By
Michele Witthaus |
Viking River Cruises unveiled four ships in its Longship class on 21 March.
The Viking Odin, Viking Idun, Viking Freya and Viking Njord are part of an ambitious building programme for the UK-based company. British star of stage and screen, Joanna Lumley, was one of four godmothers who christened the vessels.
While the Viking Odin and Viking Idun were part of the naming ceremony in Amsterdam, the Viking Freya and Viking Njord participated by live video link from the shipyard in Rostock, where construction delays had prevented the departure of the two vessels, which will be completed by the middle of April.
The four new ships each have the capacity to carry 190 passengers. All cabins have full balconies and feature indoor-outdoor dining facilities. Two more vessels, Viking Embla and Viking Aegir, will be delivered this summer and a further four in 2013, rather than the expected six (the line announced on 4 April that it would not proceed with its previous undertaking to add two more to its target for next year). Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said: “The new orders reflect the great interest in Viking River Cruises and its revolutionary Longships.”