Viking said it is on track to effectively sell out its 2026 inventory. During its third-quarter earnings call Wednesday, the company shared that 70% of its capacity for next year was sold, totaling $4.9 billion in advanced bookings.
That mirrors last year, when the line had sold 70% of 2025 inventory by the third quarter. As of Nov.2, Viking said it had sold 96% of its capacity for 2025.
Of the $4.9 billion in advanced bookings in Q3, river cruises accounted for $2.2 billion.
The company's revenue for the third quarter was nearly $2 billion, a 19% year-over-year increase. It operated at 96% capacity, an effective sellout.
Net income for the third quarter was $514 million, up from $379.7 million for the same period in 2024.
"The deep loyalty of our guests continues to fuel our success and drive sustained, profitable growth," Viking chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen said.
CEO not worried about newcomers
Viking recently celebrated its 100th ship. And the growth isn't stopping. The company will add two river ships to its fleet by the end of the year and plans to add eight next year, along with two ocean ships.
When asked about competitors such as Celebrity Cruises entering river cruising, Hagen said: "I don't worry too much about it, or think about it too much."
Hagen said the brand's docking locations on the rivers make it stand out -- the location by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, for example -- along with its destination-focused ethos.
A Viking Tours revival?
Looking ahead, Hagen and president and CFO Leah Talactac discussed future growth possibilities.
Talactac said that Viking captures 24% of the luxury ocean market and more than 50% of the river cruise market. She said she believes the company has potential to expand its market share in ocean cruising.
If the company were to venture outside of cruising, Talactac said it would have to be scalable and complementary to the company's portfolio.
"We know our guests travel and do things outside of cruising," she said.
She mentioned the company's short-lived land tour business that launched in 2007. It was "not the right time," Talactac said, but reviving that could "certainly" be an option.
"We are a much different company now than we were back then," she said.
Viking doesn't appear to be interested in the acquisition of other cruise brands. Hagen essentially swore off the idea.
"You should never say never but it's not far from it," he said. "It would take a hell of a special situation to convince us otherwise."