Viking, which already operates 80 of its ‘Longships’ on European rivers and accounts for about 50% of the North American market for European river cruises, is getting set for a bigger bite with a ten-ship expansion over the next two years.
Eight of the 190-passenger ships will sail itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two will be assigned to Viking’s fleet on France’s Seine River. Five will arrive in 2025 and the rest in 2026. All ten will be built by Meyer Werft in Rostock, Germany, which has built the entire fleet of near-identical ships since the first in 2012.
Despite their common interiors and amenities, the new ships will have a few differences, including hybrid propulsion systems with batteries, and will be able to operate on shore power when docked, allowing savings in fuel and emissions.
