News

Ten new Longships on order for Viking River Cruises

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 06 December 2012 06 December 2012

Viking River Cruises today announced it has placed an order for 10 additional Viking LongshipsTM, bringing the total number of new ships launching next year to 10 and the number launching in 2014 to eight. The launch plan will easily surpass the industry record Viking set in 2012 with the introduction of six new ships in a single season. By the end of 2014 the company will have introduced a total of 24 new ships in a three-year period, a fleet expansion unprecedented in the cruise industry.

"The river cruise segment is rapidly growing, as more travelers are inspired to experience old destinations in a new way," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking River Cruises. "Because of the overwhelmingly positive response we have seen from our passengers in the first season of our revolutionary new Viking Longships, we are pleased to continue our expansion to meet that demand."

Viking plans to inaugurate the first eight Viking Longships of 2013 in a first-of-its-kind simultaneous christening ceremony in late March in Amsterdam. The two newest ships, Viking Baldur and Viking Magni, will join the fleet in late August and September, respectively. Both vessels will sail Viking's 15-day Grand European Tour (Amsterdam-Budapest), with Viking Baldur also sailing the 8-day Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam-Basel) and Viking Magni also sailing the 8-day Danube Waltz (Passau-Budapest). The eight new ships in 2014 will also sail Viking's most popular itineraries in Europe.

Recently named Best New River Ships of 2012 in Cruise Critic's Editors' Picks Awards, Viking Longships integrate patent-pending design and cutting-edge technology with comfortable amenities that reflect guest preferences and current travel trends. These new features include a revolutionary new all-weather indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace that reinvents the onboard lounge experience by bringing the panoramic outdoor river scenery indoors with retractable floor-to-ceiling glass doors and allows guests to enjoy the views and dine al fresco.

Accommodating 190 passengers in 95 staterooms, Viking Longships feature two Explorer Suites – the largest river cruise suites in Europe – as well as seven two-room Veranda Suites with a full-size veranda in the living room and a French balcony in the bedroom, 39 Veranda Staterooms with full-size verandas and 22 French Balcony Staterooms. Additionally, Viking Longships have sustainability upgrades, such as onboard solar panels and organic herb gardens, as well as energy-efficient hybrid engines that reduce vibrations for a remarkably smooth ride. Viking has applied for a number of patents for various aspects of the Longship design.

The new ships will be built at the Neptun Yard in Germany, part of the Meyer Neptun group.

IMO to incorporate cruise industry's recommendations to safety treaty

Details: Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 05 December 2012 05 December 2012

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) say they are pleased with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decision to approve incorporation of the cruise industry’s recommendation for the mandatory muster of passengers prior to departure from port in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). This anticipated regulatory change would be incorporated in SOLAS, which provides comprehensive mandates on safety equipment and procedures for ships. The global cruise industry announced this measure with immediate effect on 9 February 2012, as part of the global cruise industry Operational Safety Review that was launched in January.

Additionally, the IMO’s maritime safety committee (MSC) incorporated three other policies from the global cruise industry Operational Safety Review during its meetings in London, held between 26 and 30 November. The three policies address the loading of lifeboats by crewmembers for training purposes, the recording of passenger nationality, and the common elements of musters and emergency instructions. They are now included in IMO guidance specific to passenger ship safety and have been implemented via industry-wide policies.

Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA, said: “The global cruise industry appreciates and shares the unyielding commitment of the IMO, its secretary-general, the maritime safety committee and the 170 IMO member states around the world to continuously enhance the safety of passengers and crew — our industry’s number one priority. Ongoing innovation in safety has been a hallmark of the cruise industry for decades. We remain fully committed as an industry to building on our rich heritage of leadership in improvement of shipboard operations and safety.”

Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, ECC chairman, said: “We welcome the decision by the IMO to incorporate key recommendations from the global cruise industry Operational Safety Review into the SOLAS. The IMO’s decision to incorporate our recommendations into SOLAS, including our February 2012 decision to introduce on a voluntary basis the mandatory muster of passengers prior to departure from port, is an endorsement of the cruise industry’s approach to continuous safety improvement. It demonstrates how we as an industry are proactively achieving concrete, practical and significant safety dividends in the shortest possible time. We look forward to continuing to work with the IMO to secure further safety improvements in the future wherever there is scope to do so.”

Fincantieri and Viking sign an agreement for the construction of two more cruise ships

Details: Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä; Category: Top Headlines Top Headlines; Published: 04 December 2012 04 December 2012

Viking Ocean Cruises, sister company of Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, and Fincantieri, world leader in cruise shipbuilding, today announced the signature of a Memorandum of Agreement for the construction of two more ocean cruise ships with an option for another two.

The new ships will be twins to those ordered earlier this year. In line with Viking’s intimate, destination-focused approach to cruising, the ships will be small by today’s standards at approximately 48,000 gross register tonnage (GRT). The related ship contracts will be completed subject to the customary closing conditions.

The Agreement, which strengthens the preferred relationship between the two companies, also includes a series of joint initiatives to the study of liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, commented on the announcement: “This additional order indicates just how strong early response has been to our ocean cruise concept which focuses on small ship destination cruising at a great value. We are very excited to have Fincantieri as a partner as we work to bring the destination back to ocean cruising.”

Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri, said: "We are very pleased to intensify our collaboration with Viking and this new agreement demonstrates our ability to compete in the market. We have done our part and we hope that the institutions responsible for supporting exports will continue to sustain those in this strategic industry for the national economy." Bono concluded: "We also hope that the unions and workers feel confident about the future by giving their utmost commitment to making our company ever more competitive. Without this determination, the excellent results achieved this year, namely acquisition of basically all the new prototype cruise ships projects in 2012, will be hard to maintain."