Viking River Launching New Longship for Nile Sailings

Viking River Cruises is expanding its Egypt offerings for 2020, adding a new longship called Viking Osiris, as well as two, five-day, pre-cruise tours.

Osiris, launching in September 2020, was specifically designed for Nile River sailings, Viking said. It will sail 82 guests in 41 staterooms on a 12-day cruisetour itinerary called “Pharoahs & Pyramids” that starts with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where guests can visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.

From Cairo, guests fly to Luxor, the home of the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, before boarding the ship for an eight-day roundtrip sailing on the Nile.

The pool deck on Osiris. Photo: Viking.

The sailing can be combined with two new cruisetours that are designed to educate guests about Egypt before the sailing. The first, called “British Collections of Ancient Egypt,” takes guests to London to explore iconic sites in Egyptian-British history.

Guests go to the British Museum, where they get a private, early-morning visit to the Egyptian Collection; and then a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane. Afterwards, guests visit the Petrie Museum before heading to Oxford to see the Ashmolean Museum and Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, and then continue on to Highclere Castle.

“Egypt has inspired explorers for generations, and it remains a top destination for many of our guests,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “For more than two decades, we have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travelers closer to the cultures of the world. We remain committed to Egypt, and we look forward to introducing the historic treasures of the region to even more Viking guests.”