Torstein Hagen, CEO of Viking, stressed that the company has a strong advantage in owning or otherwise controlling a great number of docking locations for its European river ship fleet, which impacts the company’s success on the rivers.

Speaking on the company’s fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings conference call, he said: “We have from the get-go been very obsessed, not only about our customers but also about getting docking rights … It is very important for us.”

According to Hagen, the focus on docking locations stems back to the time when Viking bought KD River Cruises and when it secured a number of docking rights on the Rhine and on the Elbe.

“We have about 72 premier docking rights along the rivers, (and) there are some that are particularly unique.  For example, we worked for seven years to get the rights right outside the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where we have a long-term contract for that, and also in Egypt, right outside the Karnak Temple, exclusive for us,” he added.

“We are also strong on the Danube, Budapest, where we have a joint venture with the Hungarian government. So, we have very strong positions on docking rights. That’s important,” Hagen said.

Hagen pointed out that docking rights could prove to be a potential barrier to entry for newcomers in the river market.