Six New Viking River Longships Christened In Amsterdam
Six Viking River Longships join the fleet.
A rainy Amsterdam was the backdrop for the waterfront gala christening ceremony on March 1, but the steady drizzle didn’t dampen the celebration. Shielded by a sea of red umbrellas, invited guests, media and travel industry partners gathered along the quay for the six new Longships to be officially named.
Of the six new Longships, four will cruise the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. The remaining two longships will cruise the Seine River on a round-trip Paris to Normandy itinerary, including visits to Rouen and Monet’s Giverny.
Viking will debut a seventh new river ship in Spring named the Viking Osfrid, specifically built for the Douro River, to bring a total of three Viking ships in Portugal.
As a “thank you” to the travel industry for its continued support, Viking chose six key travel agency executives to be godmothers for each of the six new ships.
Viking’s Newest Godmothers
Each of the six godmothers presented a very brief, traditional christening statement and then, one by one, cut a red ribbon to release the bottle of champagne to break across the bow of each Longship. The new godmothers include: Lisa Anciaux, Director of Travel Products for AAA Washington, Godmother of Viking Rolf, Beth Butzlaff, Managing Director of Cruise Sales for Virtuoso, Godmother of Viking Kadlin, Michelle Chimko, Chief Operating Officer of Alberta Motor Association, Godmother of Viking Alruna, Jennifer Gasser, VP of Supplier Relations and Product Operations for World Travel Holdings, Godmother of Viking Egil, Beryl Gibson, co-owner of Northumbria Travel Limited, Godmother of Viking Vilhjalm, and Sinead O’Connell, Director of Industry Relations for Vacation.com, Godmother of Viking Tialfi.
Viking Longships accommodate up to 190 passengers in 95 staterooms. Their sun decks offer a shaded sitting area, an organic herb garden, a putting green and walking track. Each of the 56 Viking Longships feature two Explorer Suites as well as seven two-room Veranda Suites with a full-size veranda in the living room and a French balcony in the bedroom; 39 Veranda staterooms with full-size verandas and 22 French balcony staterooms. Staterooms include heated bathroom floors, a mini fridge, and U.S. and EU outlets.
Watch for Viking’s newest ocean cruise ship, the Viking Sea, to debut in early Spring 2016.
