Tourexpi
Viking® (www.viking.com) today announced its newest ship for the
Nile River—the 82-guest Viking Hathor—was "floated out," marking a major
construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Set to
debut in August 2024, the Viking Hathor will join the company's
growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail
Viking's popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
"Egypt is a phenomenal destination, and
we are pleased with the continued interest for our Nile River voyages. Our
guests are thinking people who are curious about the world—and Egypt, with
its cultural treasures and ancient antiquities, remains at the top of the
travel list for many of them," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of
Viking. "With the float out of the Viking Hathor, we look forward to
welcoming more guests to experience this fantastic region."
The traditional float out ceremony of the Viking
Hathor took place at Massara shipyard in Cairo and is
significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of
construction. She will now be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final
construction and interior build-out.
The Viking Hathor & Viking's Growing
Egypt Fleet
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new,
state-of-the-art Viking Hathor is inspired by Viking's award-winning
river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is
known. An identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton, the Viking Hathor features several
aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an
indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile by
2025 with the addition of another sister ship, the Viking Sobek, which is already under construction and will
be delivered next year. Additional ships in the Egypt fleet currently
include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
Viking's Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary
During the 12-day, Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a
three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit
iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the
Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to
Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a
Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River,
featuring visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the
tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of
Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel
and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where
guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey
concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the
ancient city.
Recently, the Viking Osiris was named one
of the "Best New Cruises" in Condé Nast Traveler's "Hot
List" and the "Best Luxury River Cruise" in Forbes'
"Best Luxury Cruises" list. Additionally, TIME magazine
featured both Giza and Saqqara on its "World's Greatest Places" list,
recommending sailing the Nile River with Viking. TIME notes that
Viking is among the very few who stop in both Giza and the village of Sakkara,
where excavation sites, like the megatombs of animal and human mummies, are
active.
For guests looking to extend their journey in Egypt,
Viking also offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to
archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will
begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour
Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two
museums: first a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the
British Museum before it opens to the general public – and then a visit to the
home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane,
where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane
entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian
antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also
visit London's Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts
from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit
the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a varied
collection of Egyptian mummies and art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford
University's Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access
visit to see Howard Carter's archives, which detail the discovery of
Tutankhamun's tomb. Lastly, guests will have further Privileged Access with an
exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon's magnificent
private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not
normally accessible to the public.
Additional offerings include a three-night
Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where guests can visit the timeless city and
important religious sites including the "Blue Mosque" and the
legendary Hagia Sophia. After concluding the river voyage, guests can also
extend the journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan—Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman
antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience
the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Image
Credit: © Viking
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