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How Much Does a Viking Cruise Director Make?

By Robert Palmer

Are you interested in pursuing a career as a Viking Cruise Director? One of the first things you may want to know is how much money you can expect to make in this role. While salary information for this specific position is not readily available, we can look at industry averages and other factors to estimate what a Viking Cruise Director’s salary may be.

What Does a Viking Cruise Director Do?

First, let’s take a closer look at what a Viking Cruise Director does. As the name suggests, this role involves directing and coordinating activities and events on board a Viking cruise ship.

The Cruise Director is responsible for ensuring that guests have an enjoyable and memorable experience during their time on the ship. This can involve organizing excursions, planning entertainment events, and providing information about the ship and its amenities.

Factors That Affect Salary

When it comes to estimating how much a Viking Cruise Director might make, there are several factors to consider. These include:

• The size of the ship – Larger ships may require more staff members, which could mean higher salaries.
• The length of the cruise – Longer cruises may require more work from the Cruise Director, which could also impact salary.
• Experience – Like many positions in the travel industry, experience can play a role in determining salary.
• Location – The location of the cruise can also impact salary. For example, cruises that visit more exotic or remote locations may pay more due to their unique nature.

Industry Averages

While we don’t have access to specific salary information for Viking Cruise Directors, we can look at industry averages for similar roles. According to Payscale.com, the average salary for a Cruise Director is around $52,000 per year. However, this figure varies widely depending on factors such as experience and location.

While there is no definitive answer to how much a Viking Cruise Director makes, we can estimate that the salary may fall around the industry average of $52,000 per year. Keep in mind that this figure can vary depending on factors such as ship size, cruise length, experience, and location.

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I Took a Cruise Around the Mediterranean Over the Holidays — Here's What It's Like to Be on a Ship Right Now

The realities of cruising amid sudden COVID-19 surges.

Paul Brady is the news director at Travel + Leisure and the brand's expert on cruise travel. He has been covering the travel industry for more than 15 years for outlets including Condé Nast Traveler , Skift , and The Huffington Post .

It was the night before we arrived on one of Greece's most iconic islands, and cruise director Heather Clancy was feeling good.

Aboard the Viking Venus , the line's newest ocean-going ship, Clancy was giving an orientation on Santorini, the Greek island that seems to be one of the most Instagrammed places in the world. (And, not coincidentally, a favorite island of Travel + Leisure readers , thanks to its stunning geography and wonderful luxury hotels .)

We were due to arrive at the island the following morning, Dec. 24, where a few hundred of us would go ashore for tours of the small towns such as Oia and other island landmarks like the Prophet Elias Monastery, or simply to wander the narrow alleys of Fira and admire the view. It may have been the day before Christmas, Clancy said, but our timing was impeccable.

Visiting in late December, she noted, "was so much better than being here with 40,000 of your closest friends and eight megaships anchored in the caldera," the sort of thing that happens every week in summer.

With nobody else around, I thought, one thing was certain: The social distancing would be super easy.

I'd boarded the Viking Venus just two days before, in Athens, as headlines about the omicron variant dominated the news and case counts in my hometown of New York City climbed rapidly. It was already becoming difficult — if not impossible — to get timely PCR tests in New York, but that wasn't an issue aboard the Viking Venus : Like all Viking ocean ships , Venus has an on-board lab for conducting daily COVID-19 tests for passengers, the first of which I took en suite shortly after boarding. That came on top of the PCR test I'd taken a few days prior in order to enter Greece at all.

Still, simply going on the trip was something of a leap of faith. True, Viking requires all passengers and crew to be fully vaccinated, and masks were to be required in all indoor areas on the ship except while eating and drinking. But before I boarded the Venus , outbreaks of COVID-19 had been reported on other cruise ships with similarly strict policies. (And days after I left the Venus , the CDC would advise Americans to " avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status ," adding that "the chance of getting [COVID-19] on cruise ships is very high.")

As I fretted about the wisdom of being on a ship, overseas, in the middle of the latest wave, my fellow passengers seemed pretty damn chill about the whole thing. Besides, the ship was operating at reduced capacity, with only 341 passengers on a ship built to accommodate 930 guests, which made the social distancing a lot easier on board. (There were 445 crew members aboard to look after us.) It was always easy to find an uncrowded spot outdoors on deck and also in public spaces like the Viking Living Room, a center-of-the-ship lounge which became my favorite spot to people watch in the evenings, as guests roamed to and from dinner and entertainment venues like Torshavn, the late-night jazz club-slash-cabaret with triple-digit pours of Armagnac and a strict no-dancing policy. (Blame COVID-19 not the guy from "Footloose." )

Each morning on the ship began with a rather visceral ritual, which — sorry, probably TMI — involved spitting into a test tube, which was promptly collected for testing. Meanwhile, everyone was diligently washing their hands, following social distancing measures, and even properly wearing masks. (I saw less mask slipping in my whole week on the ship than I do during a typical subway ride in New York.) During our visit to Santorini — which was as uncrowded as cruise director Clancy had predicted — activities were naturally outdoors. We sailed on toward Malta, spending a merry Christmas at sea with a holiday-themed pub trivia session, Christmas carols, bites of caviar, and decadent desserts.

Then things got weird.

On the morning of Dec. 26, we arrived as scheduled in Valletta, Malta, docking within view of the gorgeous old city. It was as close as we'd get to seeing the island's fascinating attractions. Before I'd had the chance to get breakfast, Clancy made the disappointing announcement that "there is no clearance for guests to go ashore," attributing the decision to "local health authorities here in Malta" and the spread of the omicron variant on the island. Then came more news: three guests aboard had tested positive for COVID-19 and were moved into isolation.

Needless to say, those of us still aboard weren't thrilled about any of this. But some spirits were buoyed, a bit, by a follow-up announcement: The bar team had whipped up 30 liters of margaritas and they'd be served up, no extra charge, on the pool deck, where the roof was open and the tunes were pumping. "You know the old saying when life hands you lemons," Clancy announced. "Well, my mother told me to grab limes and tequila and make margaritas."

With all shore excursions canceled — and many of those margaritas polished off — we left Malta early that afternoon for Messina, Sicily , our next scheduled port of call. Upon arrival, the crew announced that Italian health authorities requested everyone aboard take a rapid antigen test before anyone could go ashore, according to the Viking crew. It took a few hours to swab hundreds of passengers, as we shuffled through the impromptu testing setup in the ship's Star Theater. Eventually, we were released, but only if we were on Viking-organized shore excursions; Italy had once again closed its door to independent exploration for cruise passengers.

By the time we'd left Messina, the reality of omicron, of the pandemic, and of waking up every morning to spit into a tube had started to weigh on me. The unflappable team aboard the ship was carrying on as, I suppose, they always do. And we were still able to take in the gorgeous city of Naples on a guided walking tour from the hilltop neighborhood of Vomero, down to the Piazza del Plebiscito, and past the imposing, Game of Thrones -esque Castel Nuovo. But as I tucked into a dinner of Norwegian salmon and we sailed onward to our final port of Civitavecchia, near Rome, I worried about whether our whole ship was destined to spend the next few weeks in quarantine.

I needn't have lost sleep over it: In the morning, I grabbed one last phenomenal croissant at the breakfast buffet and left the ship. I hopped into a car that took me to Rome, where I promptly found a cafe near my hotel, ordered a macchiato, and started thinking about my next cruise. Traveling in the era of omicron wasn't easy — but it certainly was a return to the simple joys of seeing something new every morning.

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JD Lasica / Special to Cruiseable

Viking Star cruise director Aaron Syfert in the Star Theater aboard Viking's first ocean ship.

Meet the entertaining cruise director of Viking Star

Behind the scenes with the crew of viking star: part 3.

San Francisco Bay Area

CruiseClout score: 95.0

During my 10-day cruise aboard Viking Star from Istanbul to Venice, I interviewed six of the ship's crew members. (And here's my review of Viking Star .)

Here's my Q&A with Aaron Syfert, Viking Star's cruise director. We chatted for about 20 minutes in the Living Room of Viking Star.

Tell us about your role on Viking Star.

I'm the cruise director. And I think a better title would be director of entertainment. It’s any type of aspects of entertainment, any types of events, guests — anything we come up with for special occasions, holidays. That falls under my department.

As a cruise director, do you sort of owe anything to the folks who came before you? Do you model yourself after the John Healds of the world?

I came into this round of entertainment because I was actually a baritone lead singer in shows on ships back in 2000, on Regent Cruise Line. Then back in 2006 I became an activities coordinator and learned under Barry Hopkins, who influenced what I was doing. Four years ago I went to Seabourn and I was able to do the thing I loved, to perform, and also assist the cruise director. After they sold three of their ships to Windstar I began to look for a change and ran into the right people at the right time. And Viking said I could perform here as well as run the entertainment department. This was actually a great, exciting new challenge to me, to actually run a large departent, full production casts, musiciains, resident musicians, schedule the different areas and come up with the ideas.

Sounds like you have a little bit of an entertainment gene.

I think almost all cruise directors have entertainment in their past, whether they're comedians or singers, dancers.

You’ve got to be a people person.

You do. You have to enjoy listening to the stories, put yourself out there all the time, be approachable. It is very important.

In some ways you're the face of Viking on the ship.

Yes, you are both the face and the voice, because you are always on the PA. You are always making announcements, you need to be clear. Show confidence in what you are doing at all times so the guests who come on will trust you and believe in what you are doing.

How do those announcements work on a daily basis?

Usually my morning announcement is the clearance call, so I let everyone know where the gangway is. I’ll talk about the weather a little bit. Maybe some information about the tours that are happening that day, any changes that might happen as well. Later that afternoon or evening I'll provide an update about any events that are happening.

We try to keep this a quiet ship, as opposed to a lot of other ships that do announcements all day long. It disrupts the atmosphere of the ship. We do a morning announcement, as well as anything serious that guests should know about. It's usually me or the captain throughout the cruise.

Tell us about the port talks you give. 

This is something different for me, these port talks. We’ll do these lectures on the history/heritage/culture of those ports of call coming up. Those have been really fun to do because it gets me back up on the stage, which I love to do and it’s a different aspect of it. I am also the emcee of any events, any shows, anything we do in the Atrium. 

Are you close to doing a performance on the cruise?

At this time, I have my own show, but we are just getting the band to learn it and on the last contract, they almost did, but then they had to leave, and we still had a few songs to do. But we do Atrium shows here, one called "Music of the Night," which is a little cabaret to introduce all the performers, and most of the time I will jump in to sing one of the numbers, a song with them. Tomorrow, we are doing "Unexpected Moment," and I will actually jump in and sing with them on that one. 

Your production is musical theater, then.

It’s a little musical theater, it’s a little opera (which I studied in college), it’s a little country because I’m from Texas, because I have my Texas roots. So I do bring my guitar, I play my guitar in the middle of that. And a little pop, Michael Bublé, some pop and swing.

With all the people you've met over the months, tell us in general terms what kind of people go on Viking Star.

With the Viking Star, it is people looking for the destination, but also the enrichment. They are looking for exclusive ports of call. And the ability to stay longer than a lot of the other ships. That is one of the missions of Viking Star, and of Viking Ocean Cruises. They are trying to model a little bit off of the river boats, I believe, because that is one thing they were very known for: the ability to stay in those ports for a longer time.

But the enrichment program is a big thing here. They do a great job interviewing and hiring the speakers. I think guests come to the theater often for the enrichment sessions and they have a lot of great comments about the wonderful speakers we get. So I think that was one of the main focuses when we first started. Of course, entertainment is right up there, too. We didn’t know it would be so popular with our guests, but the ratings are showing they are.

Do you get off the ship when we arrive in port?

I try to. I’ve been doing this on various ships for almost 12, 13 years. So I’ve seen most all these places we’ve gone to. But there are certain little places, especially in Norway. In Florø I love to hike up the hillsides and ride the bike down. I love going through the fjords, the scenic sailing and walking around the ship and watching some of the nature around us.

Over the years I've also loved visiting South America, some of the excursions were amazing there — going horseback riding in Ushuaia, Argentina, or whitewater rafting in Chile. In Spain we are able to pull right onto the dock and just walk around areas like Cadiz or Barcelona.  

With Viking's new ocean ships coming out, are you going to be involved with that?

Yes, I finish here Jan. 10, then I take a month off, then I go to help launch the next ship, Viking Sea. 

When you walk around the ship, are you trying to meet people to see how they are doing?

When I walk around and talk to people I want to see how  their cruise is going, what they are doing on the ship so far, what things we can help them with. What things we can change. We try to act on feedback as quickly as possible, so we change things on their cruise, while there are other things we present to the company to be implemented later.

What's the best thing about your job? Meeting the people. Hearing the stories. We're creating an event, and having them come up to you with a big smile and telling you how much they enjoyed it. Something we may have put on a lecture or a port talk and they say how informative it was. Or a show, when they come out and you shake hands and they tell you it was one of the best shows they have ever seen. It is something they will remember. I like to call it their Viking Moment, a memory they will take with them and cherish always. That’s what the best part of work is for me.

In this series:

• Part 1: Q&A with bar server Ivana Vujovic
• Part 2: Q&A with guest services manager Martha Hanley
• Part 3: Q&A with cruise director Aaron Syfert (below) 
• Part 4: Q&A with general manager Karl Eckl
• Part 5:  Q&A with ship captain Atle Knutsen
• Part 6:  Q&A with chief engineer Peter Nilsson

JD Lasica I'm Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Cruiseable. Follow your cruise bliss to any land where it may lead. Let's connect! I'm @jdlasica on Twitter.

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Delve into our Viking World Cruise with the Viking Neptune crew

From exploring ancient ruins in Rome to witnessing the northern lights in Norway, follow along as crew members of one of our newest ocean ships, t he Viking Neptune , recount unforgettable highlights from their time on the Viking World Cruise . Bruce Allen Scudder , Cruise Director , and Ronald Schweighardt , Hotel General Manager , offer you a glimpse of life on board our elegant ocean ships, from our engaging enrichment programs and unparalleled service to state-of-the-art amenities and destination-focused dining options .

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SOLD OUT: National Nordic Museum's Viking Trip August 21-September 3, 2023

The adventure of a lifetime

SOLD OUT: to be added to the waitlist, click here.

Join the National Nordic Museum’s Executive Director/CEO Eric Nelson and Professor Terje Leiren on a two-week exclusive tour of major Viking sites in Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway in 2023. Featuring unique stops and rare experiences not offered on most tour itineraries!

Included in this exclusive tour are accommodations at centrally located hotels, daily breakfast, a full-time bilingual tour manager, sightseeing, entrances and local guides, and the option to add a travel protection plan.

This tour includes whisper systems that allows the group to safely distance while still hearing guides perfectly through their headphones.

For additional questions, please email Development Officer Jenny Iverson at [email protected].

Learn more about the highlights of the trip in this video with Eric Nelson and Terje Leiren.

• Monday, August 21: Reykjavik (L,D) Visit the Settlement Exhibition , where we'll see the earliest evidence of human habitation in Iceland from the 870s, as well as a 10th century Viking long house. This evening we will have a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.
• Tuesday, August 22, Reykjavik (B) Visit the National Museum of Iceland to learn about the country's history from the Viking settlement to present day! The rest of the day is free to explore Reykjavik.
• Wednesday, August 23, Reykjavik (B) We venture today into the Icelandic countryside to visit Thingvellir , the site of the Icelandic Viking Thing (a type of democratic assembly) from 930 and located on the visible fault line of the drifting North American and Eurasian continental plates. We then visit Reykholt , the site of the home of Snorri Sturluson , the great Icelandic writer who, in the 1200's, wrote down many of the Norsk sagas that we have today.  Here we will see his bathing pool or "think tank" where he, very likely, hung out with his friends discussing history, culture, and politics of the day!
• Thursday, August 24, Stockholm (B,D) After arrival in Stockholm, visit  Gamla Uppsala , an important historic site before and during the Viking era. We'll see three royal burial mounds from the 6th century as well as visit the museum with artifacts and exhibits about Gamla Uppsala. 
• Friday, August 25, Stockholm (B) Today we'll visit the Historiska Museum , which is noted for its treasure trove of Viking coins, jewelry, and other artifacts. The rest of the day will be free to explore Stockholm on your own.
• Saturday, August 26, Stockholm (B) Enjoy a full day excursion to Birka , an important Viking era trading center and now an UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site,  a stop of great significance and not usually visited by tours!
• Sunday, August 27, Visby (B,D) Our stop in Visby includes Gotland, the center of Baltic trade in the Viking age linking east and west, and opportunity to explore the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia !
• Monday, August 28, Visby-Oskarshamn (B) Exploring the Gotland Museum , we'll see  its extensive collection of Viking age artifacts, including silver hoards and Rune Stones. 
• Tuesday, August 29, Copenhagen (B,D) On our way to Copenhagen, we'll stop at the Kalmar Castle and learn about the Kalmar union that united the Scandinavian countries in 1397.Then we'll drive through the scenic Skåne landscape and make a stop at Trelleborgen , a reconstructed Viking ring fort from the late 900’s.
• Wednesday, August 30, Copenhagen (B) We'll tour the Danish National Museum , with its extensive Viking and Iron Age collection. The rest of the day will be free to explore Copenhagen.
• Thursday, August 31, DFDS ship to Oslo (B) Our final morning in Denmark, we'll visit   Roskilde  to see five original Viking Ships and learn about how they were made and used. 
• Friday, September 1, Oslo (B) Upon arrival in Oslo, we’ll head to the historic Vestfold district in Norway. Here we’ll see the Borre burial mounds and visit the nearby Midgard Viking Center . Then we’ll make a stop in Tønsberg – founded in the 9th Century by Vikings, it’s considered to be Norway’s oldest city. 
• Saturday, September 2, Oslo (B,D) This morning, we’ll go for a walking tour of downtown Oslo and end up at the Historical Museum , which has the only surviving Viking helmet (no horns!) and a fine collection of Viking and pre-Viking jewelry. Your afternoon is free to explore Oslo before our farewell dinner.
• Sunday September 3 (B) Tour ends after breakfast.
• All group transportation and entrances in the itinerary
• Transfer from arrival airport in Reykjavik (transfer will be at 10:00 am)
• Flight from Reykjavik to Stockholm
• Centrally located hotels with breakfast daily
• Seven dinners and one lunch
• Overnight cruise, from Copenhagen-Oslo with outside cabins
• Three lectures by Terje Leiren, Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Studies and History, University of Washington
• Tour Director during the trip plus local city guides
• Porter service where available
• All gratuities

Not included:

• Airfare to Reykjavik and from Oslo
• Transfer to airport at end of the trip
• Travel insurance

Accommodations:

• Reykjavik: Alda Hotel
• Stockholm: Clarion Sign
• Visby: Clarion Hotel Wisby
• Oskarshamn: Clarion Collection Hotel Post
• Copenhagen: The Square
• Copenhagen to Oslo: Overnight ship, DFDS with sea view
• Oslo: Thon Bristol

Airline Flights:

Airfare to and from the trip is not included (the group flight from Reykjavik to Stockholm IS included). Icelandair has good connections from the US to Iceland and back from Oslo and other Nordic cities. For those of you leaving from Seattle, we recommend that you book Icelandair flight FI682, which leaves Seattle on August 20 at 6:55 pm and arrives at Reykjavik on August 21 at 9:20 am. A bus will be waiting for all those on that and earlier flights. We’ll meet those who have arrived to Reykjavik on an earlier day at a downtown location for an early lunch.

Those flying with Icelandair will need to book two one-way tickets. The first to Reykjavik and the second back home from Oslo or another city, if you so choose. There is no significant extra cost for this. Other airlines that currently fly to Iceland from the US are United and Delta.

Activity Level:

There will be some walking in the cities to museums and on tours. A couple of the archaeological sites may have some uneven surfaces that we walk on.

Price per person:

Meet your tour guides: eric nelson.

Eric Nelson joined the National Nordic Museum as Executive Director/CEO in January 2008, where he has overseen the expansion to the Museum into a nationally and internationally recognized center for sharing Nordic culture, values, and innovation. He has been honored with the Gold Hazelius Medal, the only non-Swede to receive this recognition, as well as having been named awarded the Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland by the President of Finland Sauli Niinistö and Knight 1st Class of the Royal Order of the Polar Star by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

Under Nelson's leadership, the Museum has become the only museum in the United States – and indeed the world – that showcases the impact and influence of Nordic values and innovation in contemporary society, and tells the story of 12,000 years of Nordic history and culture, across all five Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden – and the Sámi people of Arctic Europe.

In addition to its collection and exhibitions, the National Nordic Museum serves as a convener on critical issues including innovation, economic development, environmental policy, cultural identity and societal issues. The Museum presents more than 100 programs annually including contemporary art exhibitions, concerts, lectures, films and educational events.

Nelson is a graduate of the prestigious Getty Museum Leadership Institute and holds a Master of Art degree in History and B.A. in History from California State University. He has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington, California State University, Sacramento and San Francisco State University. A native of Napa, California, Nelson previously served as Executive Director of the Napa Valley Museum from 1999 to 2007. Prior to this role, he was Curator of Exhibits and Collections and then Executive Director of the Sonoma County Museum in Santa Rosa for eleven years.

Meet Your Tour Guides: Terje Leiren

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What's the appropriate tipping on Viking?

By CaptainCook808 , July 14, 2023 in Viking Ocean

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CaptainCook808

First off, my wife and I were so happy with the service last time we had them double the tip charge on our bill. And I'll likely do that again going forward. I like that because the great service is due to a ton of people, including ones I don't interact with (those clean towels are washed by someone). I want to get it to everyone.

So question 1: In this case should I let crew members know I did that so they know their specific efforts were appreciated? Or is that awkward? Because the immediate effect is basically $1.00/mo. (If every passenger did it then it's 1K/mo and that's real money.) We did not tell anyone because it didn't feel right to tell anyone.

Question 2: When I do this, what direct tips should I do in addition? How much and to who?

thanks - dave

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Peregrina651

3 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said: So question 1: In this case should I let crew members know I did that so they know their specific efforts were appreciated? Or is that awkward?

Telling the crew that you tipped double seems awkward to me.

A thank you note to the entire crew telling them how much you appreciated all that they did to make your time on board a delight is a different story.  Another way is positive comments of appreciation for the entire crew and for specific crew members in guest surveys and in notes to heads of departments (in which you can ask the head to share your note with their team).

I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.

So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

11 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:   Telling the crew that you tipped double seems awkward to me.   A thank you note to the entire crew telling them how much you appreciated all that they did to make your time on board a delight is a different story.  Another way is positive comments of appreciation for the entire crew and for specific crew members in guest surveys and in notes to heads of departments (in which you can ask the head to share your note with their team).    

A note to the General Manager before the end of the cruise goes a long way.  In our experience, the outstanding crew members are recognized within their departments and are very gratified that their efforts have been appreciated.

17 minutes ago, drink2me said: I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.   So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

Perhaps if this question didn’t show up as a new thread every other day…

15 minutes ago, drink2me said: I know that some posts above are sarcasm based on how often this question is asked. But for new members here it is helpful. And maybe the old answers wherever they are need to be updated with current standards.   So I too would appreciate your thoughtful responses.

This topic is always incendiary as you'll no doubt see. This is Viking's tipping policy from their FAQ's (applies to NA pax, other geographies have different standards):

What is the tipping policy?

Our onboard staff is dedicated to providing you with the best cruise experience possible, and it is customary to give gratuities in recognition of their service. How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. To save you worry over whom to tip and how much, we automatically add a discretionary hotel and dining charge of $17.00 USD per guest per day to your shipboard account, which appears on your final invoice at the end of your cruise. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience, including the waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others. Please note this charge excludes bar gratuity; a 15% gratuity is automatically added to bar, beverage, wine and deck service tabs . Should you wish to make changes to the gratuity amounts or pay in cash, stop by Guest Services at any time. You may also wish to tip your local excursion guides and/or drivers; we suggest doing so in cash at the end of each tour. For your convenience, you can pre-purchase gratuities at our standard recommended rate in My Viking Journey. This charge will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide for your cruise experience, including your Program Director, waitstaff, stateroom stewards, galley staff, nautical staff and others.

A couple of observations on the above. The discretionary charge can be increased (as did the OP) or removed from your bill should you wish it. In the end, whether you tip at all, how much and to whom is entirely up to you - you will find that looking for 'standards' in this area is fruitless.

We now return you to your current program ... 🥌 🍺

I didn’t see any other queries with the caveat of doubling the automatic tip. That’s why I asked anew.

Capt., your post reminded me of the great response to the intro of all the crew marching into the theatre for us to thank them. The group that got the biggest cheer was the laundry!

The CD reminded us that Viking considers guest comments in evaluations, when promoting. I called our three waiters (head and two assistants) superstars, in my evaluation.

I have a suspicion they’ll know that you tipped double, even without your telling them. I think it’s a great idea, but I would never do it in advance. What if, for some random, rare reason, you run into average, or worse, service? Then you could leave the std. gratuities but tip the stellar ones with additional cash.

CannyScotTor

You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.

We choose to pay the recommended “tips“, augmented by cash tips to staff that we feel have gone above and beyond.

30 minutes ago, CannyScotTor said: You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.

As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.

I concur that Viking guards this information closely. It may be that they consider their compensation structure to be proprietary and a competitive advantage, and have no intention of making it known to their competition. It may be that they just don't think it's any of our business.

Personally, I accept Viking's statement that the assessed gratuities "will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience" - irrespective of how and when they distribute the money. I don't believe that I have any right to demand that they divulge the details of their internal business processes. I do have the right to decide if I believe I'm receiving value for my overall cost - and I make that decision every cruise booking. 🍺 🥌

1 minute ago, CurlerRob said:   As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.

I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

3 minutes ago, CaptainCook808 said: I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

Glad to hear that the GM would ensure the crew were aware of the increased contribution - that's just smart personnel management and I'd accept the statement as well.

My post was in response to the earlier one (not by you) that made the definitive statement that "the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the 'tips' " - that is unknown. As stated, I believe that the gratuities do flow to the crew, we just don't know the details of how or when. 🍺 🥌

stephenandrew

53 minutes ago, CurlerRob said:   As has been demonstrated at great length on other threads on this topic, no one on these boards is privy to the details of Viking's compensation program and we simply do not know the specifics of how the gratuities are folded into the crew's compensation. Anecdotes are not necessarily fact.   I concur that Viking guards this information closely. It may be that they consider their compensation structure to be proprietary and a competitive advantage, and have no intention of making it known to their competition. It may be that they just don't think it's any of our business.   Personally, I accept Viking's statement that the assessed gratuities "will be shared among the onboard staff who helped support and provide your cruise experience" - irrespective of how and when they distribute the money. I don't believe that I have any right to demand that they divulge the details of their internal business processes. I do have the right to decide if I believe I'm receiving value for my overall cost - and I make that decision every cruise booking. 🍺 🥌

I dunno.  Seems to me one video on YouTube by a current or ex-Viking employee would make it pretty easy for everyone to know Viking’s tip distribution policy.   

16 minutes ago, stephenandrew said: I dunno.  Seems to me one video on YouTube by a current or ex-Viking employee would make it pretty easy for everyone to know Viking’s tip distribution policy.   

Had such a video appeared, it might have satisfied the posters who want to understand the minutiae of Viking's comp. systems - but I'm not aware that it has happened.

It's likely not that easy, even for employees. Here's a scenario. I'm a Viking crew member. Each month I receive my pay. A portion is a fixed amount, another portion is variable, based on the amount of gratuities paid by pax. This month, Viking tells me that my variable portion was up 10% because gratuities were up 10% to plan (or vice versa). I smile (or snarl) and cash my cheque.

Nothing in this provides any insight into whether my variable pay came from the pax on my cruises in the month, or some accumulation across ships in the fleet, or any number of other permutations. What's clear is that a portion of my compensation came from pax gratuities - the gory details are not disclosed even to me as a crew member.

FWIW, HAL has disclosed that gratuities are pooled on a fleetwide basis and distributed to crew on a periodic basis. That means that the grats indeed do go to the crew, but there's no way to determine that your particular gratuity dollar went directly to crew on your cruise - and I'm not sure why that would matter, as it works out in the end. HTH a bit. 🍺 🥌

11 hours ago, CaptainCook808 said: I asked the hotel General Manager on the last trip if they told the crew if people made a double tip. He gave me an enthusiastic absolutely yes. Now that's taking his word for it. And that isn't the same as saying they then get the money. But his reaction seemed genuine and emotional so I will assume it does get to the crew.

The four crew members we tipped had similar reactions. Viking does SOMETHING to keep their best employees happy. Honestly, I think Viking’s success depends on the great service.

JeffElizabeth

14 hours ago, CannyScotTor said: You do realize that the staff on board don’t actually directly receive any of the “tips“ you give to Viking. From what we can tell anecdotally, the money collected as “tips“ is not distributed directly to the crew. Viking has been very good at obfuscating how the collected gratuities are used. The more cynically minded among us believe that they go straight to Viking’s bottom line.   We choose to pay the recommended “tips“, augmented by cash tips to staff that we feel have gone above and beyond.   YMMV      

Even if you tip in cash at the end of the cruise? We tip the stewards and those in the main dining room. 

One thing I'd like to add to all this. I worked my way through college washing dishes. If they would let me, I'd go into the dish room and give each of the dishwashers $100 because it's such a crappy job that gets no thanks or recognition.

So doubling the tips is how I can get tips to all the people who we don't see, but are key to a great voyage. The dishwashers, the laundry, the cooks, etc.

• 3 weeks later...

onlyslightlymad

Okay, I bite.  You are scaring me.  One of the reasons I have booked Viking is because 'tips' are included.  Thank god.  Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

2 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said: Okay, I bite.  You are scaring me.  One of the reasons I have booked Viking is because 'tips' are included.  Thank god.  Please don't tell me I'm wrong.

You aren't wrong, tips are included for UK, NZ and Aus passengers. 

Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

1 hour ago, KBs mum said: You aren't wrong, tips are included for UK, NZ and Aus passengers.  Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

1 hour ago, May B said: For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

Gratuities are added to U.S. pax accounts but are not required and one can opt out just by letting Guest Services know before the last day of the cruise.

2 hours ago, May B said: For us in the US, they are not included in our cruise fare. A daily gratuity is posted to our shipboard acct. but not until near the end of the cruise. Of course some of us like to reward our favorite crew members with a little extra.

Thing is, when we visit a country with a tipping culture we don't worry about it, we just add the minimum to be polite, or go with any auto amount if about the same (easy to check online in advance) and give it no further thought. 

If someone goes well above and beyond we give an amount equivilent to a drink or two, asking them to have a drink on us after work. A traditional thank you among equals in UK and some other non tipping cultures 

5 hours ago, KBs mum said:   Only the USA contingent worry about them 🙂

And Canadians too. 🙂

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