Viking River Cruises Christens Viking Prestige

Christening Ceremony For State-of-the-Art Green Vessel Took Place Today in Amsterdam

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, held a christening ceremony for Viking Prestige in Amsterdam. Janice Farrar-Titus, wife of the late renowned cruise industry innovator Warren Titus and the ship’s godmother, officially named the 443-foot vessel with a traditional breaking of a bottle of champagne while blessing it on all future voyages. “May you begin your cruising days under a rainbow and sunny skies, and may you follow that rainbow around the bends in the river to the pot of gold,” said Mrs. Farrar-Titus.

Viking Prestige Christening (Photo: Business Wire)

Viking River Cruises Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen called today’s events especially moving since today would have been Mr. Titus’ 96^th birthday. Mr. Hagen commented that Mr. Titus set the standard of excellence in all areas of cruising. “Warren influenced three cruise lines during his lifetime — Royal Viking Line, Seabourn and, indirectly, Viking River Cruises.”

The 188-passenger Viking Prestige will embark on its inaugural voyage, the 15-day Grand European Tour, on July 2. It will then begin its regular service on the ever-popular 8-day Romantic Danube itinerary which travels Budapest to Nuremberg (or reverse), visiting ports in Hungary, Austria and Germany. The launch of the Viking Prestige represents the first phase of Viking’s $250 million dollar fleet development program and will be the first European ship in a series of ten new builds to follow for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons.

Reminiscent of the design philosophy of the storied Royal Viking Line, the concepts have been realized by renowned Norwegian maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten, designers of The Yachts of Seabourn, Oceania and Disney vessels, among others. Viking Prestige is the first ship in the fleet to feature the new open-air Aquavit Lounge at the bow, where passengers can enjoy a drink or meal al fresco. With all-outside staterooms and French balconies on both the Upper and Middle decks, the ship will feature Viking’s signature décor: sophisticated, understated elegance.

Built at the Neptun Shipyard in Rostock, Germany, Viking Prestige is the company’s second “green” river cruise vessel powered by an efficient, hybrid propulsion system. Using significantly less fuel and producing less vibration, this cutting-edge technology offers a smoother, quieter ride than other ships and represents the environmentally responsible future of Viking’s European vessels.

To celebrate the launch of Viking Prestige, Viking is currently offering 2-FOR-1 cruise fares with complimentary wine, plus savings on all-inclusive roundtrip international airfare. These special offers for both the 2011 and 2012 sailing seasons are valid through July 31, 2011.

Dates and pricing as well as ship and itinerary information are available on the company’s website at vikingrivercruises.com. Viking’s all-inclusive pricing features accommodations, all onboard meals, daily guided shore excursions and more. Also, Viking is the only river cruise line to include port charges in the cruise fare. For additional details, contact your travel agent or Viking River Cruises toll-free at 1-877-66VIKING (1-877-668-4546).

About Viking River Cruises

Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise company, offers scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. The company has been honored multiple times as the top river cruise line on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” and Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” Awards as well as recognized as the World’s Leading River Cruise Operator at the World Travel Awards. Travel agents have also recognized Viking River Cruises as “Best River Cruise Line” by Travel Weekly, “Best River Cruise Line” by Recommend and Travel Agent magazines, Best Cruise Line for Luxury River Cruises at the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence and as “Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising” and “Best River Cruise Line for Travel Agent Support” by TravelAge West. Since its 1997 inception, the company has grown to a fleet of 19 vessels, and provides unique, deluxe vacations to experienced travelers with an interest in geography, culture and history. With a $250 million investment in a fleet development program, by 2014 Viking will have several refurbishments plus the introduction of ten new Viking Longships starting with four to be introduced in 2012—Viking Freya, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin. For additional information, contact Viking River Cruises at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) toll-free or visit the company online at http://www.vikingrivercruises.com. Follow Viking River Cruises on Facebook here.