Viking Adds 10 New European Longships To Be Delivered in 2025 and 2026
Viking made a major announcement today, reporting that it plans to meet strong demand for its European river voyages by adding an additional 10 Viking Longships to its river fleet.
The new vessels will arrive in the coming years, with eight of them sailing Viking’s popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The other two Viking Longships will join the current fleet on the Seine River.
The total number of new ships includes the Seine River Viking Longship that was previously announced in February. Half of the ships will be delivered in 2025, with the rest arriving in 2026.
A keel laying ceremony was held today in Rostock, Germany to officially mark the start of construction on all 10 ships. All of the Viking Longships have been built at Neptun Werft shipyard since their debut in 2012.
Viking is by far the industry’s leading river line. It has 80 river ships in service, comprising over half of the market share for North American travelers.
Viking Adds 10 Longships in the Coming Years
Torstein Hagen is the Chairman of Viking and he said “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.”
“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.”
Viking’s Commitment to Excellence Recognized Throughout the Industry
The company’s award-winning Viking Longships comprise the vast majority of their river fleet. Each Longship hosts less than 200 (190) guests. All of the ships showcase an innovative patented design, with a wide variety of stateroom choices. Each vessel has an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace and Viking’s signature Scandinavian design aesthetic.
The new vessels contain a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels add to the ships’ energy efficiency.
Viking is The Industry’s Leading River Line
Today’s announcement is the latest in a long line of significant milestones for the company. In November Viking announced the float out of its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela®, which debuts one year from now, in December 2024.
Viking also announced a new ship for the Mekong River in 2025, the Viking Tonle. And, in October, the company made history when it was voted #1 for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards.
At the same time, Viking was also voted to the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure in the 2023 World’s Best Awards. In the history of these awards, Viking is the only travel company to simultaneously receive the same honors by both publications.
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