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Viking River Cruises Expands

By on March 4, 2016

Viking River Cruises Adds More Longships

Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises is becoming a naval giant. The company recently christened six new Viking Longships during a waterfront celebration in Amsterdam.

The christening occurred just two years after the company set a second GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most new ships launched in a single day.

Of the six new Longships, four will be deployed on Viking’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. The remaining two will sail the Seine River on Viking’s Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary.

Later this month, Viking will also debut a seventh new river ship for 2016, Viking Osfrid, which is inspired by the Longships design and specifically built for the Douro River, bringing the company’s total number of ships in Portugal to three.

Recognizing the contribution the travel trade has made to the growth of the river cruise industry, Viking honored six of its key partners by naming them as ceremonial godmothers for the six new ships.

“River cruising remains one of the fastest-growing segments of travel, and we would not be the leading river cruise line without the help of travel agents,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “The naming of ships by ceremonial godmothers is a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years.”

Viking Godmothers

Viking River Cruises

The prominent women who will serve as Viking Longship godmothers represent travel trade organizations from across North Americaand the United Kingdom and include:

  • Lisa Anciaux, Godmother of Viking Rolf, is the Director of Travel Products for AAA Washington.
  • Beth Butzlaff, Godmother of Viking Kadlin, is the Managing Director of Cruise Sales for Virtuoso.
  • Michelle Chimko, Godmother of Viking Alruna, is the Chief Operating Officer of Alberta Motor Association.
  • Jennifer Gasser, Godmother of Viking Egil, is the Vice President of Supplier Relations and Product Operations for World Travel Holdings.
  • Beryl Gibson, Godmother of Viking Vilhjalm, is the Joint Owner of Northumbria Travel Limited.
  • Sinead O’Connell (not Sinead O’Conner), Godmother of Viking Tialfi, is the Director of Industry Relations for Vacation.com.

Viking Longships

Since their debut, Viking Longships have amassed a long list of prestigious awards. Most recently, Viking topped USA Today’s annual Readers’ Choice Cruise Poll for best river cruise line, and the entire Viking Longships fleet has been named “Best New River Ships” in Cruise Critic’s® Editors’ Picks Awards.