Viking Eldir

The 2025-built / 2026-inaugurated Longship Viking Eldir cruises on the Rhine River, visiting destinations in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland. This Viking longship departs from homeports Amsterdam and Basel.

This riverboat is named after Eldir (meaning “fire-stoker” in Old Norse), a servant of the sea god Aegir, known for his loyalty and service.

The vessel (ENI number TBA) is currently Switzerland-flagged (MMSI TBA) and registered in Basel.

Viking officially christened the longship Eldir on October 21, 2025. The naming ceremony was part of a group event introducing a total of nine new riverboats worldwide: Annar, Dagur, Eldir, Honir (the 100th Viking ship), Nerthus, Gyda (Douro River), Amun and Thoth (Nile River), and Tonle (Mekong River).

All Viking Longships are equipped with solar panels (mounted aft on the Sun Deck) and hybrid (diesel-electric) powerplants based on energy-efficient marine engines.

Cabins

Viking Eldir has a total of 95 staterooms (including 9 Suites, 39 Balcony cabins, 22 French Balcony cabins, and 25 Standard cabins with non-opening windows) across 8 categories, accommodating up to 190 passengers.

The longship features two aft-located Explorer Suites with wraparound balconies offering 270-degree panoramic views. The seven Veranda Suites include two separate rooms, with a step-out balcony (living room) and a French balcony (bedroom). The 39 Veranda Staterooms also feature private step-out balconies.

The vessel accommodates up to 190 passengers (served by 53 crew members), all provided with modern hotel-style amenities and high-quality travel and leisure services.

Cabin types and categories (number, location), from highest to lowest:

• Suites – ES Explorer (x2, Deck 3 aft), AA Veranda (x7, Deck 3 portside)
• Balcony Staterooms – A (x20, Deck 3 starboard), B (x17, Deck 2 starboard)
• French Balcony Staterooms (with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors) – C (x5, Deck 3 portside aft), D (x15, Deck 2 portside)
• RiverView Porthole Window / Standard Staterooms – E (x18, Deck 1 midship), F (x7, Deck 1 midship aft)

Shipboard facilities

The Observation Bar Lounge features floor-to-ceiling glass doors opening onto the Aquavit Terrace, a bow-located indoor-outdoor venue designed for relaxation and al fresco dining. The Sun Deck offers 360-degree unobstructed views and includes a forward section with a Sky Bar (outdoor seating with tables and deckchairs), SkyLight (glass roof over the Atrium), and Wheelhouse (Navigation Bridge). The midship area provides shaded seating under a retractable awning and is encircled by a walking track, while the aft section includes a sunbathing area, putting green (mini-golf), herb garden, and deck games area (shuffleboard and giant outdoor chessboard).

Dining options include the Eldir Restaurant (main dining room) and the Aquavit Terrace (Lido buffet with sliding glass doors opening to the outdoor terrace). Additional facilities include a two-deck Atrium (lobby with 24-hour Reception Desk), Library (Internet lounge), and Shop (gifts and souvenirs). Viking Cruises longships do not have a fitness/gym room, swimming pool, Jacuzzi (outdoor whirlpool), spa/beauty salon, or self-service laundry facilities.

One elevator (passenger lift) connects only Decks 2 and 3. All decks are also interconnected via stairs located forward (Grand Staircase in the Atrium), midship, and aft.

Itineraries

Below is a list of Viking Eldir river cruise itineraries (by theme), as officially announced for the inaugural 2026 season:

• “RHINE GETAWAY” – 8-day Rhine River cruise from Basel to Amsterdam, visiting 4 countries (Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Switzerland) and including 6 complimentary guided excursions. Ports of call include Breisach, Strasbourg, Speyer, Rudesheim, Koblenz, Cologne (Koln), and Kinderdijk.

Viking Eldir cruise fares include Internet (Wi-Fi), all tours and excursions, ground/bus transfers, live evening entertainment, daily lectures and presentations, food and wine tastings, 24-hour coffee and tea, and daily replenished bottled water.

Viking River Cruises prices are per person and based on double occupancy. These rates are indicative and may vary depending on travel agency promotions, special offers, discounts, group bookings, or last-minute deals.

Transfers to/from the ship and airport meet-and-greet services are included only when airfare is purchased through Viking Cruises (via the company’s Viking Air package).

Viking Eldir is part of the new generation of Viking Cruises longships. This patented river cruise ship design allows for larger passenger accommodations without reducing the size of public areas or compromising overall comfort.

Longship Eldir represents Viking Cruises’ latest design, featuring energy-efficient hybrid engine technology, solar panels, and interior design developed by Yran & Storbraaten (Norway). The patented “longship” concept, created by Rottet Studios (USA), enables significantly larger accommodations with full-size (step-out) balconies. The additional cabin space is achieved by shifting the deck corridor approximately 1 m (3.3 ft) off-center.

The vessel’s powerplant consists of two main Caterpillar marine diesel engines (model CAT32-ACERT, total power output 2 MW). These are V12 engines (with 12 cylinders arranged in a V configuration driving a crankshaft). The propulsion system is based on two Caterpillar marine propulsion engines (model CAT18-ACERT) with a combined output of 1 MW.

Note: You can view CruiseMapper’s list of all river cruise ships and riverboats in the “itinerary” section of our River Cruises hub, where all companies and their fleets are listed.