Six additional Longships for Viking River Cruises
Viking Longship class built by Neptun Werft
The order involves six additional Viking Longships, which will sail on the company’s most popular cruises on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, and one additional vessel based on the Longships but specifically designed for Portugal’s Douro river. Accommodating 190 passengers in 95 cabins, the Viking Longships will be about 135m long, 11.45m wide and have a draught of 1.6m. They will have diesel-electric propulsion. They have a patented layout that allows for two very large Explorer Suites and as seven two-room Veranda Suites. There are 31 cabins for crew members. The order announcement was made by Viking Chairman Mr Torstein Hagen, during a press conference. Passenger cabins include comfortable amenities such as hotel-style beds, heated bathroom floors and mini fridge. Additionally, all Viking Longships have sustainability upgrades, such as onboard solar panels and organic herb gardens, and energy-efficient hybrid engines that also reduce vibrations for a quiet ride. No contract value was given. Neptun belongs to German cruise ship yard Meyer Werft. Neptun has already built 51 vessels for Viking Cruises. With the addition of the new river ships, Viking will operate a fleet of 69 river vessels around the world in 2019.
