EX-99.1
Published on April 8, 2025
Exhibit 99.1
THIS DOCUMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
VIKING HOLDINGS LTD
NOTICE OF 2025 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The details and instructions in connection with the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Viking Holdings Ltd (the “Company”, “we” or “us”) to be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time), virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VIK2025, are set forth in this Notice of Annual General Meeting (this “Notice”).
We have determined that the Annual Meeting will be held in a virtual meeting format only, via the Internet, with no physical in-person meeting.
Only those persons entered on the branch register of members of the Company at the close of business on March 18, 2025 (the “Record Date”) are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting, or any adjournment or postponement thereof. Holders of our ordinary shares are entitled to one vote for each share held of record as of the Record Date on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Holders of our special shares are entitled to ten votes for each share held of record as of the Record Date on all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders. Holders of our ordinary shares and special shares will vote together as a single class on all matters presented to our shareholders for their vote or approval, except as otherwise required by applicable law. As of December 31, 2024, Viking Capital Limited held 107,036,250 ordinary shares and 127,704,616 special shares, which represents approximately 87% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding share capital.
Whether or not you plan to attend the virtual Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares in the Company are represented at the Annual Meeting. We encourage you to read the proxy materials, including the proxy card (for shareholders of record) or voting instruction card (for beneficial owners of shares), and to submit your votes as soon as possible. You may authorize your proxy via the Internet or telephone or, if you received the proxy materials in printed form, by mail by completing and returning the proxy card or voting instruction card. Instructions for voting can be found on your proxy card or voting instruction card.
To be admitted to the Annual Meeting at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VIK2025, you must enter the control number found on your proxy card or voting instruction card. You may vote during the Annual Meeting by following the instructions available on the meeting website during the meeting.
If you are a beneficial owner of shares as of the Record Date (for example if your shares are held in “street name” at your bank, broker or other nominee), we recommend you contact your bank, broker or other nominee for additional information about voting your shares and attending the Annual Meeting. Most individual shareholders are beneficial owners of shares held in “street name.”
This Notice, along with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, can be found on the investor relations portion of the Company’s website at ir.viking.com or by visiting the website maintained by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at sec.gov. If you would like to request a hard copy of the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, you may (1) visit www.ProxyVote.com, (2) call 1-800-579-1639 or (3) send an email to sendmaterial@proxyvote.com. If sending an email, please include your 16 digit control number in the subject line.
LETTER FROM OUR FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dear Shareholder,
As this is my first letter to you since Viking became a public company, first I want to thank you for supporting this company and our simple brand promise: Exploring the World in Comfort®. We are very glad to count you as a member of the Viking family.
Since our humble beginning in 1997, Viking has always done things differently from others in the travel industry. In short, we focus on the destination, and we do not try to be all things to all people.
Today, we are a global leader in experiential travel, with a fleet of nearly 100 vessels, exploring all seven continents, all five oceans and more than 20 iconic rivers. We are the first and only travel company to be rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler for the second consecutive year in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. And, all of this we do under just one brand: Viking. Our approach continues to resonate with curious travelers, and we are pleased that it is now resonating with shareholders. Whether you are a member of the Viking family as a guest, employee or shareholder, we believe you will find that our greatest strengths lie in our differences.
Our journey
As we reflect on the past 28 years, it is remarkable to see how far we have come. What began as a small operation with just two guys, two mobile phones and four river ships, has grown into a public company with total annual revenues of $5.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2024. Viking completed the largest IPO of 2024 on the New York Stock Exchange and the second largest IPO in the U.S.; we were even recognized with the 2024 North America IPO of the Year Award by the International Financing Review Magazine. The success of our IPO is a testament to the trust and confidence placed in us by our guests, employees and shareholders.
Viking reached a significant milestone by going public, but we also had a truly remarkable 2024:
Opportunities for further development
Looking toward the future, we believe there are a number of opportunities for continuing to grow Viking in this next chapter as a public company. As I shared in our fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results, 2025 is already shaping up to be a great year as we continue to take delivery of new ships and expand capacity. With a strong committed orderbook for the years to come, Viking will have 110 river ships by 2028 and 23 ocean and expedition ships by 2031. As always, we will maintain a clear focus on delivering an exceptional service and experience to our guests through our one Viking brand.
Viking fundamentals
As we reflect on our outstanding performance leading up to and following the IPO, there are several key things that have contributed to our success, and I also feel strongly they should remain fundamental as we continue to move forward.
First of all, we obsess over our guests. We maintain a clear focus on our most relevant customer group: English-speaking travelers aged 55 years old and over, who have the time, money and desire to explore the world in comfort. We only offer a single-language experience on board our ships; there are no casinos; and children under 18 are not allowed. We offer our guests an excellent travel experience at a good value, achieved through the design of our vessels, the service delivered by our staff and the effectiveness of our direct marketing and distribution model.
Secondly, we treat all Viking employees as part of a family. We have the best staff in the industry—a global workforce that represents over 90 nationalities. We value our employees deeply, and in turn, they deliver exceptional service to our guests.
Thirdly, we consider ourselves contrarian at Viking. We always emphasize the importance of a long-term view and shareholder value creation, rather than focusing solely on quarterly results.
Finally, we do what is right when it comes to the environment. Our fleet boasts many environmentally friendly features, such as diesel-electric river ships and energy-efficient ocean vessels equipped with closed-loop exhaust scrubbers. We also recently announced that the Viking Libra, scheduled for delivery in 2026, will be the world’s first hydrogen-powered cruise ship, capable of operating with zero emissions. The Viking Astrea, scheduled for delivery in 2027, will also be hydrogen-powered.
Annual General Meeting
We look forward to welcoming you to Viking’s first Annual General Meeting as a public company to be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time), virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VIK2025.
At Viking, we are proud of what we have accomplished in the last 28 years—including our first year as a public company—as well as our potential for the future. Thank you again for joining us on this journey and becoming part of the Viking family.
Onwards,
Torstein Hagen
Chairman and CEO
Viking
VIKING HOLDINGS LTD
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Viking Holdings Ltd (the “Company”, “we” or “us”) will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern time), virtually at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/VIK2025, for the following purposes:
Torstein Hagen
Richard Fear
Morten Garman
Paul Hackwell
Karine Hagen
Tore Myrholt
Pat Naccarato
Jack Weingart
The Board unanimously recommends that you vote “FOR” the director nominees in Proposal 1, and “FOR” Proposals 2 and 3.
In accordance with the Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda, the Company will also present at the Annual Meeting the audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, together with the auditor’s report thereon. The Board has approved these statements before the meeting. There is no requirement under Bermuda law that such statements be approved by shareholders, and no such approval will be sought at the Annual Meeting. The Company’s audited consolidated financial statements of the Company for the year ended December 31, 2024, are contained in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 11, 2025 (the “Annual Report”) and published on our website at ir.viking.com/financial/financial-results.
BY ORDER OF THE BOARD
Torstein Hagen
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
April 8, 2025
IMPORTANT NOTES