Design Time: Viking Sea’s Nordic Décor

Home Is Where the Heritage Is

Viking Sea shows off Nordic culture through its onboard décor.

By Jason Leppert

In many ways Viking Ocean Cruises’ newest ship, Viking Sea, is a welcome return to basics — comfortable destination-based cruise travel at its heart and soul without any unnecessary bells and whistles. It’s elegant simplicity by design. And it’s something special.

The onboard décor could be described as modern Scandinavian with a far homier effect. Simple, understated elegance with clean lines, woven textiles, and light wood evoke the Viking spirit of discovery and connection to the natural world. In fact, the design concept was inspired by the Nordic heritage and vision of Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking Cruises.

Starting at the aptly named Living Room atrium, voluminous venues embrace guests with soft tones, creamy wooden panels, and plenty of natural light pouring in from numerous windows. In the elegant Wintergarden, guests can enjoy afternoon tea under a canopy of Scandinavian-inspired trellised wood.

Those who have sailed on the line’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, will find sister ship Viking Sea to be nearly identical. Returning favorites include unique al fresco dining options, a retractable magrodome that reveals the pool deck to the sky, and an infinity pool cantilevered off the ship’s stern.

The only thing that really differs is the carefully curated Scandinavian art collection that adorns the walls of restaurants and public spaces. Artists represented in Viking’s collection include Edvard Munch, H.M. Queen Sonja of Norway, Jakob Weidemann, and many others.

To really learn about the pieces in the collection, an audio art guide can be accessed from smartphones and tablets, along…


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Photo: Viking Ocean Cruises

Jason Leppert is the founder and editor of Popular Cruising. The native of San Diego is a regular contributor to Porthole Cruise Magazine and has been aboard hundreds of cruise ships throughout his life.