Viking has officially named its two newest river ships, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, during a special celebration in Luxor, Egypt following delivery from the shipyard.
The two vessels were built at the Massara shipyard in Cairo and are designed specifically for the Nile. They will sail Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs and Pyramids itinerary roundtrip from Luxor.
Edward Herbert, whose great-great-grandfather helped uncover King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, served as the ceremonial godfather of Viking Hathor, while Mohamed El Banna, the founder of Cosmos Egypt and an Egyptian Senate member, was the ceremonial godfather for Viking Sobek.
Viking Hathor and Sobek are identical
“Today, we are proud to welcome Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek to our growing fleet in Egypt. Along with their sister ships, we believe they are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking.
“We are very grateful for our continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family and that Eddie has honoured us by serving as godfather of the Viking Hathor,” Hagen added. “For more than 15 years, Mohamed El Banna has been a part of the extended Viking family, helping to take good care of our guests in Egypt, and it is a great honour that he is serving as the godfather of the Viking Sobek.”
“As our award-winning fleet on the Nile continues to grow, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to this phenomenal destination,” he said.
The naming ceremony for Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek was held at Viking’s private docking area in Luxor, followed by a celebratory dinner at Karnak Temple.
Viking names new ship Hathour and Sobek in Luxor
Guests were treated to a performance by renowned soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø, godmother of Viking Jupiter, who sang the national anthems of Egypt, Norway and the United Kingdom in their respective languages.
Carrying just 82 guests in 41 staterooms, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are boutique vessels inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known.
The vessels feature several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Other ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
Viking plans to welcome four additional ships on the Nile in the next two years—Viking Amun and Viking Thoth in 2025 and Viking Sekhmet and Viking Ptah in 2026—which would bring Viking’s fleet to 10 vessels on the Nile River.
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Appeared first on: Cruisearabiaonline.com
