06 Dec 2023
London, 6 December 2003: Viking today announced it will welcome an additional 10 Viking Longships® to its river fleet in the coming years. To meet strong demand for European river voyages, eight of the new vessels will sail Viking's popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the Seine River. The total order is also inclusive of one Viking Longship for the Seine River that was announced in February 2023. Five of the new vessels will be delivered in 2025, with the remaining five to be delivered in 2026. To officially mark the start of construction on all 10 ships, a keel laying ceremony was held today at Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany, where all Viking Longships have been built since their debut in 2012.
“Ever since we started Viking 26 years ago, our mission has been to help our guests explore the world in comfort. We focus on the destination, and we build elegant, innovative ships,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We look forward to welcoming these new Longships to our European fleet and introducing The Viking Way of exploration to even more guests in the coming years.”
With a current fleet of 80 river ships, Viking is by far the industry's leading river line. The award-winning Viking Longships, which comprise the vast majority of the company's river fleet, host 190 or fewer guests. Featuring an innovative patented design, the vessels offer a wide variety of stateroom choices, the revolutionary indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace and Viking's signature Scandinavian design aesthetic. The new vessels feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships' energy efficiency.
Today's announcement is the latest significant milestone for the company. Last month, Viking celebrated the float out of its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela®, which will debut in December 2024, and
announced a new ship for the Mekong River in 2025, the Viking Tonle. In October, the company made history when it was voted #1 for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Condé Nast Traveller in the publication's 2023 Readers' Choice Awards. The company was also voted to the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure in the 2023 World's Best Awards. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honours by both publications.
To make a booking or for more information call 0800 458 69 00 or go to www.viking.com
ENDS
Viking media contacts:
Viking UK Press Office: ukpressoffice@viking.com
Bryony Gammon: bryony.gammon@viking.com
Carys Bedford: carys.bedford@viking.com
Emma Lepley: emma.lepley@viking.com
Telephone: +44 208 780 7945
About Viking
Viking offers culturally enriching, destination-focused river and ocean cruises for travellers curious about the world, its rich culture and varied history.
Viking takes its guests on curated, elegant voyages to some of the most iconic rivers in Europe, Africa and the Far East, allowing a unique window on inspiring destinations and rewarding experiences. Viking revolutionised river cruising with the introduction of its state-of-the-art Viking Longships which, since their introduction in 2012, now make up 80 percent of its river fleet.
In 2015 Viking debuted its maiden season of ocean cruising and in April 2023 Viking took delivery of its newest ocean ship, Viking Saturn, making it the largest small ship travel company. The sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking ocean ships can accommodate 930 guests on itineraries all across the world.
Viking has expanded its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new expedition voyages. Viking Expeditions began sailing in January 2022 with its first vessel, Viking Octantis, embarking on voyages to Antarctica and North America's Great Lakes. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, launched in September 2022. Viking's custom-built vessel, Viking Mississippi, debuted offering voyages on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, between New Orleans and St. Paul.
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