Every March since 2012, Viking River Cruises has always made a big splash in the port city of Amsterdam. Next year, Viking is poised to even best itself.
The popular river cruise line has announced it will take delivery of a 14 brand-new Viking Longships, an increase of two vessels over the previously announced 12. With these additions, Viking will have launched a staggering 30 new vessels over a three-year period, literally revitalizing its entire fleet in record time.
Launching 14 new vessels at once means that Viking will break its own Guinness World Record for most ships launched in a single day by a single cruise line. Viking achieved the record only this past March and now stands poised to best it.
Related: Our 2012 and 2013 Viking Christening Ceremonies coverage.
Even the logistics of tying up 14 ships are staggering, and likely to take up an enormous amount of space at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam where the ceremonies have been held for the past two years.
If you’re wondering why this announcement is a big deal, it is because it points to the overall health of not only the river cruise industry but also the travel industry in general. River cruise bookings are coming down fast and furiously as new travellers discover the product for the first time, and repeaters continue to look for new and innovative itineraries.
Even with all these new vessels coming on-line, Viking is barely able to keep up with the demand. Much of the remainder of its European 2013 season is already sold out, and bookings for prime sailings in 2014 continue to be brisk.
The bottom line: Even with another 14 Viking Longships coming on-line next year, it would be wise to book ahead.
Although there will be 30 vessels on the water soon, each Viking Longship has distinguishing features that help to prevent these ships from simply being carbon-copy clones of each other. Despite having the same general arrangement plans, some Longships boast chandeliers in their atriums, or translucent glass shower walls, while others sport more “earthy” tones and a redesigned atrium and restaurant concept.
More information on Viking River Cruises and the Viking Longships can be found by viewing our Viking River Cruises company and fleet overviews here on River Cruise Advisor.
