Cruise: Aboard Viking’s new river cruise ship built for the Nile in Egypt

travel

[ad_1]

Theatrical release Death on the NileBased on the famous Agatha Christie novel of the same name, earlier this year, it probably sparked a resurgence in river cruises in the region.

Expanding its existing fleet on the Nile, Viking Cruises is preparing to launch a new cruise that it claims will be the largest commercial passenger cruise in Egypt. Viking now has three ships on the Nile and has three more to sail in the coming years.

It was completed this year at Massara Yard in Cairo Osiris It is a modern vessel – designed in the same way as its sister ship on, and the brand’s traditional clean and elegant Scandinavian aesthetic. At 236 feet long, the Osiris Accommodating just 82 guests and a 65-person crew, it’s perfect for travelers (both experienced cruisers and not) who want to get out on the water but prefer to avoid an overcrowded ship.

Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said in a press release about the ship’s maiden voyage: “Viking tends to be a thinking man’s travel company. “And I think people couldn’t be more motivated to think than to come here and see all this history unfold for you.”

Most of Viking’s 12-day itineraries begin and end in Cairo, and guests spend the first few days in Cairo. Kufu, Kafre and Menkare. Guests will also take a short flight from Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes, to a cruise along the Nile with stops in Qane, Esna, Aswan and Edfu. (Guests have the option of extending their Viking trip with four nights in Jordan to see the ancient city of Petra.)

Built specifically for sailing on the Nile, Viking says its ships have been completely restored to international standards of comfort and beauty.

Courtesy of Viking Cruises

of Osiris It has 41 outside staterooms. Both the Explorer and Veranda suites have two full-sized rooms with balconies, and guests in these cabins have access to laundry and shoe shine services. Explorer Suites have spacious bathrooms with separate bathtubs and glass-enclosed showers, as well as options for private arrival and departure transfers with in-room breakfast service.

All staterooms and suites have queen-sized beds (option to book for two twin bed configurations instead), 40-inch HDTVs with access to major news channels (ie CNN, BBC, CBC, etc.), multiple 110/220 volt outlets and USB ports; Individual climate control (for heating and air conditioning), bottled water daily or on request, private bathroom with Freja toilet and free Wi-Fi (although note that the speed always varies and can be spotty when on board).

And Viking cabins, generally throughout the ship, offer plenty of personal storage space on board with large laundry drawers and under-bed storage.

In one of the staterooms on the Viking Osiris.

Courtesy of Viking Cruises

of Osiris It features a lounge and bar with floor-to-ceiling glass doors and plenty of comfortable seating, a full-service white-tablecloth fine dining restaurant, a library and a gift shop.

With floor-to-ceiling glass windows and large comfortable chairs, the lounge is a gathering place for guests to take in the sights, drink, take in lectures and enjoy local music.

Courtesy of Viking Cruises

Notable areas include a sun deck on the top of the deck, a sun deck on top, 360 degree views and a shaded seating area; and Aquavit Terrace & Lounge, an indoor-outdoor viewing area for al fresco dining, with lounge chairs for sunbathing that sit in front of the outdoor pool deck at the stern of the ship.

The ship’s restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic views while dining.

Courtesy of Viking Cruises

In the year 2022, Viking’s 25th year in business, was a big year for business in Basel, Switzerland. Earlier this year, Viking debuted a fourth of its long-haul vessels, custom-built for France’s famed Seine River. And the company continues to plan for its voyages, exploring destinations in Antarctica, the Arctic Circle and the Great Lakes of North America. These itineraries were announced in January 2020 before the outbreak, but were soon put on hold.

“We’ve had a terrible time with COVID and it’s affected the demand for shipping for a company like ours and of course Egypt, which is very dependent on tourism,” Hagen said. “So it’s been hell for a lot of us, but at least I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now.”

Viking was the first major international cruise line to suspend operations during the pandemic. The company has started touring in the summer of 2021. In 2019—the last full year of pre-pandemic travel—Viking earned $3 billion in revenue, and the company is on pace to surpass those numbers in 2022, forecasting annual revenue growth of 47% this year.

In the year After starting operations with four ships in 1997, the Viking fleet has grown to 80 ships and counting worldwide.

By the end of the year, Viking plans to launch two new similar vessels, more new tall ships in Europe and new purpose-built vessels for the Mekong and Mississippi rivers in addition to the Nile.

Viking has sold out most of its Nile cruises for the rest of the year (and even into 2023 and 2024), although there are still cabins available in September and October. Looking forward, Viking says it expects to carry around 10,000 passengers in Egypt alone next year, with 9,000 seats already filled.

Sign up for Features of luck Email list so you don’t miss our big features, exclusive interviews and investigations.

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *