Viking adds 10 more ships to European river fleet

Viking is adding 10 Viking Longships to its river fleet in the coming years.

To meet strong demand for European river voyages, eight of the new vessels will sail Viking’s popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the Seine River.

The total order is also inclusive of one Viking Longship for the Seine River that was announced in February 2023.

Coming 2025

Five of the new vessels will be delivered in 2025, with the remaining five to be delivered in 2026.

To officially mark the start of construction on all 10 ships, a keel laying ceremony was held today at Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany, where all Viking Longships have been built since their debut in 2012.

“Ever since we started Viking 26 years ago, our mission has been to help our guests explore the world in comfort. We focus on the destination, and we build elegant, innovative ships,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “We look forward to welcoming these new Longships to our European fleet and introducing The Viking Way of exploration to even more guests in the coming years.”

A growing fleet

Viking’s current fleet is composed of 80 river ships, representing more than 50 percent of the market share for North American travellers.

The Viking Longships, which comprise the vast majority of the company’s river fleet, host 190 or fewer guests. Featuring an innovative patented design, the vessels offer a wide variety of stateroom choices, the revolutionary indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace and Viking’s signature Scandinavian design aesthetic.

The new vessels feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships’ energy efficiency.