wilska, a professor of sociology at the University of Jyväskylä.
“For people who are now middle-aged, travelling by boat was a generational experience in their youth. I too remember the nice drinks, which people could not afford on land. The feeling on board the ship was also a bit sinful. That’s changed, though young people still have some ritual cruises, trips during their final year of upper secondary school.”
That change is also clear among Viking Line’s passengers. Various childcare concepts have been tested a number of times, but nowadays there is no demand for this.
“We Finns are really family-centred – when we climb aboard, we want to do things together and create lovely shared memories. Other things parents want are, of course, rest and relaxation, good food and entertainment that’s appropriate for the entire family,” says Viking Glory’s Launch Manager, Lotta Lindroos.
Viking Line’s new vessel, Viking Glory, also offers loads of experiences for children and young adults – some are brand-new and not found anywhere else while others are classics that have been around for generations. For example, the interactive climbing wall is the first of its kind on the Baltic Sea.
“The wall is the invention of the Finnish company Valo Motion. Using a projector, the climbing wall is transformed into a large interactive touchscreen, where people can create different climbing routes, among other things. They can also play different games on it, either on their own or by competing with someone else,” says Viking Glory’s cruise manager, Jonathan Isaksson.
Viking Glory’s floor-to-ceiling windows are already the subject of great admiration. Thanks to them, even the youngest cruise guests can watch the archipelago scenery slide by and follow life at sea. The vessel departs from Turku in the morning, and on the journey to Mariehamn and Stockholm people will have time to admire many things: seabirds, rocky islets, traditional wooden cottages, large islands and the open sea.
“Also in terms of the interiors, Viking Glory is an experience. Images of maritime nature move across giant LED screens, lights in the ceiling of the Vista Room day club that change colour glow like the beams of a lighthouse, and around the vessel people may come across Stefan Lindfors’ fantastic sculptures with themes taken from life at sea. Children will no doubt find them exciting,” Lotta Lindroos guesses.
Top tips for families with children on board Viking Glory:
Tumble around in the ball pit and experience an exciting summer adventure
Viking Glory’s playroom is on Deck 9, and naturally there’s a ball pit there – an enduring favourite that many generations of children have already dived into on their boat journeys. When the summer school holidays begin, half of the vessel’s conference facilities will be converted into Adventure Island, filled with exciting activities and programmes. On the outdoor Viking Terrace, passengers can take part in children’s bingo and different family competitions.
Viking Glory also has a hang-out room for teens which has PlayStation games and the fitness game iWall along with an interactive climbing wall.
Ville Viking and Sunday special performances
On Sundays, magicians and well-known children’s orchestras entertain the youngest family members on board Viking Glory. The Viking Line app is an easy way to get information about the programme.
“And on Viking Glory too, people can of course meet Ville Viking every day – our ship’s cat has been padding around our vessels for nearly three decades. Over the years, Ville has become a big star, and many children want to come back just because of him,” cruise manager Jonathan Isaksson notes.
Delicious food for all tastes and sweet dreams in the family cabin
According to the consumption researcher Terhi-Anna Wilska, people’s expectations of boat tourism have grown, and the vessels have developed in line with these expectations. “Passengers now want better cabins and are no longer content with the cheapest ones. Relaxing has become important on board, and that may mean anything from a sauna to a gym workout to eating something good.”
In Viking Glory’s family cabins, passengers sleep well on quality Finnish mattresses. Families with young children can choose a cabin that, along with a double bed, has a convertible sofa that two children under 18 can sleep on or two adjacent cabins with a connecting door between them. There is also space here for larger families.
“In our restaurants, children can choose from their own menus. On Viking Glory, our Market restaurant will no doubt become a favourite with families – the different stalls and counters offer classic dishes, pizza and flavours from international cuisines. In that way, both adults and children can choose their own favourites and still eat together,” adds Lotta Lindroos.
For further information:
Lotta Lindroos, Viking Glory Launch Manager
lotta.lindroos@vikingline.com, tel. +358 18 270 00
Johanna Boijer-Svahnström, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications
johanna.boijer@vikingline.com, tel. +358 18 270 00
Christa Grönlund, Communications Manager
christa.gronlund@vikingline.com, tel. +358 9 123 51
