Viking introduced immediately that its latest ship for the Nile River, Viking Sobek, has been floated out. This marks the primary time a ship touches water, and is a serious milestone within the development course of.
Viking Sobek is scheduled to debut this fall and can function Viking’s widespread 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
“Egypt has always captivated curious travelers with its rich culture and history, and it continues to be a destination of interest for our guests,” stated Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “We believe the Viking Sobek and her sister ships are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile, and we look forward to welcoming even more guests to explore this fantastic region.”
The float out ceremony came about at Massara shipyard in Cairo. The vessel will now be moved to a close-by outfitting dock for remaining development and inside build-out.
Viking Sobek will have the ability to accommodate 82 visitors in 41 staterooms. An similar ship to Viking Osiris, Viking Aton, and the brand new Viking Hathor, which is scheduled to debut this summer season, Sobek options many features acquainted to Viking visitors. These embody the comfortable and trendy Scandinavian design that Viking is thought for, in addition to the indoor/outside Aquavit Terrace.
By the top of 2024, Viking is scheduled to have six ships crusing on the Nile River. Further vessels within the line’s Egypt fleet embody Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary
Throughout the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, visitors start with a three-night keep at a first-class lodge in Cairo, the place they will go to iconic websites such because the Nice Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Nice Egyptian Museum.
Vacationers then fly to Luxor the place they will go to the Temples of Luxor and Karnak earlier than boarding the river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River. One spotlight consists of visits to the tomb of Nefertari within the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun within the Valley of the Kings. Excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple advanced in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the Excessive Dam in Aswan, and a go to to a colourful Nubian village, the place visitors can expertise a standard elementary faculty are additionally widespread shore choices in the course of the voyage.
The journey concludes with a flight again to a Cairo for a remaining night time within the metropolis.
Pre and Publish-Journey Extensions
For many who want to lengthen their journey in Egypt, Viking additionally affords pre and publish extensions that present Privileged Entry to archives and reveals.
Company on the five-day British Collections of Historical Egypt extension will start the journey in London, the place they’ll meet their Viking Tour Director, an knowledgeable Egyptologist, and expertise Privileged Entry to 2 museums: first, a non-public, early morning go to to the Egyptian Assortment on the British Museum earlier than it opens to most of the people — after which a go to to the house and private museum of world-renowned architect Sir John Soane, the place the tour might be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained visitors and showcased his beautiful assortment of Egyptian antiquities, together with a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Company may even go to London’s Petrie Museum, which homes over 80,000 artifacts from historic Egypt and Sudan.
In Oxford, visitors will go to the Ashmolean Museum, one of many oldest on this planet, and residential to a various assortment of Egyptian mummies and artwork — and go behind the scenes at Oxford College’s Griffith Institute, the place they are going to get pleasure from a Privileged Entry go to to see Howard Carter’s archives, which element the invention of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Lastly, vacationers may have additional Privileged Entry with an unique go to to Highclere Fortress to view the Earl of Carnarvon’s magnificent personal assortment of Egyptian artifacts, in addition to archives and reveals not normally accessible to the general public.
Further choices embody a three-night pre-extension in Istanbul, the place visitors can go to websites just like the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. After concluding the river cruise, visitors can even lengthen the journey with a four-night post-extension to Jordan — Petra, Useless Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak, and expertise the misplaced metropolis of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Web site.
Feedback
Have you ever ever taken a Nile River cruise? Have you ever ever been to Egypt? Drop us an anchor beneath and inform us about your experiences!