When the Open Wing Alliance (OWA)—a global coalition of animal protection groups—called on Viking to stop profiting off egg-laying hens living in painful cages, animal advocates around the world came forward to demand change for chickens. As phone calls, social media comments, and emails rolled in, Viking received a powerful message: people care about how animals are treated.
Just a few weeks later, Viking publicly announced a global policy that’d make cages for egg laying hens in its supply chain a thing of the past.
Viking was also under pressure to keep pace with its peers. With other major cruise lines—like Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Carnival Cruises, and Royal Caribbean—publishing commitments to use only cage-free eggs and publicly showing their roadmaps for achieving those goals, Viking was falling behind.
In publicly sharing its new commitment, Viking states:
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Viking is committed to procuring 100% cage-free eggs (shell and liquid) throughout its global supply chain by 2024, 2025 at the latest. We are already sourcing cage-free eggs and are confident of hitting our stated targets.
For countless hens suffering in extreme confinement, this commitment moves the needle toward meaningful change for the better.
What is Viking?
Founded in 1997 by Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen, Viking is now the world’s leading small ship travel company, sailing to 403 ports in 95 countries. Until the company shared its commitment to relieve egg-laying hens from spending their lives in tiny wire cages, it was the only major cruise line that wasn’t using cage-free eggs in its operations.
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Viking prides itself on offering all-inclusive, luxury experiences to its guests, but their use of eggs from caged hens was at odds with its commitment to quality,” says Jennie Hunter, Senior Campaigns Coordinator at the OWA.
With a growing number of conscious consumers taking a strong interest in where their products come from, Viking needed to adopt a global cage-free policy to keep pace with its industry counterparts—and stop supporting outdated, inhumane practices.
How is Viking’s global cage-free policy good for chickens?
Life in a tiny wire cage is just as painful as it sounds. Imagine standing barefoot on wire caging in a space no bigger than the size of a desk drawer. Now imagine being crammed in with four to ten feathered friends. In such tight confinement, hens do not even have enough room to spread their wings.
With every company that adopts—and follows through with—a cage-free policy, countless hens gain freedom from a lifetime of misery. That’s why cage-free commitments matter, especially for massive companies like Viking that use a vast volume of eggs in their operations.
How can I help?
We are relentless in our pursuit of a cage-free future. We will continue to send powerful messages to corporations that profit off animal abuse—and together, we’ll enact meaningful change. Ready to be part of the movement?
Jennie Hunter
