Viking Takes Delivery of Viking Sobek, Its Newest Nile River Destination Ship
Viking has announced that it has taken delivery of their newest Nile River ship, the Viking Sobek. The new ship was presented at Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt where a traditional delivery ceremony took place.
The 82-guest Viking Sobek will sail Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary and is the latest in a line of state-of-the-art ships destined for the Nile River.
Torstein Hagen, is the Chairman and CEO of Viking
Torstein Hagen is the Chairman and CEO of Viking and he said “We are proud to welcome the Viking Sobek to our award-winning fleet. In our view, these identical sister ships are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile.”
“Egypt has always been a destination of great interest among our guests, and demand for these voyages continues to be strong. With the arrival of the Viking Sobek, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to the country’s rich history and fascinating cultural treasures.”
Viking Sobek is the Latest Addition to the Egypt Fleet
The new vessel hosts 82 guests in 41 staterooms and features the company’s traditional Scandinavian design throughout. The Sobek is an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton and the Viking Hathor, and as such displays many aspects familiar to Viking guests including an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Other ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
In the next two years Viking plans to welcome four additional ships. In 2025 the Viking Amun and the Viking Thoth appear and in 2026 the Viking Sekhmet and the Viking Ptah appear, bringing the line’s Nile River fleet to an impressive 10 vessels.
Viking Pharaohs & Pyramids Nile River Itinerary
Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary is a 12-day tour in which guests start off a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo. There they can view the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River.
On the river, guests visit the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, plus travel to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a colorful Nubian village. This fabulous jaunt ends with one final night in Cairo.
Viking offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits and guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums including a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum.
Next they tour the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane. There they experience a candlelight re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Guests also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan, and in Oxford guests visit the Ashmolean Museum, home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art. Additionally they go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, with Privileged Access to see Howard Carter’s archives which detail the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Finally, guests enjoy an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon’s astonishing collection of Egyptian artifacts, archives, and exhibits.
Viking offers guests several ways to experience life at Highclere Castle, the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and the site of filming of Downton Abbey. George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, is the godfather of the Viking Osiris and his great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was the benefactor and co-explorer of Howard Carter, the world’s most famous Egyptologist–they discovered the tomb of Tutankhamen on November 4, 1922.
The magnificent photos taken by the 5th Earl are currently featured at Highclere Castle and the Carnarvons have allowed Viking to share this private collection with guests on board the Viking Osiris and her sister ships.
Viking’s Accolades
For the second consecutive year Viking was rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans, and #1 for Expeditions, by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards, marking the first time that a travel company has won these three categories in back-to-back years.
Viking’s Egypt ships have also been included in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” the last two years and Viking was named a “Best Luxury River Cruise of 2024” in Forbes’ “Best Luxury Cruises” list. Additionally, TIME magazine featured both Giza and Saqqara on its “World’s Greatest Places” 2023 list, mentioning sailing on the Nile River with Viking. TIME notes that Viking is one of a handful of companies that stop in both Giza and the village of Sakkara, where excavation sites, like the mega tombs of animal and human mummies, are active.
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Photo credit: Viking