Changing The Way We See The World: Viking Cruises And The V&A Celebrate The Golden Age Of Travel

In recent years, the notion of going on a cruise has fallen out of popularity. Maybe it’s a pile-them-high ‘buffet’ mentality, which some cruise lines are guilty of, or perhaps an out-of-date sensibility as to what travellers want, which has affected the reputation of this mode of travel, but it hasn’t always been the case. Once, journeying on a great ocean liner was the pinnacle of travel: the best way to see the world’s exotic locations, and the only way to do it in style.

The Viking Sea vessel arriving into Venice, Italy

Viking Cruises, a leader in river and small ship ocean cruising, has long been heralding a return to the glamorous roots of cruise travel – with its innovative itineraries, Scandinavian-designed vessels and destination-focused voyages aimed at a savvy, modern-day traveller. Their voyages are, in fact, among the best-kept secrets of the travel world, popular with travel connoisseurs and those ‘in the know’. It’s no surprise, then, that the company is the fitting headline sponsor of the Victoria  Albert Museum‘s major new exhibition, which opened last week.

Normandie in New York, 1935-39

Ocean Liners: Speed Style will re-imagine the history of ocean travel, and is the first exhibition ever to explore the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner on an international scale. Revealing the true luxury behind the liners of years gone by, the exhibition will feature over 250 objects, from paintings to fashion, film and posters, to give visitors a feel of the romance of travelling by liner. 

Wooden panel fragment from the first-class lounge on Titanic, c. 1911

Highlights include a Cartier tiara recovered from the sinking Lusitania in 1915, as well as a panel fragment from the Titanic’s first class lounge, returning to the UK for the first time since its doomed maiden voyage in 1912 (on loan from a museum in Canada). Royalty also gets a nod, with some of The Duke of Windsor’s sumptuous 1940s Maison Goyard luggage on display. The Duke and Wallis Simpson once boarded the liner SS United States with no less than 100 pieces of matching luggage bought from the Parisian luxury brand and some of these cases, with his title stamped in gold, will be showcased in the exhibition.