Viking Cruises has reached a major milestone: 100 ships now sailing across the globe. The cruise line celebrated this achievement with a simultaneous naming ceremony for nine new river ships across six countries, marking a new chapter in its nearly three-decade-long expansion. The milestone highlights Viking’s continued leadership in the cruise sector and its focus on experiential, culturally rich journeys for what it calls “The Thinking Person.”
Founded in 1997 with just four vessels, Viking now operates more than 100 ships across its river, ocean, and expedition fleets. The new river ships include the Viking Annar, Viking Dagur, Viking Eldir, and Viking Honir, which will sail Europe’s most popular waterways — the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers. The Viking Nerthus, Viking Gyda, and Viking Tonle expand itineraries along the Seine, Douro, and Mekong Rivers, while Viking Thoth and Viking Amun join the Nile fleet in Egypt.
What Travelers Can Expect From Viking’s River Fleet
For travelers, Viking’s expansion opens more opportunities to explore the world’s most storied rivers with the same signature touches. These include Scandinavian-inspired interiors, veranda staterooms, regionally-sourced cuisine, and an all-inclusive model with Wi-Fi, shore excursions, and wine with meals.
Popular European itineraries such as the Rhine Getaway, Danube Waltz, and Paris & the Heart of Normandy remain key offerings. Other itineraries, such as Portugal’s River of Gold on the Douro River, Pharaohs & Pyramids on the Nile, and Magnificent Mekong in Southeast Asia, highlight the brand’s global reach. Each itinerary includes guided excursions with local experts, cultural enrichment programs, and destination-focused cuisine.
Beyond The Rivers: Viking’s Fully Guided Off-River Extensions
In addition to its river and ocean voyages, Viking offers pre- and post-cruise land extensions. These are multi-day, fully guided packages that can be added before or after a voyage. These extensions are described as allowing guests to “add a land extension before or after your voyage and enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether.”
In many of these extensions, a Viking Host is available, and transfers between the airport, hotel, and ship are included when booked in conjunction with a Viking cruise, cruisetour, land extension, or extra hotel nights. Viking also offers a branded program called Privileged Access, which provides exclusive entry to local cultural treasures and estates.
For example, Viking’s Highclere Castle land extension in England offers access to “several rooms used for Downton Abbey filming” and entry “before the doors open to the general public.”
What This Means For Future River Travelers
Viking’s 100-ship milestone signals increased itinerary availability, wider global coverage, and continued consistency in quality across its fleet. The company’s river ships remain popular for travelers who prefer smaller vessels, destination-focused programming, and easy access to inland cities.
Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen emphasized that Viking’s mission has always been to modernize traditional cruising while maintaining cultural depth. “First, we modernized river voyages; then we reinvented ocean voyages and perfected the expedition experience,” Hagen said during the ceremony.
For travelers who value history, culture, and authenticity over crowds and entertainment, Viking’s latest expansion means even more options to explore Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond — both on and off the river.
