​Viking To Launch New Chinese Cruise Line In Joint Venture

Viking Cruises and China Merchants Group have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to launch a joined venture cruise line for the Chinese cruise market.
 
The deal was signed on 08 April 2019. It includes a wide-ranging partnership which covers product development, sales and marketing for the new cruise line, which will offer worldwide cruises.

China Merchants Group's shipbuilding subsidiaries will partner with the joint venture to design and construct the new ocean cruise ships for the start-up cruise line.
 
Torstein Hagen, Chairman, Viking, said: “For more than 20 years, we have led the industry in developing a fleet of ships and a range of cruise itineraries that we believe provide guests with the most comfortable and enriching way to explore the world. Our partnership with China Merchants Group will allow us to bring this Viking travel lifestyle to more Chinese travelers more quickly, satisfying the Chinese market’s unmet demand for a greater choice of sophisticated travel.”
 
Gangfeng Fu, president of China Merchants Group, said: “China Merchants Group treasures this cooperation with Viking. This is a full scale, multi-dimensional cooperation that covers all three main business sectors of China Merchants group. Viking has gained tremendous experience in cruise operations and branding strategies during its 20 years of rapid growth. We sincerely hope that the alliance of the two powerful brands will create synergies and innovative business models that will lead the cooperation into a market-leading cruise brand.”
 
Viking currently operates a fleet of 78 river and ocean cruise vessels around the world. No further details about the new cruise line are yet known.