Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com) has placed an order for two additional Viking Longships in 2013. This brings the number of new ships launching next year to eight – an industry first – and a total of 14 new Viking Longships over a two year period.

"As the fastest-growing segment of travel, river cruising is inspiring more vacation plans than ever before," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking River Cruises. "We are very pleased by the response we have seen to our new Viking Longships, and we are continuing our expansion to meet that demand."

Viking Longships integrate patent-pending design and cutting-edge technology with comfortable amenities that reflect guest preferences and current travel trends.

Accommodating 190 passengers, the ships are scheduled to sail four of Viking’s most popular European itineraries, including the 10-day Tulips & Windmills, 8-day Romantic Danube, 15-day Grand European Tour and 8-day Danube Waltz. The two newest ships, Viking Jarl and Viking Atla, will host guests on the 8-day Rhine Getaway cruise sailing from Amsterdam to Basel. Each of the new Viking Longships will be 443 feet (135 meters) long and will feature 95 staterooms per ship.