What you'll do
- Serve as a role model for the crew
- Navigate the vessel following regulations, timetables and lock times
- Take ownership and inform guests about issues like water levels, damage, and technical problems
- Motivate crew and provide training including safety drills
- Conduct frequent ship inspections, including monthly mooring line inspections
- Organize dumpsters and drinking water on board
- Participate in meetings and company training
- Act as a brand ambassador including guest interaction and event presence
Key requirements
- 1+ years' experience
- Boatmaster License with relevant regional patent
- Radar operation proficiency and VHF communication
- Safety Expert (Sachkunde) certification
- German and English language proficiency mandatory, French, Dutch, or Russian as assets
- Crew training and leadership skills
- Decisiveness, assertiveness, flexibility, and independence
Benefits
- Uniforms, laundry and unlimited Wi-Fi are free of charge for all crew members.
- Lodging and meals are provided onboard.
- Single cabin guaranteed.
- Travel reimbursement, paid vacation, referral program, and loyalty bonuses offered.
About the job
Part of our nautical team on our River vessels, the Captain safely navigates our Viking Longships in compliance with all statutory regulations and ensures that guests feel comfortable. The Captain reports to the Corporate Captains and the Nautical Director.
WHAT YOU WILL DO ON BOARD
- Serves as a role model for the entire crew
- Navigates the vessel in compliance with regulations, timetables and lock times, to avoid delays and incidents
- In case of high or low water, damage, and technical problems the Captain and the Program Director take ownership and inform the guests accordingly
- Motivates crew and provides training for candidates of internal training programs and other crew members, including regular safety drills
- Conducts frequently scheduled ship inspections, including monthly inspections of mooring lines
- Organizes dumpsters and drinking water
- Participates in meetings and company-relevant trainings
- Acts as a brand ambassador on behalf of Viking including social obligations towards our guests (presence in public areas, welcome cocktail, Captain's dinner)
WHY JOIN VIKING?
Elevate Your Career
Regardless of where you are on your career journey, Viking can help you in reaching new destinations with:
- Regular training and simulator assessments within working time
- Unlimited contracts with a 4/4, 4/2 or 2/2 system
On board our ship
- Uniforms, laundry and unlimited Wi-Fi are free of charge for all crew members
- Lodging and meals are provided to you by Viking onboard
- Single cabin guaranteed
- Travel to/from the ship reimbursement payment
- Dedicated crew area
- Sundeck area for crew use
Employee benefits
- Paid vacation
- Referral program
- Loyalty bonuses
- Salary payments and social security benefits in accordance with Swiss conditions
ABOUT YOU
- At least 1 year of work experience as a Captain/several years as a First Officer
- Interested in further education (certificate extension, language skills…)
- Independent and flexible
- Decisive and assertive
- Strong team worker and able to train/ lead the crew
- Shows ambition and initiative; perseverant
- Genuine interest in guest communication
Depending in which geographical area you are eligible to sail you need to fulfill the following obligatory requirements:
Rhine – Elbe – Mosel
- Boatmaster License
- Rhine patent until Iffezheim (km 1000 – 333)
- VHF
- Radar
- Safety Expert (Sachkunde)
- Languages: German and English (mandatory), Dutch and French as an asset
Danube
- Boatmaster License
- Danube patent from Sulina to Regensburg (km 0 – 2370)
- VHF
- Radar
- Safety Expert (Sachkunde)
- Languages: German and English (mandatory), Russian as an asset
Rhine – Main – Danube
- Boatmaster License
- Rhine patent until Mainz (km 1000 – 493)
- Danube patent
- Radar
- VHF
- Safety Expert (Sachkunde)
- Languages: German and English (mandatory), French and Russian as an asset
France
- Longueur illimitée
- Radar
- VHF
- Safety Expert (expert)
- Languages: French and English (mandatory), German as an asset
DISCLAIMER
As part of any recruitment process, Viking collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use that data and to meeting our data protection obligations. If you would like to find out more about how your information will be used, please view the privacy notice on our careers page.
Apply Now
About the company
The world's leading exploration company
Our history
"We had a vision that travel could be more destination-focused and culturally enriching. We wanted to offer experiences designed for the thinking person."
Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 with the vision that travel could be more destination focused and culturally immersive.
The company expanded into the American market in 2000, establishing a sales and marketing office in Los Angeles, California. Since then, Viking has grown to a fleet of more than 90 vessels, offering river, ocean and expedition voyages on all seven continents. Viking provides destination-focused itineraries for curious travelers, with each journey including a shore excursion in every port and an onboard and onshore enrichment program that provides deep immersion in the destination through performances of music and art, cooking demonstrations, informative port talks and carefully selected guest lecturers.
With more than 450 awards to its name, Viking is a leader in the industry and was rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans (for ships sized 500 to 2,500 berths) and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the first time a travel company has been voted #1 in all three categories simultaneously.
About the company
The world's leading exploration company
Our history
"We had a vision that travel could be more destination-focused and culturally enriching. We wanted to offer experiences designed for the thinking person."
Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 with the vision that travel could be more destination focused and culturally immersive.
The company expanded into the American market in 2000, establishing a sales and marketing office in Los Angeles, California. Since then, Viking has grown to a fleet of more than 90 vessels, offering river, ocean and expedition voyages on all seven continents. Viking provides destination-focused itineraries for curious travelers, with each journey including a shore excursion in every port and an onboard and onshore enrichment program that provides deep immersion in the destination through performances of music and art, cooking demonstrations, informative port talks and carefully selected guest lecturers.
With more than 450 awards to its name, Viking is a leader in the industry and was rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans (for ships sized 500 to 2,500 berths) and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the first time a travel company has been voted #1 in all three categories simultaneously.