LOS ANGELES — Viking has unveiled the name of its newest river ship at a special celebration in Luxor, Egypt earlier this week.
Designed specifically to navigate the Nile, the state-of-the-art ship, built at Massara shipyard in Cairo, will sail under the name Viking Osiris. The company’s first ceremonial godfather, George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune for the ship on Aug. 22 at the naming ceremony, before it sets sail on Viking’s best-selling ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary.
Viking Osiris’ naming ceremony in Luxor, Egypt – Photo courtesy of VIKING
“Egypt has always drawn curious explorers for its rich history and ancient antiquities, and ever since we first began operating on the Nile River in 2004, our guests continue to be amazed by the country’s many cultural treasures,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Today, we are pleased to officially welcome the Viking Osiris to our growing fleet on the Nile River, which allows us to welcome even more curious explorers to this incredible destination.”
The naming of the Viking Osiris comes as Egypt marks several key events in 2022, including the highly anticipated opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo on the Giza Plateau, and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by the world’s most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor and co-explorer, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, Viking Osiris boasts an elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known and features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The ship joins the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018, and precedes the Viking Aton, an identical sister ship that will join the fleet in 2023. At the naming ceremony, Hagen also announced that two more sister ships – the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek – are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
During the 12-day ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary, guests will enjoy a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo where they can visit such iconic sites as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Beginning in late 2022, they’ll be able to visit the new Grand Egyptian Museum before flying to Luxor where they will visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding the Viking river ship for an eight-day, roundtrip voyage on the Nile River. Highlights include Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tom of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, as well as 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. Guests will also visit a Nubian village where they can experience a traditional elementary school.
For guests wanting to extend their ‘Pharaohs & Pyramids’ itinerary, Viking offers a five-day ‘British Collections of Ancient Egypt’ pre-extension, which gives guests an introduction to Egyptian Antiquities in preparation for their Nile experience. While on the pre-extension, guests will retrace the steps of Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, and enjoy Privileged Access to archives and museum exhibits not normally accessible to the public, including a private, early-morning tour of the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum as well as visits to Sir John Soane’s Museum, the Petrie Museum, the Ashmolean Museum and Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, which houses Carter’s archives. At Highclere Castle, which is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and best known as the filming location of ‘Downton Abbey,’ guests will get the chance to view the Earl’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts.
For more information go to www.viking.com.
