The folks at Viking River Cruises must be loving their 15th year in business. Not only did they take delivery of the first of their revolutionary “Viking Longships” back in March, they’ve also just been named the No. 1 River Cruise Line by readers of influential travel magazine Travel + Leisure. Criteria under consideration: cabins, food, service, itineraries and destinations, activities and overall value.
“It is an honor to be recognized by Travel + Leisure readers, and I believe this ranking acknowledges Viking’s commitment to being the best river cruise line in the world,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking River Cruises. “As we plan for our next 15 years, we strive to uphold the standards of excellence that have made us the world’s leading river cruise line.”
While the magazine has conducted its annual reader’s survey for the past 17 years, the river cruise category has only been in place since 2010; a mark of the increasing popularity of voyages throughout the rivers of Europe and the world. And in order to keep up with that growth, Viking River Cruises previously announced it will launch an additional six Longship-class vessels in 2013, to be constructed by the Neptun-Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany.
Named Viking Bragi, Viking Forseti, Viking Rinda, Viking Skadi, Viking Tor and Viking Var, these forthcoming Longships follow hot on the heels of the six Longships that will have entered service by the end of the year – a massive event kicked off with the quadruple-christening of the first four Longships in Amsterdam this past March.
With interiors designed by Yran & Storbraaten, Viking’s new Longships boast a decidedly modern, Scandinavian feel that has resonated with passengers and media alike. Capable of carrying 190 passengers apiece, the Viking Longships will allow Viking to operate more individual sailings and itineraries than at any other time in the history of the company.
That’s not a bad way to celebrate your 15th birthday.
More information on Viking River Cruises and its new Viking Longships can be found by viewing our detailed Viking River Cruises company and fleet overviews here on River Cruise Advisor.
