Viking this week is celebrating the start of its 2024 river season in Europe, as the award-winning Viking Longship® fleet begins sailing itineraries throughout the region. Designed specifically for European waterways, the company’s river fleet of sister ships, which host 190 or fewer guests, sail a variety of itineraries on the Rhine, Main, Danube, Seine, Rhône, Douro, Moselle and Elbe rivers.

Viking® today announced that its newest river ship, the Viking Saigon℠, has begun its inaugural season in Southeast Asia. Purpose-built for the Mekong River, the 80-guest ship sails between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Mỹ Tho, Vietnam as part of Viking’s popular 15-day Magnificent Mekong itinerary. With the 2022-2023 season now underway, regular sailing dates are available through March 2023; the 2023-2024 season begins in July 2023.

Viking® today named its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars®, during a private ceremony in Valletta, Malta. As part of the event, the ship’s ceremonial godmother Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship - a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years.

Viking has seen its newest ship for the Nile River - the 82-guest Viking Osiris - floated out, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.

The 930-guest ship will spend her maiden season sailing three new itineraries in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, including two 15-day journeys, sailing to Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

The announcement was made in a video by Viking chairman Torstein Hagen. Addressing guests, he said the safety of 10,000 staff and half a million annual passengers was the top priority.