Viking names two newest Nile River cruise ships in Luxor

Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek were christened by the 5^th Earl of Carnarvon and a member of the Egyptian Senate

By Alex Smith | 05 November 2024

Viking has named its newest river ships, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, with a celebration in Luxor, Egypt.

The ceremony took place at Viking’s exclusive exclusive docking location in the city and was followed by a celebratory dinner inside the nearby Karnak Temple. Sissel Kyrkjebø, crossover soprano and godmother of Viking Jupiter, sang the Egyptian, Norwegian and British national anthem in their native languages.

Edward Herbert, 5^th Earl of Carnarvon, served as ceremonial godfather for Viking Hathor in honour of his great-great-grandfather’s role as benefactor and co-explorer for Edward Herbert’s excavation of the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1922. Mohamed El Banna, founder of travel company Cosmos Egypt and a member of the Egyptian Senate, served as the godfather of the Viking Sobek.

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Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø performed during a dinner at the Karnak Temple

Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are identical 82-guest sister ships to Viking Aton and Viking Osiris and were constructed at Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt. Like their sister ships, both will sail along the Nile River on Viking’s 12-day ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary.

“Today, we are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek to our growing fleet in Egypt,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking. “We are very grateful for our continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family and that Eddie has honoured us by serving as godfather of the Viking Hathor. For more than 15 years, Mohamed El Banna has been a part of the extended Viking family, helping to take good care of our guests in Egypt, and it is a great honour that he is serving as godfather of the Viking Sobek. As our award-winning fleet on the Nile continues to grow, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to this phenomenal destination.”