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Viking River Cruises News

25 Mar 2021

Neptun Werft Delivers River Cruise Pair to Viking

(Photo: Neptun Werft)

German shipbuilder Neptun Werft said on Thursday it has delivered two new river cruise ships to the shipping company Viking River Cruises (Basel).The ships, to be named Viking Gymir and Viking Egdir, are the last two river cruise ships in the builder's current order book, ending a string of 65 sister ship deliveries for Viking River Cruises ordered at Neptun Werft from 2010 onward."More than a decade ago we launched this series of ships, which has been extremely successful and very popular with passengers.

25 Feb 2019

Viking Jupiter Delivered with Thordon COMPAC

Viking Jupiter has been delivered with a Thordon Bearings’ COMPAC seawater-lubricated propeller shaft system (Photo: Thordon Bearings)

Viking Jupiter, the 47,800gt cruise ship built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy for Viking Cruises, has been delivered with a Thordon Bearings’ seawater-lubricated propeller shaft system. It is the sixth Viking cruise ship to be fitted out with the COMPAC bearing arrangement.Two 930 passenger-capacity sisterships, Viking Tellus and Viking Venus, currently undergoing construction at Fincantieri and slated for delivery in 2021, have also been specified with the pollution-free Thordon system.

23 Jan 2019

Inland River Cruising: 2019 Will Be Busy

The American Song (CREDIT: ACL)

One year ago, we reported on vacation river cruising, presenting an industry mostly on the optimistic side of growth and expansion for 2018. This year’s review is more geographically limited – to the Mississippi River, heartland cruises centered among New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and St. Paul – but with links important for a lot of smaller cities in between.Big picture:This industry is strong, at least among its two major players: American Cruise Lines and the American Queen Steamboat Company. Both have extensive and varied schedules for 2019.

07 Jun 2018

Cruise Ship Viking Orion Delivered

Viking Orion, the fifth oceangoing cruise ship for owner Viking Cruises, was delivered June 7 from Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona (Photo: Fincantieri)

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the fifth cruise ship in a series of oceangoing newbuilds for ship owner Viking Cruises. The new vessel, Viking Orion, was delivered today from the builder’s shipyard in Ancona.Viking Orion, as its four preceding sister ships, fits into the small cruise ship segment, with a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons. It has 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.Viking's ocean ships are all equipped high-efficiency engines, hydro…

29 Jan 2018

Riverboat Touring: Status Quo or Ready to Grow?

Credit: Pamela Harding

If you want to book a plush river cruise vacation in America’s heartland – say on the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers – you can do it. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s website offers as many as 13 river cruises in 2018. Certainly, the ā€˜bourbon cruise,’ aboard the lavish American Duchess sounds like fun. Or, maybe next year you can sign up for the nine-day ā€˜Derby Cruise.’ And, next year means 2019 because the 2018 cruise is sold out. Maybe the most fun is that passengers themselves…

26 Jan 2016

Damen Takes on Six Viking River Cruises Vessel Jobs

Damen Shiprepair Amsterdam (DSAm) reports that it is currently working on a modification and maintenance contract for six inland cruise vessels owned by Viking River Cruises. With this winter service complete, all six vessels – known as longships – will be ready for the coming river cruise season. The Viking Idi was the first of the six to arrive at the yard in late December 2015. Sister ships Viking Idun, Viking Kvasir, Viking Kara, Viking Hlin and Viking Gullveig will follow consecutively.

10 Nov 2015

Port of New Orleans Riding High

Gary LaGrange, president & CEO of the Port of New Orleans, speaks at the 29th Annual State of the Port Address hosted by International Freight Forwarders & Custom Brokers Association of New Orleans (IFFCBANO).

The Port of New Orleans has surpassed the half-million mark for twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEU) handled in a 12-month period for the first time, announced Port President and CEO Gary LaGrange during the 29th Annual State of the Port Address hosted today by the International Freight Forwarders and Customs House Brokers Association of New Orleans. ā€œIt’s another milestone that comes on the heels of four record years in a row,ā€ LaGrange said. The most recent 12-month container data through September found the port handled 537,285 TEUs, a 13.6 percent increase over the same period one-year ago.

25 Feb 2015

Launch of Mississippi River Cruise Service

Governor Bobby Jindal and Viking Cruises Chairman Torstein Hagen announced the selection of New Orleans as the homeport for Viking River Cruises’ first North American river cruise itineraries. The Mississippi River cruises will operate from docking facilities near the French Quarter in New Orleans. Viking’s new service will result in the creation of 416 new direct jobs for Louisiana-based operations and vessel crews, with an average salary of $40,000, plus benefits; and Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 368 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 780 new jobs in the Southeast Region of the state.

14 Jun 2013

MAN Engines to Power Italian Luxury Cruise Ships

quasi-3D illustration of the scrubber system (courtesy Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A.)

MAN Diesel & Turbo is to supply eight engines for the diesel-electric propulsion of two cruise ship newbuildings to Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A. The company is delivering the engines in cooperation with Alfa Laval who will supply accompanying exhaust-gas-treatment systems (PureSOx) for sulphur-oxide removal. Each cruise ship will be powered by two MAN 9L32/44CR and two MAN 12V32/44CR engines, providing a combined output of 23,520 kW in a diesel-electric propulsion arrangement.

24 May 2013

China's Century Cruises Adds to Yangtze River Fleet

Century Paragon: Photo courtesy of Century Cruises

Century adds a 7th luxury river cruise ship, 'Century Legend' to its Yangtze fleet. The new 398-passenger Century Legend is a sister ship to the Century Paragon, which came into service earlier this year. These new inland waterway cruise ships were designed by European naval architecture firm Yran & Storbratten, which has done design work for a number of cruise lines, including Disney Cruises, Seabourn, Holland America, Viking River Cruises. According to Wikipedia, the Yangtze is the longest river in Asia, and the third longest in the world.

21 Mar 2013

Viking River Cruises Sets World Record: 10 Ships Inaugurated in One Day

Viking Atla (Source: http://www.vikingrivercruises.com)

Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) set a world record with the christening of 10 new Viking Longships. ā€œToday is a proud day for Viking and for river cruising. We are honored to showcase 10 of our revolutionary new Longships and to have had such a celebrated group of women helping us christen them,ā€ said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. Guests at the christening ceremony enjoyed remarks by each godmother and a presentation on the growth of river cruising by Hagen.

06 Dec 2012

Neptun Werft Wins Viking River Cruises Order

Detail Viking Longship: Photo credit Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises orders 10 new river cruise vessels of the 'Viking Longship' class from the Rostock-Warnemunde yard. Two of the ships will be delivered in August and September 2013, and the others by April 2014. This order brings the total number of new vessels to be delivered to Viking to 10 in 2013 and 8 in 2014. In addition options for a further 8 vessels with delivery in the Spring 2015 have been signed. These new river cruise vessels are designed to operate on the various European inland waterways such as the Rhine…

12 Jul 2012

Twin Cruise Ship Contract for Fincantieri

At 47,000 gross tonnes with 472 cabins for a total passenger capacity of 944,  the two vessels are destined to serve the market for smaller super-luxury ships. Delivery is scheduled for early 2015 and early 2016. A crucial factor in Fincantieri’s successful bid was Export Banca, the system set up by SACE, Cassa depositi e prestiti and Simest to support Italian exports which enabled Fincantieri to offer the shipowner an attractive technical, commercial and financial package. Fincantieri says that the signing of this important agreement is proof that the Italian system is competitive and able to offer effective solutions for the export of capital goods, even in today’s turbulent financial markets.

06 Jun 2012

Viking River Cruises – New Ships, New Destinations

In addition to the six state-of-the-art Viking Longships launching in 2012, Viking will continue expansion in 2013 with the launch of six additional Viking Longships: Viking Bragi, Viking Forseti Viking Rinda, Viking Skadi, Viking Tor and Viking Var. Designed by celebrated maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten—the team behind the Disney Dream and the Yachts of Seabourn, the new ships integrate patent-pending  technology and innovations such as diesel-electric hybrid engines, solar panels and onboard organic herb gardens. This year marks the 15th anniversary for Viking River Cruises, and with the launch of six new ships in a single season, the most significant year in the company's history.

19 Apr 2012

Viking Ocean Cruises, Fincantieri Sign Deal for Two Cruise Ships

Los Angeles - Viking Ocean Cruises, sister company of Viking River Cruises, and Fincantieri announced the signature of a Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of two new luxury ocean cruise ships. The memorandum also includes an option for a third vessel. In line with Viking's intimate, destination-focused approach to cruising, the new ocean ships will be small by today's standards, at approximately 45,000 GRT, and will host 998 passengers in 499 cabins. The first ship is scheduled for delivery in late 2014, the second one in late 2015. The parties have reached an agreement on the financial and technical aspects of the deal and expect to sign the contract shortly, once the final documents and conditions are finalized.

23 Mar 2012

Cruise Ships on the River – 'Viking Longship' Christening

Viking Longship 'Odin': Photo credit Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises christened the first four of its new Viking Longships in Amsterdam, in the presence of appointed celebrity 'Godparents' for all four new ships. Accommodating 190 passengers, the new Viking Longships are 443 feet (135 meters) long and feature 95 staterooms per ship and are scheduled to sail four of Viking's most popular European itineraries, including the River Danube, and other of European major rivers. Viking announced it has commissioned six additional Viking Longships for delivery in 2013, bringing the total number of new ships to be launched in two years to 12.

21 Dec 2011

Viking River Cruises Orders Two Cruise Ships

(Photo: http://www.vikingrivercruises.com)

STX France SA received an order to build two luxury cruise ships from Viking Ocean Cruises, an affiliate of Viking River Cruises. The vessels will be delivered in spring 2014 and spring 2015, respectively, and will be part of Viking's new Ocean Cruise brand. An option for a third ship is being considered. The vessels will be operated primarily on the Mediterranean seas and be dedicated mainly to Viking's US, British and Australian customers. The vessels will measure 230 x 26.5, carrying 888 passengers in 444 cabins with a complement of 444 crew members.

10 Mar 2011

Cruise Shipping Miami 2011 Conference Updated

current topics with audience participation. 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. 1 – 3 p.m. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. information. 11 a.m. Argentina. and Mar del Plata—some statistics showing the increasing growth. 2 p.m. Record (EHR). processes. management and preventative care onboard cruise ships. targeted to the unique challenges of the cruise ship healthcare setting. 2:30 p.m. control the equipment operations on board cruises ships. not compatible with new hardware. Revive Image System. is now possible. and the ship is free to go on with shipboard operations. 3 p.m. 3:30 p.m. walls and floors. concrete slabs. TCNA Handbook. be covered. shower assemblies will be examined. railing assemblies. 4:30 p.m. 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. A view of the shape of the industry and a look ahead. Gerald R. Adam M. Daniel J. 3 - 5 p.m.

04 Jan 2001

IHC Caland Wins Multiple Orders

IHC Caland NV won orders worth about $141.9 million. The orders include building a RoRo ferry for a French client, an offshore support vessel for a British firm, a tug for a Dutch customer and two river cruise ships for Viking River Cruises. "These new orders will take up a substantial part of the capacity at the group's shipyards well into 2002," IHC Caland said. It added that its offshore division had been ordered by a large international oil company to design a floating production and storage unit that can be used off West Africa and Brazil. It did not identify the client. IHC's offshore division also expects to win another major order from an international oil group. The company said it would give further information on this at a later date.

26 Jul 2007

Aker Yards Signs Conversion Contract

Aker Yards Lifecycle Services and Viking River Cruises have signed a contract for conversion of a river cruise ship. The value of the contract is approximately EUR 6.5m. The conversion is scheduled for delivery in April 2008. The scope of work onboard the Viking Surkov includes new larger cabins, public spaces, food & beverage areas and an elevator.