Torstein Hagen, CEO of Viking, said on the company’s fourth quarter and year-end earnings call that the company had strength in its core brand and identity.

“We want to have clear focus on exactly who we are,” Hagen (pictured above, left) said. “And you can say one of the things we are most proud of … there is no children, no casinos, no nickel and dining and then we don’t have an island you can go to get fleeced. It’s good for the P&L, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not good for the experience.

“When people go for Viking experience they know exactly what it will cost. So it’s not entirely trivial, but I think if there are bad times for a few months, then maybe there can be some opportunities that come along,” Hagen added.

Hagen said that the company has $2.5 billion in cash on hand, and he’d rather invest that money in developing the business as opposed to returning to shareholders.

“I believe we can make better use of it in the company than I as a shareholder can do outside the company. So I think it may sound a little bit rich to sit on $2.5 billion, but it can give opportunities,” he said.