Longship River News

River cruise operator Viking Cruises is taking full advantage of an annual deck maintenance program offered by the Dutch company Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems. A total of 32 vessels – more than half of the Viking Cruises fleet – will have their decking cleaned and renewed at various European ports this winter, with 18 vessels being refurbished in Cologne. Nine more will be refurbished in Vienna, while the remaining five river cruisers will have work carried out in the French ports of Bordeaux and Rouen, or Mainz and Duisburg in Germany, depending on their cruising itineraries.

Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems has secured a contract as exclusive partner to Viking Ocean Cruises for the supply of decking and flooring. The contract covers Viking Star, the first vessel due for delivery in 2015 and its sister ship, Viking Sky, scheduled for delivery in 2016, as well as options on a further two vessels. “Viking Cruises has a long tradition of working with Bolidt through our extensive ‘Longship’ river cruise program,” said Richard Goodwin,Vice President – Engineering, Viking Cruises.