Viking Adds New Europe Itineraries, Pre- & Post- Options, River Ships

Viking just announced two new Europe river cruise itineraries planned for this year plus pre- and post-cruise options, beginning March 2019. The timing is perfect.

New river cruise itineraries

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Viking has put together a new 11-day cruise and tour itinerary. The tour portion begins in London and continues on to Portsmouth and then into Paris. The weeklong Seine cruise heads north from Paris in time for the June 6, 2019 commemoration in Normandy. Visits to several D-Day landing sites are included.

In addition to the longer D-Day and Paris cruise, there’s a new a 10-day Holland and Belgium cruise between Amsterdam and Antwerp. Three new ports of call are included; Rotterdam, Maastricht and Nijmegen – all in Holland. If you thought, like I did…what’s there to do in a Holland and Belgium cruise…think again. The picture-perfect scenery, wonderful friendly people and incredible local food make this one of my favorite itineraries in Europe. Viking offers this Holland and Belgium itinerary this year and again in 2020.

Read More:  My Viking river cruise to Normandy Beaches

New pre- and post-cruise add-on options

You’ve come all the way to Europe for a river cruise, why not stay longer either at the beginning or end of your cruise. Viking has put together seven new enticing cruise extensions.

• Timeless Istanbul and the Kiev to the Black Sea river cruise. Extend your trip with Viking with three nights in Istanbul. You’ll visit the “Blue Mosque” and legendary Hagia Sophia.
• Brussels with the Holland & Belgium itinerary. This two-night extension gives you time to explore Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
• Beautiful Bruges is also an option for the Holland & Belgium itinerary. Spend three-nights in Bruges, one of Europe’s most well-preserved medieval cities. Explore the region and head to the university city of Ghent and the World War I battlefields of Flanders.
• Churchill’s Britain can be added to various river cruise itineraries. This new curated pre- or post-cruise extension focuses on the remarkable life and times of Sir Winston Churchill. Guests will have the opportunity to trace Churchill’s life, from his birthplace at the English baroque Blenheim Palace, his family home at Chartwell and his final resting place at St. Martin’s Church in the village of Bladon. This five-night extension will include exclusive access to the Churchhill War Rooms and Bletchley Park where the team of mathematicians and scientists worked to break German codes during World War II.
• From the Bulge to Remagen ties in to the Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary itinerary. As a four-night extension option for this special itinerary, guests will follow in the footsteps of Allied troops who marched across France toward Germany during World Wars I and II. A stop is included at Meuse-Argonne and Luxembourg American Cemeteries and the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium. A visit to Mainz is also on the agenda.
• World War Battlefields also for the Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary itinerary. Viking will escort guests during a four-night cruise extension to explore the battlefields of northern France and the Low Countries. Included is a visit to Dunkirk, a walk through the trenches of Flanders Fields, and a chance to pay respects to British and Canadian servicemen at the Menin Gate.
• Burgundy’s Vineyards  pairs well with the Lyon & Provence itinerary. This three-night extension in France, includes Dijon and the famous Burgundy wine region. Plus, visit the Ducal Palace, the local market designed by Eiffel, and the beautiful Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

New Viking river ships for 2019

Viking is getting ready to launch seven new Europe river ships in March, 2019. The new ships include six Viking Longships for the  Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. The seventh river ship was specially designed to cruise Portugal’s Douro River.