Viking Ocean Cruises is on its way…

A new cruise line has recently launched in Britain, with sailings due to begin in May 2015. We’ve discussed it already on the blogs for our sister websites, SixStarCruises.co.uk and River Voyages, but I thought it was time to share the news with you all, in case you don’t read those blogs too (and why not, might I ask?)

Anyway, the new cruise line is called Viking Ocean Cruises, and the switched on ones amongst you may be able to work out that it’s an offshoot of Viking River Cruises, the established river cruise line that has seen huge success in its large fleet of ships, including the popular Longships.

Wendy Atkin-Smith is the Managing Director of Viking Cruises UK and she said “The state of the art design of our Viking Longships have revolutionised the river cruise experience and now, with the introduction of Viking Star, we intend to revolutionise ocean cruising. Our ship is smaller in size and smarter in design – an alternative to today’s mega liners.”

The Viking Star will be the first of the new fleet, with a capacity for 930 passengers. Every stateroom will have a veranda, and there’ll be plenty of touches throughout the ship to give it a sense of luxury, including a spa with actual falling snow, and a glass-backed pool off the stern allowing guests to swim and enjoy the incredible view at the same time.

The itineraries that have been announced so far focus on destinations around the Mediterranean. Torstein Hagen, the chairman of Viking River Cruises, said on the destinations “We are pleased to announce additional cruises in the Mediterranean that will allow guests to experience some of the most beautiful cities in Europe during the quiet season the way the locals do.”

He continued “Consumers are responding enthusiastically to this attractive region and the carefully-designed itineraries that offer our guests the opportunity to explore this historically fascinating region by letting them get closer to the historical sites, people and traditions in ways they have never experienced before.”

By Ian Lewis
Google