Guests will be able to explore ports along Europe’s rivers, before sailing to Scandinavia
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Viking is to offer combined ocean and river cruises for the first time in 2018, allowing guests to explore Europe’s rivers on one of its Viking Longships before sailing to Scandinavia on one of its ocean ships.
The first of the ‘Rhine and Viking Shores and Fjords’ combination voyages will take place this June, taking guests from Basel in Switzerland, to Bergen in Norway via 15 ports of call in six countries. When they arrive in Amsterdam, Netherlands, guests will be transferred directly to one of Viking’s 930-guest ocean ships and continue their journey in the North Sea to Skagen, Denmark, before sailing through Norway’s fjords and disembarking in Bergen. The itinerary is also available in the reverse direction, and will be repeated in June 2019.
Debuting in May 2019, the 22-day ‘Grand European and Viking Fjords’ itinerary will combine Viking’s 15-day ‘Grand European Tour’ river cruise between Budapest in Hungary and Amsterdam with the eight-day ‘Viking Shores and Fjords’ ocean itinerary, which takes guests to ports in Norway and concludes in Bergen. In total, guests will visit 19 ports in six countries. “Our guests are experienced travellers who appreciate immersive cultural experiences, while also exploring the world in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “Only Viking can provide a destination-focused voyage that marries the river and sea into a single, unified journey. With one flight, our guests can experience both of our award-winning cruise products, making it even easier for them to explore the world.”