VikingCruises is a privately owned professional company, which aims to provide inland river cruise ships and ocean cruise ships. Viking cruises focus on inland and ocean routes of destinations, and are specially designed for travelers interested in geography, culture and history. It is the parent company of Viking River Cruise and Viking Ocean Cruise. Viking Cruises, formerly Viking River Cruises, was founded in 1997 by Scandinavian and Dutch consortia.

Viking Cruises is the first cruise company to launch a new special cruise ship after DisneyMagic was launched by Disney Cruises 1998. VikingStar and its sister ship VikingSea have 465 cabins in five categories, all equipped with private balconies, and the cabin area (270 square feet) exceeds that of most existing cruise ships. The largest suite on a cruise ship, with an area of nearly 1 1,500 square feet. There are many lounges and dining places on the cruise ship, including some options for outdoor dining on the deck. Other areas on board include a three-story atrium, a theater, a library, a sun deck with two outdoor swimming pools, a Nordic-style spa, a gym and a yoga area, and a fashion shop on board. Viking cruise ship's borderless swimming pool and floor-to-ceiling windows designed to ensure the room is full of sunshine are unique among cruise ships of the same class.