Viking River Cruises

Viking Cruises is the umbrella brand name used for the corporate website and overall brand identity, especially in the period 2015–2020. It encompassed both river and ocean shipping operations.

Viking River Cruises was Viking Holdings Ltd's original business, founded in 1997. Now it specifically refers to the company's river cruise division, with its other two divisions being Viking Ocean Cruises (launched in 2015) and Viking Expeditions (established in 2022).

The shipowner and parent company, Viking Holdings Ltd (incorporated on May 14, 1997, in Bermuda), is based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. Since 2024, it is listed on the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) under the ticker symbol VIK.

In 2025, it was announced that by 2031, Viking Holdings will have 112 riverboats and 23 ocean ships.

Company History

The VIKING cruise travel brand was officially launched on August 5, 1997.

Below is the company's 25th Anniversary video, released in 2022 and presented by Torstein Hagen, Viking Cruises' Founder, President, and CEO. In June 2025, Viking Group's CEO became Anna Silvesjo (former Partner and CFO/Chief Financial Officer). As of 2025, Viken Group comprises three companies: TDoS (Tillberg Design of Sweden/Hoganas-based luxury yacht, cruise ship, hotel and restaurant design firm), Hot Lab (Milan-based yacht design firm) and Thalia Marine (Trieste-based naval architectecture, interior design and marine survey company).

Note: On January 29, 2025, Viking Holdings appointed Leah Talactac as the company's President (effective immediately), also serving as its CFO/Chief Financial Officer. She reports directly to Torstein Hagen (who remains Chairman and CEO), and to the Board of Directors.

In 2022, Viking reported revenues of USD 3 billion and served approximately 470,000 tourists. As of 2023, the company owns and operates 9 ocean ships, 2 expedition ships, and 79 riverboats, with another 14 riverboats on order (slated to be operational by 2026) and 10 ocean ships ordered (to be operational by 2030).

The company's significant growth is supported by TPG Inc (formerly TPG Capital) and CPP Investments (Canada Pension Plan Investment Board), who joined Viking as minority shareholders in 2016. In November 2020, Viking announced investments from TPG Capital and CPP Investments, adding approximately USD 500 million in net proceeds to support Viking's development.

Viking Expeditions ships operate in the Arctic and Antarctica, the Great Lakes in the USA and Canada, and Viking Ocean operates globally.

Viking Riverboats operate on European inland waterways, including the Danube, Rhine, Main, Mosel, Seine, Rhone, Saone, and Douro rivers, as well as in Asia (Mekong, Irrawaddy, Yangtze), Egypt (Nile, Lake Nasser), Ukraine (Dnieper), Russia (Volga, Svir, Neva, Lake Ladoga, Lake Baikal), and the USA (Mississippi).

Viking Cruises Ltd (shipowner) is the parent company of Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG (Viking River Cruises) and KD Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt GmbH, which is a subsidiary of Koln-Dusseldorfer (also known as KD Cruises, formerly KD Line). KD Line, founded in 1826 and based in Cologne, operates a fleet of 14 cruise vessels (including "event ships" and a paddle steamer) deployed on the rivers Moselle, Rhine, and Main in Germany. Koln-Dusseldorfer was acquired by Viking in 2000.

Viking River Cruises holds 50% of North America's river cruise market share. Between 2011 and 2015, the company spent over USD 600 million on promotions. In May 2017, Viking celebrated its 20th anniversary. By 2027, the company's 16-ship ocean fleet will have a combined capacity of 16,930 berths, making Viking OCEAN the world's largest cruise company with ships under 1,000 passengers.

Since August 2018, Viking Cruises (both river and ocean brands) has been an adults-only company that does not allow minors (under 18 years of age) on its vessels.

On April 3, 2020, Viking launched Viking.TV (https://viking.tv/), an exclusive online TV channel providing enrichment content and real-time video streaming from locations worldwide. Viking.TV targets primarily non-cruising individuals (those staying at home), rather than travelers. The channel also features livestream sessions with experts, scientists, and celebrities, allowing real-time interaction through comments and questions.

Viking Cruises China

In early April 2019, Viking Cruises and China Merchants Group (China's first commercial corporation, founded in 1872) announced plans to launch a new cruise line (a joint venture company) for the Chinese market. China Merchants Group's shipbuilding subsidiaries will design and construct the newbuilds for the new company. As of 2020, Viking fully owned and operated a fleet of 6 ocean liners and 76 riverboats (almost all of which are of the patented Longship-Class).

On November 25, 2020, China Merchants Shekou and Viking officially signed the joint venture agreement for a separate (China-flagged) fleet of liners for coastal cruises. In mid-December 2020, Viking and China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings officially announced the creation of the new joint venture company "Viking China Coastal Cruise," focusing on mid-sized luxury voyages exclusively in China.

The new domestic travel brand (China Coastal Cruise Project) was scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2021 with Viking Sun transferred to the joint venture (news 8277). In January 2021, the vessel changed its registry from Norway to China to qualify for the Chinese coasting trade. As flag state, China allows the ship to visit seaports under China's cabotage rules, regulating the shipping of passengers and goods between two Chinese ports. The brand's enrichment program includes shipboard events (lectures, entertainment) and shore excursions focused on local history, traditions, nature, and food.

In China (on the Yangtze River), Viking Cruises operates the large-sized boat Viking Emerald under charter.

In October 2023, plans were announced for further investments in the Chinese market, including the introduction of two new riverboats in 2024 and ocean ship cruises in Europe and the Mediterranean tailored for Chinese consumers.

In October 2024, Viking Holdings and Fincantieri signed an agreement for the construction of up to 6 new vessels for Viking OCEAN. The units will be slightly larger (approximately 54,300 GT-tons with a maximum of 998 passengers), with an estimated order value between EUR 500M and 1B (USD 540M to 1.1B). The deal includes 2 confirmed units (scheduled for delivery in 2030) and 4 optional units (potentially completed in 2031-2032).

Viking RIVER CRUISES

As a division of Viking Cruises, Viking River Cruises holds an estimated 49% share of the European river market. Cruisetour itineraries range from 7 to 23 days and include regions along the European rivers Rhine, Main, Danube, Saone, Rhone, Seine, Elbe, and Douro, as well as the Dnieper in Ukraine, the Volga in Russia, the Yangtze in China, the Irrawaddy in Burma, and the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam. Most voyages are cruisetours and include river cruising, land tours, and hotel stays. All itineraries feature at least one tour or guided shore excursion per day (complimentary and included in the cruise fare).

Viking River Cruises offers travelers top-quality cruisetours aboard the world's newest and most innovative fleet of newbuild riverboats (designed with the patented "longship" design).

Viking's Longship fleet totals 65 boats, delivered between 2012 and 2021. Most were constructed by Neptun Werft GmbH in Rostock, and several by Meyer Werft GmbH in Papenburg (Alsvin, Bestla, Eistla, Ingvi, Lif).

On March 20, 2013, the newly renamed company "Viking Cruises" launched 10 ships simultaneously, entering the Guinness Book of World Records. Beginning on March 17, 2014, Viking christened 16 new boats in a 24-hour period, again setting an industry record. Viking named two more ships in Oporto (Portugal) on March 21.

On March 22, 2015, Amsterdam (Holland) hosted the naming ceremony for 12 longships. Their godmothers were from the USA (Los Angeles), the UK, and Russia. In 2015, Viking's river fleet expanded to 64 boats, 40 of which were longships (capacity 190 passengers), introduced in 2012.

During the 2015 christening, 8 longships were in Amsterdam, while the other 4 were named via live video link with the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany. Two of the longships (Astrild and Beyla) were specifically designed for the Elbe River. These vessels feature a modified "baby Longship" design with only 2 decks (25% lighter) and a capacity of 98 guests (46 cabins).

On March 16, 2022, 8 riverboats were jointly christened: 4 in Paris (Fjorgyn, Kari, Radgrid, Skaga) and 4 in Amsterdam (Egdir, Gersemi, Gymir, Hervor).

On December 5, 2023, the company announced a shipbuilding order for 10 Viking Longships – 8 to be deployed on the rivers Rhine, Main, and Danube, and 2 in France (Seine River). The newbuilds were scheduled for deliveries in 2025 (6 units: Annar, Gyda, Honir, Eldir, Dagur, Nerthus) and in 2026 (4 units: Rota, Haki, Sjofn, Fjolvar).

Viking European River Cruises for Chinese Travelers

In the fall of 2016, Viking became the first European river cruise brand to offer voyages dedicated to Chinese tourists. The company dedicated two Longships, on which the primary onboard language is Mandarin.

The first Longship's 2016 itineraries (starting November 10) were on the Rhine, between homeports Amsterdam and Basel. The second Longship's 2017 itineraries were on the Danube. On both riverboats, all hotel staff spoke Mandarin, and all signage was in Mandarin (from menus to toiletries). The onboard cuisine included traditional Chinese dishes (prepared by Szechuan and Cantonese chefs) alongside European dishes by Michelin-star chefs.

After a 3-year hiatus, Viking resumed its European river cruise program for Chinese tourists in 2023 with Longship Viking Eistla (departing on June 1st from Amsterdam).

All excursion programs ashore are organized by Viking River Cruises. Each ship has 8 Mandarin-speaking tour guides assigned to groups of 25 passengers. The Rhine cruise program includes a shipboard overnight in Amsterdam and 3 days (2 shipboard overnights) in Basel with a Lake Lucerne tour. In Strasbourg, passengers take the high-speed TGV train to Paris. Optional (exclusive) deals include private jet travel (to any airport in Europe) for 1 day at the price of US$30,000 per person. Fares start from approximately US$4,300 per person.

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) projections for 2020 predicted that the number of Chinese cruisers to Europe would be the same as, or larger than, the number of American cruisers.

Company History

Viking River Cruises is a global travel corporation (Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG) headquartered in the USA. It all started in 1997 with the establishment of the modest Viking River brand, founded by a consortium of Scandinavian and Dutch investors, with only 4 second-hand riverboats purchased in Russia.

In the mid-1990s, the company's founder, Torstein Hagen, enjoyed a river cruise in Russia and was so excited that he decided to create his own river cruising company. He started in 1997 by purchasing four Russian vessels. In 2000, Viking acquired Koln-Dusseldorfer (KD River Cruises). The KD purchase included an extremely valuable asset – the landing stages, and now Viking Cruises owns docks in more cities in Europe than it stops in. This ensures prime docking locations, easy passenger access, and the ability to walk directly into town.

In 2000, Viking expanded into the U.S. market by establishing its U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles, California. In April 2004, Viking expanded in China with cruise tours on the Yangtze River, which also included hotel stays in various cities, mainly Shanghai and Beijing. As a result of newbuilds and acquisitions, by 2014, the company had a river fleet of 52 vessels with a total of 9,200 berths.

Worldwide, Viking Group employs over 10,000 staff and crew (data from 2023). The river voyages primarily target English-speaking travelers from the UK, North America, and Australia. Today, Viking manages the world's largest fleet of river cruise vessels.

In 2015, Viking's European river cruise sales slowed somewhat, partially due to reduced demand for cruises in Russia. Viking's Ukrainian and Russian ships were laid up, but their staff remained on the payroll. Prior to the 2015 slowdown, the company had reported steady growth of over 30% per year from 2010 to 2015. The company's turnover (gross revenue) from both river and ocean shipping operations for 2015 was ~USD 2 billion. In the pre-COVID 2019th, it grew to USD 3 billion.

In October 2017, Viking River Cruises announced a shipbuilding order for 7 new riverboats. Of those, 6 are Longships (Einar, Sigrun, Sigyn, Tir, Ullur, Vali) and one modified Longship design Douro River cruiser (Helgrim). The newbuilds were launched in 2019 and christened together on March 19. The 7-ship "virtual" naming ceremony was held via satellite connections and took place in 4 river ports – Basel (Sigrun and Einar), Rostock (Ullur and Sigyn), Brunsbuttel, Germany (Vali and Tir), and Oporto (Helgrim).

For 2020, the launches and inaugurations of 6 more Longship-Class boats were planned – 4 with smaller capacity (168 pax) to be deployed year-round on the Seine River in France (Fjorgyn, Kari, Radgrid, Skaga) and 2 standard (190 pax) ships to be deployed on the Rhine River (Gersemi, Hervor). In March 2021, the last two ships on order with Neptun Werft, Egdir and Gymir, were delivered.

Viking River Cruises deals include staterooms, onboard dining, most cultural activities, and most shore excursions. Beer, soft drinks, and wine by the glass are included with lunches and dinners. Viking ships are nonsmoking (interior) with a dedicated smoking area on the sundeck. Since the focus is on port cities and river cruising, activities onboard are primarily geared towards enrichment lectures.

In Q3 2016, Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG terminated its charter deals with Pericon AG (shipowner) for the boats Viking Spirit/Seine Comtesse, Viking Sun/Rhein Melodie, Viking Helvetia/Rhein Symphonie, Viking Pride/Bijou du Rhone, and Viking Danube/Filia Rheni 2.

Viking Cruises Longships

In 2009, the newly launched Viking Legend became the company's first riverboat fitted with hybrid (diesel-electric) engines. These new marine engines use 20% less fuel than conventional ones. The engine rooms are noise-insulated, reducing noise and vibration. The environmental impact is further reduced through the ship's membrane water treatment plant. In 2011, Viking Legend's sistership, Viking Prestige, was launched.

In 2012, the "Viking Longship" class of vessels was introduced. These ships all feature the same hybrid engine powerplant. They are environmentally friendly, with a patented interior design that creates 2-room suites, numerous French Balcony staterooms, full-sized rooms, and verandas. Two-thirds of Longship cabins feature French balconies, verandas, or both. Other features include the indoor-outdoor "Aquavit Terrace" (designed for outdoor relaxation and suitable for alfresco dining), large "Explorer Suites" with wraparound balconies (aft/stern location), an organic herb garden, and solar panels (on the Sun Deck).

Next, a YouTube video showcases the original longships of the Vikings.

The first 6 Longships were launched in 2012 and collectively won the "Best New River Ship" award. Ten more were launched in 2013, and an additional 18 launched in 2014 (including 2 smaller ships purpose-built for the Douro River in Portugal). All Viking Cruises Longships are named after gods and entities from Norse mythology. The following official video reviews the Viking Longship cruise experience.

Viking Mississippi River Cruises (USA)

The company plans to add cruise ships on the Mississippi River (USA). However, the process has been slowed due to issues related to the so-called "Jones Act" (Merchant Marine Act of 1920). This act imposes restrictions on where U.S.-based ships can navigate and how they must be staffed.

The company's plan to enter the U.S. river cruising market was officially announced in 2015. In October 2018, it was announced that the start-up with Mississippi-based boats would occur in 2021. By 2027, Viking plans to increase its annual river shipping capacity to over 100,000 passengers (compared to 50,600 in 2018) by deploying 6 boats. The 7-day American itineraries include round trips from New Orleans, as well as one-way cruises between New Orleans and Memphis, TN, and between St. Louis, MO and Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN.

Viking's USA-based riverboats will be newbuilds (vessel building cost ~USD 90-100 million per unit), each with 5 decks, a passenger capacity of 386, all-balcony staterooms (193 cabins total), an aft-located infinity pool, and a bow ramp (for passenger landings). All six ships will be built and owned by ECO Shipyards (a subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore, a marine corporation founded in 1960 as "Edison Chouest Boat Rentals") and operated under charter by Viking Cruises USA.

The first boat, Viking Mississippi, began operations in August 2022. Bookings opened in 2020 on March 31 for past customers and April 15 for the general public. Currently, Viking River Cruises USA offers 4 itineraries, themed as follows:

• "Heart of the Delta" (8-day from New Orleans to Memphis) – prices started from GBP 3,390 pp
• "America's Heartland" (8-day from St. Louis to St. Paul) – from GBP 4,790 pp
• "Southern Celebration" (8-day round trip from New Orleans) – from GBP 3,390 pp
• "America's Great River" (15-day from St. Paul to New Orleans) – from GBP 8,690 pp

The Viking Mississippi itinerary program includes visits to 7 states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota) and the port cities Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans, St. Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Memphis, Hannibal, St. Louis, Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport, La Crosse, and St. Paul.

Viking's main competitors in the American market are American Cruise Lines and American Queen Voyages (formerly AQSC).

(Coronavirus Crisis) Passenger Shipping Pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, Viking suspended passenger shipping operations fleetwide (ocean ships and riverboats worldwide) by canceling all voyages with pre-scheduled departures from March 12, 2020, through July 2021. Fleetwide operations were initially planned to resume on October 1, 2020. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions in Europe and the USA, as well as Canada's and Australia's ban on cruise shipping, Viking canceled the entire 2020 program (river and ocean) in mid-August.

• VIKING OCEAN restarted operations on May 22, 2021, with Viking Venus (UK from Portsmouth, England).
• VIKING RIVER (European boats) resumed operations in July 2021 (Rhine, Douro, and France rivers), and VIKING's Egypt boat (Ra) restarted in August.
• In March-April 2021, Viking OCEAN announced plans to restart operations with Viking Venus ("England's Scenic Shores" UK coastal itineraries roundtrip from Liverpool and Portsmouth/since May 22), Viking Orion ("Bermuda Escape" 8-day itinerary roundtrip from homeport Hamilton/since June 15), and Viking Sky ("Iceland's Natural Beauty" 8-day itinerary roundtrip from homeport Reykjavik/since June 26). All these voyages were open for booking to UK residents only. In May, July-October departures (11-day roundtrips from Valletta, Malta) for the ships Viking Sea and Viking Venus were added.

All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC (future cruise credit) with rebooking or a 100% monetary refund. Fully refunded (100% in FCC) were also all pre-purchased Viking packages and services. The FCC is valid for 24 months (after cancellation), for any Viking cruise itinerary (river, ocean, expedition), and is fully transferable.

All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received a Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellations up to 24 hours prior to departure.

In January 2022, Viking became the world’s first (and only) cruise line to build full-scale PCR laboratories onboard all OCEAN and EXPEDITION ships. All passengers and crew are tested daily onboard, and Viking’s medical teams receive the results quickly. Each PCR lab contains equipment and chemicals for conducting test analysis. The components are kept in freezers and refrigerators, stored at the correct temperatures. Raa Labs (via RaaEdge/digital data processing system) gathers data from Wi-Fi sensors onboard, allowing real-time monitoring.

Here you can compare Viking's riverboats and their current deployments, itineraries, and departure dates.

Year-round European River Cruises

In May 2023, Viking announced the inauguration of a year-round river cruising program in Europe by introducing the new 10-day "Treasures of the Rhine" winter itinerary.

The voyage is between Amsterdam, Netherlands and Basel-Zurich, Switzerland (in both directions) and visits as call ports Amsterdam (overnight), Arnhem, Cologne, Middle Rhine/Lorelei Rock, Heidelberg, Speyer, Kehl-Strasbourg, Breisach, and Basel (overnight).

Viking's winter river cruise itinerary is run by the Longships/190-passenger boats Viking Alruna and Viking Tialfi.

The maiden voyage started on December 23, 2023, with prices from EUR 1835 / GBP 1595 / USD 1970 per person for bookings made by June 30th.

In 2013, Viking had 37 operational riverboats. By the end of 2014, the fleet grew to 52. All European boats are Longships, with a passenger capacity of 190. Viking's ships in Russia have an average capacity of over 200, while Viking's ships in China accommodate up to 246 guests.

Note: "Longship" is a new patented ship design. "Modified" longships are smaller in size.

Viking's riverboat itineraries range from 7 to 23 days. They are operated along the:

• European rivers Rhine, Main, Danube, Saone, Rhone, Seine, Elbe, and Douro
• Asian rivers – Ukraine's Dnieper, Russia's Volga/Svir, China's Yangtze, Myanmar-Burma's Irrawaddy, and Vietnam's Mekong.
• Some voyages (few in Europe, Egypt, Southeast Asia, and China) are "cruise tours." They include both the river cruising portion and hotel stays.

Viking RIVER's schedule for 2024 (March through November) included the new 12-day "Paris & D-Day 80th Anniversary" cruisetour (from London, England to Paris, France) commemorating the Allies' "Operation Overlord" (Battle of Normandy). The cruisetour begins in London, where historic sites like Bletchley Park (the principal center for codebreaking during WW2), Churchill War Rooms (museum), Imperial War Museum London, Gunwharf Quays, Southwick House, and D-Day Museum are visited.

After 4 days in England, tourists arrive in Paris City to embark a Viking Longship. The roundtrip French itinerary visits Giverny (Claude Monet's farmhouse and gardens), Rouen, as well as Normandy's American Military Cemetery and the World War beaches.

As the unparalleled leader in river travel, boasting a fleet of 80 river ships and commanding over 50% of the market share for North American travelers, Viking continues to set the industry standard. The company's 2026 itineraries in Europe include:

• Danube Waltz (8 days; Budapest to Passau)
• Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam to Basel)
• Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris roundtrip)
• Lyon & Provence (8 days; Lyon to Avignon)
• Portugal's River of Gold (10 days; Lisbon to Porto).

All itineraries have at least one tour or guided shore excursion per day – all included in the fares.

Viking Mississippi (2022) is a 5-deck riverboat operated in the USA under charter.

• Aegir longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria
• Alruna longship (Rhine) Germany, France, Switzerland
• Alsvin longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Astrild longship-modified (Elbe River) Germany, Czechia
• Atla longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium
• Baldur longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Bestla longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland
• Beyla longship-modified (Elbe River) Germany, Czechia
• Bragi longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland
• Buri longship (Saone-Rhone) France
• Delling longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium
• Egil longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Holland, Switzerland
• Einar longship (Moselle-Rhine-Dutch waterways)
• Eir longship (Rhine River) Germany, Holland
• Eistla longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Embla longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria
• Viking Emerald (Yangtze) China
• Forseti longship (Dordogne-Garonne-Gironde) France
• Freya longship (Danube) Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
• Gefjon longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Czechia
• Gullveig longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Heimdal longship (Saone-Rhone) France
• Helgrim (Douro) Portugal, Spain
• Hemming (Douro) Portugal, Spain
• Herja longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Hermod longship (Saone-Rhone) France
• Hild longship (Rhine) Holland, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland
• Hlin longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Idi longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Idun longship (Danube) Germany, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia
• Ingvi longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Jarl longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium
• Kadlin longship (Danube)
• Kara longship (Rhine-Main-Danube - Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria
• Kvasir longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland
• Lif longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium
• Lofn longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Switzerland, Holland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Slovakia, Czechia
• Magni longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Belgium
• Mani longship (Rhine) Holland, Switzerland, Germany, France
• Viking Mekong (2002), Viking Saigon (2021) and Viking Tonle (2025) - Mekong River, in Vietnam and Cambodia
• Mimir longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary
• Modi longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, France
• Njord longship (Danube) Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
• Odin longship (Danube-Main-Rhine-Moselle) Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, France, Czechia, Luxembourg
• Osfrid longship (Douro) Portugal and Spain
• Viking Prestige (Danube) Austria, Hungary, Germany, Slovakia
• Rinda longship (Danube) Austria, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria
• Rolf longship (Rhine)
• Sigrun longship (Moselle-Rhine-Dutch waterways)
• Sigyn longship (Rhine and Moselle)
• Sineus (Dnieper) Ukraine
• Skadi longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, France, Switzerland, Belgium
• Skirnir longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Belgium and Slovakia
• Tialfi longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Tir longship (Danube-Rhine-Dutch waterways)
• Tor longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Torgil (Douro) Portugal, Spain
• Ullur longship (Danube)
• Vali longship (Rhine and Danube)
• Var longship (Rhine) Holland, Germany, France, Switzerland
• Ve longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia
• Vidar longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia
• Vilhjalm longship (Danube)
• Vili longship (Rhine-Main-Danube) Holland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia.
• (2021-built) longships on Rhine River - Egdir, Gymir
• (2020-built) longships on Seine River in France - Fjorgyn, Kari, Radgrid, Skaga, Nerthus
• (2020-built) longships on Rhine River - Gersemi, Hervor
• (2020-built) RheinGalaxie Eventschiff (KD Line, charter cruises between homeports Cologne and Dusseldorf)
• (2025-built) longships Annar, Nerthus, Gyda, Honir, Eldir, Dagur
• (2026-built) longships TBN5

Viking's Volga River (Russia) fleet consists of the boats Helgi, Truvor, Rurik, Ingvar, Akun.

Note: In 2025 and 2026, Viking's river fleet will be expanded with 10 new Longships, by adding 5 boats per year.

Viking Cruises Egypt & Asia

Ra (2018), Osiris (2022), Aton (2023), Hathor (2024), the 2025-built Sobek, Amun and Thoth, and the 2026-built Sekhmet and Ptah are the company's owned ships deployed on Lake Nasser/Nile River in Egypt. Viking also owns MS Antares (former Amarco hotelship) acquired in 2020.

Before the newbuild sisterships, Viking Cruises Egypt also chartered the boats MS Steigenberger Omar El Khayam (a Steigenberger-owned hotelship on Lake Nasser) and MS Mayfair (a privately-owned hotelship).

Century Legend and Century Paragon are the Yangtze River cruise ships in China. Both are privately owned and operated by Viking under a charter. These riverboats are also chartered by other major European lines, like AmaWaterways, Avalon, and Uniworld.

In Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos) Viking River Cruises charters riverboats from Pandaw Expeditions - including the ships Katha Pandaw (as Viking Mandalay), and Orient Pandaw (as Viking Orient).

Above is the Viking Yangtze River (China) cruise itinerary map that shows all ports locations (along Yangtze River) as well as the domestic flight connections (Beijing-Xian-Chongqing and Shanghai-Wuhan).

In April 2024, Viking introduced land tours to Mongolia. The new "Spirit of Mongolia" cruisetour extension is a 5-night (pre- or post-cruise) guided extension offering a visit to the Gobi Desert out of Ulaanbaatar (aka Ulan Bator). Other ex-China cruisetour extensions included departures/tours from Hong Kong and Beijing. Viking’s new China itineraries (titled "Best of China", "China Discovery", "Classic China", "Coast & Wonders of China") are for the Viking Yi Dun ship.

Viking River Cruises USA

Starting operations in 2022 with 1 ship (out of all 6 planned newbuilds), Viking's USA-based river cruise ships will be 5-deck, with all-balcony staterooms, aft-located infinity pool, bow ramp (for passenger landings).

All the 6 ships will be built and owned by ECO Shipyards (subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore) and operated under charter. The 8-day cruisetours include roundtrips from New Orleans, as well as one-ways between New Orleans and Memphis TN, and between St Louis MO and Minneapolis-Saint Paul MN.

Viking Mississippi cruise itineraries visit seven US states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota) and the riverport cities Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans, St Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Memphis, Hannibal, St Louis, Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport, La Crosse, Red Wing, Minneapolis-St Paul.

On July 2, 2020, Viking opened for booking its 2023 Mississippi River cruises. The first boat (Viking Mississippi) was scheduled to debut in August 2022 and sail on the Lower and Upper Mississippi, between homeports Saint Paul Minnesota, and New Orleans Louisiana.

Viking's first USA river voyages were highly anticipated when they were announced in April 2020. The strong demand led the company to open additional 2023 sailings sooner than expected.

Viking's arrival in the USA marked a significant commitment to economic and tourism development in numerous communities along the Mississippi River. It was anticipated that the new voyages would bring over 5,800 tourists to the region in 2022 and over 17,600 during the first full cruise season in 2023.

Viking River Cruises Egypt

Since 2018, Viking River Cruises has been the first non-domestic company licensed to operate cruise ships on the Nile River in Egypt. The itineraries are operated by three new riverboats: Viking Ra (March 2018), Viking Osiris (August 2022), and Viking Aton (September 2023). Previously, Viking Egypt operated Nile River and Lake Nasser itineraries with two chartered ships: Steigenberger Omar El Khayam and Mayfair.

Viking's boats Ra, Osiris, and Aton operate exclusively on the Nile portion (roundtrip from Luxor). The sailings are offered with fly-cruise packages that include two domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor-Cairo).

Viking's Nile River cruisetour is titled "Pharaohs and Pyramids".

The 12-day itinerary includes 7 days of cruising on the Nile River, starting with a 3-night hotel stay in Cairo and tours to iconic attractions such as the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Cruise tourists then fly to Luxor to visit Karnak and the Temples of Luxor before boarding the Viking cruise ship for a 7-night Nile cruise to Aswan and back.

Excursions include a private visit to Nefertari's tomb (Valley of the Queens), as well as visits to Khnum Temple (Esna) and the Dendera Temple complex (Qena). A visit to a Nubian village is also included.