Viking has announced it has taken delivery of its newest ship, Viking Hathor, for cruises on the Nile River in Egypt.
An official delivery ceremony took place when the new ship was presented at the Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt. The 82-guest Viking Hathor joins the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail the popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
“We are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor to our award-winning river fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking.
“With its abundance of cultural treasures and ancient antiquities, Egypt has always been a destination of great interest to curious travellers, including our guests. We believe our ships are by far the most elegant vessels sailing the Nile River, and we look forward to introducing even more explorers to this fantastic destination in the years to come.”
Late in 2023, the company announced it would be taking its total fleet of river, ocean and expedition ships to 115 by 2030.
Viking Hathor can host 82 guests in 41 staterooms and is an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton.
Viking Hathor features several aspects that will be familiar to previous guests of the cruise company, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Additional ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
The 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary starts with a three-night stay at a luxury hotel in Cairo, where guests can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding their river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.
For guests looking to extend their journey in Egypt, the company also offers Pre- and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits. Examples include the 5-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension that begins in London; a 3-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where guests can visit important religious sites, including the Blue Mosque and the legendary Hagia Sophia.
After concluding the Egypt river voyage, guests can also extend their journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan—Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak, and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.
For more information, visit viking.com
