Viking IPO

[Cienfuegos]

3 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

If a private owner were looking to sell off his company, I suspect he might be able to maximize his return by going public to take advantage of inflated market value vs. pure book value. 😳

Just sayin’!

 

Yes.  I though it was suggested up thread that the principal purpose of this IPO is to fund the exit of two early institutional share holders. Not necessarily to provide much in the way of investment in plant and people, etc.

 

Viking Corporation is on the hook for a lot of investment in ships. Both delivered and promised for the future.

 

Note, I have not read the IPO documents, and have no interest in buying shares in the company.

[Jim Avery]

1 hour ago, 2cruisecats said:

I think we'd all be very interested in hearing your thoughts on Explora and Scenic Ocean after your travels. We've an Ocean and 2 Expeditions booked but always interested in other options.

Will do and yes they allow children.  Actually promote multigenerational cruising.  As far as I know now there are adult only bars and a pool and reading the few actual posts it seems they are not overrun with kiddies...., yet.   We don't go till late November so quite a ways to go but the Explora II is not completed yet I don't think.  And Scenic Oceans is next Spring in Japan.  Should be nice sailing with 200 or less.  We docked next to Scenic in Ushuaia when on our second Viking World cruise.  A very beautiful ship at that time.  Still will sail Viking and am hoping they tighten up management and get back to food and service standards.

[Jim Avery]

2 hours ago, 2cruisecats said:

I think we'd all be very interested in hearing your thoughts on Explora and Scenic Ocean after your travels. We've an Ocean and 2 Expeditions booked but always interested in other options.

Will do and yes they allow children.  Actually promote multigenerational cruising.  As far as I know now there are adult only bars and a pool and reading the few actual posts it seems they are not overrun with kiddies...., yet.   We don't go till late November so quite a ways to go but the Explora II is not completed yet I don't think.  And Scenic Oceans is next Spring in Japan.  Should be nice sailing with 200 or less.  We docked next to Scenic in Ushuaia when on our second Viking World cruise.  A very beautiful ship at that time.  Still will sail Viking and am hoping they tighten up management and get back to food and service standards.

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, Cienfuegos said:

have no interest in buying shares in the company.

Worth exploring anyway.

[OnTheJourney]

28 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

and am hoping they tighten up management and get back to food and service standards.

...which you referred to recently. Interesting. We thought the food and service was up to usual Viking standards on the Mississippi. Have not been with them since that.

[KBs mum]

On 4/23/2024 at 8:19 PM, Jim Avery said:

I agree with you about post covid.  But it's about time to quit using that excuse don't you think? Why can't we get back to good service, hard work, and quality products?  And yes, food and service definitely not as original and in a negative way.

We completely agree, a lot of companies used covid as an opportunity to refit, redecorate, refresh the offer ready for when trade resumed, Viking seemed to go the other way. We will only book with Viking if there is a very good offer on, they are charging premium prices for what is now allmost a budget package holiday product. The crew seem good, but among the hotel staff only the room stewards and bar staff were as good as before covid. 

We've noticed a lot more than usual availability for the next couple of years, and more offers from Viking UK ( call centre is now overseas, and nowhere near as good as it was) 

 

Edited April 26 by KBs mum

[OnTheJourney]

On 4/23/2024 at 3:19 PM, Jim Avery said:

Why can't we get back to good service, hard work, and quality products?  And yes, food and service definitely not as original and in a negative way.

Assuming you're referring specifically to Viking, what recent cruises have you found this to be the case?

[Jim Avery]

53 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Assuming you're referring specifically to Viking, what recent cruises have you found this to be the case?

Neptune World Cruise 

[OnTheJourney]

10 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Neptune World Cruise 

Wow! I would think that, especially for those who paid the full fare, should be above and beyond.

[rmalbers]

I'm not sure I've said it before on this forum but: I wonder if the cruise industry is going to be able to sustain the growth necessary to fill all the existing ships and all the new ships coming online.  To me all the mega ships (and others) in the Caribbean have really kind of ruined that whole region for cruising, I'm sort of thinking the industry will have trouble making money there. The only place I can think of that will see growth is the arctic.  I don't think I'll buy any cruise company stock until I see how all of it shakes out.  Oh, I do think we will see a LOT more private island/resort experiences in the Carribean, though.

Edited April 27 by rmalbers

[Mike07]

Just now, rmalbers said:

I'm not sure I've said it before on this forum but: I wonder if the cruise industry is going to be able to sustain the growth necessary to fill all the existing ships and all the new ships coming online.  To me all the mega ships (and others) in the Caribbean have really kind of ruined that whole region for cruising, I'm sort of thinking the industry will have trouble making money there. The only place I can think of that will see growth is the arctic.  I don't think I'll buy any cruise company stock until I see how all of it shakes out.

 

 

I agree. Eventually people will get burned out by cruising. Some won't, but every cruise I'm on, you increasingly realize the experiences are quite similar but with different views.

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

7 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

I agree. Eventually people will get burned out by cruising. Some won't, but every cruise I'm on, you increasingly realize the experiences are quite similar but with different views.

 

 

This is one reason I enjoy river cruising. It’s less about the ship and more about the destinations and view. Not a fan of sea days unless they involve scenic cruising like the Chilean fjords.

[rmalbers]

4 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

I agree. Eventually people will get burned out by cruising. Some won't, but every cruise I'm on, you increasingly realize the experiences are quite similar but with different views.

 

 

Ya, eat, sleep, drink.  But one thing, I'm not sure about  what the loyalty rate is on the different ships/lines, but I see/hear people talk about stuff where they really picked the wrong ship/line just to be loyal.  An example I saw just the other day they were complaining about not enough indoor public space on the ship when the weather was bad.  (I think it was Iceland) VO ships are great small ships for that with the retractable roof but they were on a small ship with open upper decks. So in that way, it's best to pick the ship over being loyal to a line.  

[rmalbers]

1 minute ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

This is one reason I enjoy river cruising. It’s less about the ship and more about the destinations and view. Not a fan of sea days unless they involve scenic cruising like the Chilean fjords.

Yes, I am in that camp also.  I have yet to do the river cruise thing, the river level stuff has always scared me off.  I like the natural scenery and not tourist shops.

[OneSixtyToOne]

15 minutes ago, rmalbers said:

Yes, I am in that camp also.  I have yet to do the river cruise thing, the river level stuff has always scared me off.  I like the natural scenery and not tourist shops.

You should at least try a river cruise that includes the Middle Rhine. It’s a whole day of vineyards and castles as you cruise by. If you select the right excursions you can avoid the tourist shops. Paris to the Swiss Alps B-A along with the Zermatt pre cruise extension was one of our favorites. Taking the Glacier Express across Switzerland was fantastic.
 

Also, the Chilean fjord expedition cruise is on sale now. If you’re a fan of pristine natural scenery and you’re not up for Antarctica, this is the cruise for you.

 

Edited April 27 by OneSixtyToOne

[rmalbers]

11 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

You should at least try a river cruise that includes the Middle Rhine. It’s a whole day of vineyards and castles as you cruise by. If you select the right excursions you can avoid the tourist shops. Paris to the Swiss Alps B-A along with the Zermatt pre cruise extension was one of our favorites. Taking the Glacier Express across Switzerland was fantastic.
 

Also, the Chilean fjord expedition cruise is on sale now. If you’re a fan of pristine natural scenery and you’re not up for Antarctica, this is the cruise for you.

 

Thanks for the river tips, I have done around South America and could do that again for sure. If I give up golf for a few weeks I would have more time summer river  cruising!  

[Zippeedee]

2 hours ago, rmalbers said:

Ya, eat, sleep, drink.  But one thing, I'm not sure about  what the loyalty rate is on the different ships/lines, but I see/hear people talk about stuff where they really picked the wrong ship/line just to be loyal.  An example I saw just the other day they were complaining about not enough indoor public space on the ship when the weather was bad.  (I think it was Iceland) VO ships are great small ships for that with the retractable roof but they were on a small ship with open upper decks. So in that way, it's best to pick the ship over being loyal to a line.  

I canceled my last cruise on that line for exactly that reason. No way I was going to be in small crowded spaces in 2021 just to sail on a new ship. I’m a stock holder in that line and they can keep their onboard credit. I much prefer Viking’s smaller number of passengers in bigger spaces.

[OnTheJourney]

6 hours ago, Mike07 said:

Eventually people will get burned out by cruising

Sure doesn't seem that way by looking at some peoples' list of "upcoming cruises"!

[OnTheJourney]

7 hours ago, rmalbers said:

I wonder if the cruise industry is going to be able to sustain the growth necessary to fill all the existing ships and all the new ships coming online. 

Good thought. I was most surprised to see the following in the VIK prospectus. 24 ships in the works with options for 12 more! Takes alot of moola or else incur alot of debt.

 

Edited April 27 by OnTheJourney

[Mike07]

12 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Sure doesn't seem that way by looking at some peoples' list of "upcoming cruises"!

 

 

Not sure where you're getting said list. if it's from this site, it's but a pittance of total cruisers worldwide. I forget how many tens of thousands of cruisers per day travel through Port of Miami and Port Everglades every day.... often to embark on an unremarkable Caribbean cruise.

 

The ships need bottoms in beds. Otherwise, they're not making money.

[PasadenaDave]

Eventually people will get burned out from cruising?

 

I would agree with that statement if my only experience was on mega ships in the Caribbean.  There are many one and done, or two and done cruisers.  Dealing with thousands of people and party atmosphere on private islands is boring to me.  Other than a trip through the Panama Canal or perhaps a transatlantic journey, I have no interest in Miami or Port Everglades, but that is me.

 

We are at the point of a cruise every 6-9 months which we find to be about right.  We likely have 6-8 itineraries that today pique our interest so that equates to 5-7 years of cruising and that doesn't count a short local cruise or two.  If Ukraine calmed down and cruises to the Baltic, Black Sea and river cruises in Russia returned I could add 4-5 trips to that list.

 

There are not many ocean cruises available to our liking as we are spoiled with 900 passenger ships, but we could see ourselves going the Oceana slightly larger ships.  We can deal with short Pacific Coast large ships since we can take an Uber to the ship.

[OneSixtyToOne]

19 minutes ago, PasadenaDave said:

I would agree with that statement if my only experience was on mega ships in the Caribbean.  There are many one and done, or two and done cruisers.  Dealing with thousands of people and party atmosphere on private islands is boring to me.  Other than a trip through the Panama Canal or perhaps a transatlantic journey, I have no interest in Miami or Port Everglades, but that is me.

This is exactly the experience of our daughter and her husband. They took their first ever cruise earlier this year on a Caribbean mega ship and absolutely hated it and vowed never again. After hearing us talk about Viking they were surprised by their negative experience. BTW another couple talked them into going, we had no input. We have no desire to cruise the Caribbean on any line.

[Cienfuegos]

Barron's magazine has a discussion of the Viking IPO in today's magazine.  In general, veteran financial reporter Andrew Bary likes the offering. He sees the new ships, the loyal customer base, and the focus on older, more affluent, educated, curious travelers as a winning recipe.

[OnTheJourney]

4 hours ago, Mike07 said:

Not sure where you're getting said list.

Of course, just referring to what I've encountered on CC. No implication relative to a larger perspective.

[OnTheJourney]

2 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

We have no desire to cruise the Caribbean on any line.

I've enjoyed all our Caribbean cruises, but wouldn't be a destination I'd book every year. Much prefer Canada / NE.