The first custom vessel of the company, Viking Mississippi, is scheduled to debut in August 2022 and sail on the Lower and Upper Mississippi River, between New Orleans and Saint Paul. I think you are correct - check this post: Viking Ocean - Combined Cruise Schedule - Page 5 - Viking Ocean - Cruise Critic Community, .Im sharing this bad feeling as our Trade Routes itinerary is no longer available to view or book for 2021 and I am also locked out ofMVJ. The representative went through options, she said, including larger vouchers, extended time periods to use them and considering U.S. based trips instead of international travel. The cruise line announced the return of select itineraries in Portugal, France and . (Barcelona to Rome, 7-nights) "Romantic Mediterranean" (visits 4 countries, included 8 land tours), (7-nights) "Mediterranean Getaway" (visits 3 countries, included 6 land tours), (9-nights) "Empires of the Mediterranean" (visits 5 countries, included 7 land tours), (12-nights) "Mediterranean Odyssey" (visits 6 countries, included 10 land tours). Viking's Great Lakes cruises visit ports and destinations in Canada's Ontario state (Thunder Bay, Toronto, Welland Canal, Niagara Falls, Point Pelee NP) and the USA's Minnesota-Michigan-Wisconsin states (Detroit MI, Alpena MI, Mackinac Island MI in Lake Huron, Apostle Islands WI, Houghton MI on Lake Superior, Traverse City MI, Milwaukee WI on Lake Michigan, Duluth MN) and feature passing through Soo Locks at Sault Ste Marie (Lake Superior - Lake Huron transition). Note: For the itinerary's all call ports see at the ship's Wiki section here. As you consider your travel plans, we invite you to explore our expandedWelcome Backofferings as an alternative.". We are bookedon the Viking Kari Aug 25th Paris to Normandy sail. An Early Booking promo (for bookings made for September 30, 2021) offered USD 2000 pp (shore excursions credit), USD 1000 pp (OBC-onboard credit) plus USD 1000 pp OBC (for Viking Explorer Society/loyalty program members). Award-winning Viking Longships. Prices start at US$4,400 per person with discounted airfare. The company plans to add cruise ships on Mississippi River (USA). For instance, on the Rhine Getaway in December, all Friday and Saturday sailings in both directions are suddenly sold out. (We paid for Air+) I am really unhappy with Viking. As of 2020, Viking fully owned and operated a fleet of 6 ocean liners plus 76 riverboats (almost all of which are of the patented Longship-Class). Fingers crossed that it will all work out in the end. It was to be on the Alruna from Basel to Amst. Posted elsewhere, but we received our official cancellation email this am from Viking for our Oct 4 Trade Routes Bergen to Barcelona. The sailings are with fly-cruise packages inclusive of two domestic flights (Cairo-Luxor-Cairo). She talked about Vikings new safety protocols and while they sound good, I emphasized that group travel is not in our future.. It is one of the sailings that is affected. . Stanley Keyles looks at the Viking River Cruise website. Finse Terrace is an outdoor lounge (adjacent to Aula Auditorium) with comfortable seating (padded sofas) and heated by firepits (heated lava rocks). All the 6 ships will be built and owned by ECO Shipyards (subsidiary of Edison Chouest Offshore) and operated under charter. The fact that Viking has so many ships on a route means that when they hit low water there is very likely another ship nearby going in the opposite direction. The shipbuilding contract was officially signed on July 23, 2018. Claire and Stanley Keyles planned a dream vacation for June 2020. Offering 125% FCC. Today our group of four received emails confirming our Vikingtrip is a go! By the year 2027, the company's 16-ship ocean fleet will have a combined capacity of 16,930 berths, ranking Viking OCEAN the world's largest cruise company with ship capacity under 1000 passengers. In 2009, the newly-launched Viking Legend became the company's first riverboat fitted with hybrid (diesel-electric) engines. A visit to a Nubian village is also included. The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departureand Viking will waive any fees. The company's turnover (gross revenue) from both river and ocean shipping operations for 2015 was about USD 2 billion. Viking Expeditions ships are Norway-flagged (registered in Longyearbyen Spitsbergen), smaller-sized (GT 30150 tons, LOA length 203 m, beam/width 24 m) and with reduced passenger capacity (378 each, plus 260 crew/staff) in comparison to Viking Ocean's liners (930 passengers plus 465 crew/staff each). In 2000 Viking acquired Koln-Dusseldorfer (KD River Cruises). The longer/71-day itinerary visits 33 ports (10 countries, 3 continents). The start of this story began in April 2021 when Viking CANCELED my July cruise to Norway and Iceland. Viking Cruises has announced that its river and ocean operations will remain on hold through May 31, 2021, which means cruises won't resume until June at the very earliest. The FCC is valid for 24 months (after cancellation), for any Viking cruise itinerary (river-ocean-expedition) and fully transferable. The second longship's 2017 itineraries are on Danube. They try to make it better by giving us $250 PP OBC, but after the cancellation of prepaid excursions, we had a pile of OBC and NOTHING to spend it on. So ?? Viking Cruises China's Managing Director is Brendan Tansey. Baltic Sea routes offer visits to 8 different countries, with a total of 11 cruisetours (all complimentary, included in the Viking Baltic deals prices). The link to new sailings doesnt work for me in the UK Does it say which ship ? One thing that isn't clear to me is if you must use all of the voucher on a single cruise. 2022-2024 Viking Mississippi Voyages feature: 15-day "America's Great River" from New Orleans to Saint Paul. In 2013, Viking operated a 37 river ships fleet. The company's plan to enter the USA river cruising market was officially announced in 2015. Among the vessels' innovative marine technologies are energy-saving hybrid engines, top-deck solar panels, pollution-minimizing exhaust systems. Both are privately owned and operated by Viking under a charter. KD Line is an 1826-founded, Cologne-based company with a fleet of 14 cruise vessels (including "event ships" and a paddle steamer) deployed in Germany, on the rivers Moselle, Rhine and Main. Aula Auditorium also doubles as Cinema, being fitted with a retractable screen (covering the entire window wall towards the stern) and latest sound and visual equipment. The engine rooms are noise-insulated and this reduces noise and vibration. Since August 2018, Viking Cruises (both brands/river and ocean) is an adults-only company that doesn't allow minor passengers (under 18 years of age) on its vessels. In October 2018 was announced as a potential start-up (with Mississippi-based boats) the year 2021. They would fly to Italy and take an 8-day Viking River Cruise called Italian Sojourn, which would travel around Italys boot from Civitavecchia to Venice. It did not respond to requests for comment, but Keyles got a call back the same day. Ten days later, on March 30, Viking announced the cruise was canceled and 100% cash refunds would be given to customers but only for those who hadn't canceled previously. Company's Net revenues for FY2017 were estimated at about USD 1 billion. Changed to Aug 29. at a time when other cruise lines are canceling. That didnt seem fair, Keyles said. Two of them could not be rebooked at this late date. The new domestic travel brand (China Coastal Cruise Project) was scheduled for inauguration in 2021-Q1 with Viking Sun - transferred to the joint venture (news 8277). Ship's expedition equipment is provided complimentary and to all passengers (regardless of cabin category). Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey is among the world's best-preserved cities of antiquity. The inaugural cruise itineraries of both expedition vessels are 13-day polar voyages - one in Antarctica, the other in the European Arctic. In Fall 2016, Viking became the first European river cruise company offering itineraries on dedicated to Chinese tourists riverboats. 3 additional expedition cruises in North & South America are also due to debut in summer 2023. They are environmentally friendly, with a patented interior design creating 2-room suites, numerous French Balcony staterooms, full-size rooms, and verandas. Departing on December 22, 2022, from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking World Voyage 2022 visits ports in Central America, follows Panama Canal transit and sailing up North America's West Coast. Travelers looking for an extended experience in the region are able to choose longer versions of the itinerary, such as: In September 2020, Viking introduced a new (2023 itinerary) - the 29-day "Baltic Jewels And The Midnight Sun" from London UK to Stockholm Sweden via Norway, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By This is CruiseMapper's page for the three Viking Cruises subsidiary companies - the sister-brands Viking RIVER, Viking OCEAN and Viking EXPEDITIONS, their fleets (riverboats, liners, polar ships), cruisetour itineraries, destinations, homeports, cruise tracker. The boats are constructed by the Norwegian shipbuilder VARD (subsidiary of Fincantieri Italy). geordie_jim, May 4, 2021 in Viking Ocean. These ships also use seawater as a lubricant for their propeller shaft bearings. Viking Cruises' Risk-Free Guarantee Policy NEW [Temporary] Policy: The Risk-Free Guarantee allows guests to change their cruise date up until 14 days before their planned departure?and Viking will waive any fees. In March 2016, Viking OCEAN confirmed the order of three more ocean vessels, which was increased to four in 2017 (December). Raa Labs (via RaaEdge/digital data processing system) gathers data from Wi-Fi sensors onboard, allowing real-time monitoring. November 29, 2021 Viking.TV Celebrates the Rhine River with Week of New Programming Read More. VIKING RIVER (European boats) restarted in July 2021 (Rhine-Douro-France rivers), VIKING's Egypt boat (Ra) - in August. Viking EXPEDITIONS summer 2023 season includes a new 2-week itinerary in the Great Lakes along with additional offers in North & South America. In January 2021, the vessel changed registry (from Norway to China) to qualify for the Chinese coasting trade. Snow Grotto access is complimentary to all passengers. We'll try for something in 2022. That is what Azamara have done despite the the 2022 advertised fare being more. . Environmental impact is further reduced through the ship's membrane water treatment plant. I am expecting an email any time that my trip is canceled or moved to another ship. Signature onboard facilities available on each Viking Expeditions boat include: Dining venues include The Restaurant (fine dining, regional cuisine specialties, classic dishes), The World Cafe (market-style buffet restaurant with open kitchen, live cooking station, bakery, grill stations, seafood bar with premium sushi, international food choices), Mamsen's Deli Restaurant (Deck 5, traditional Scandinavian dishes, Italian cuisine specialties) plus Room Service (24-hour, complimentary). 15-day "America's Great River" from New Orleans to St. Paul on nearly the entire length of the Mississippi River (multiple sailing dates in June, September, and October 2023) prices start at US$11000 per person, with discounted airfare from US$200 per person. The Viking Ocean brand was introduced in 2015 with Viking Star, which started operations with mostly one-way itineraries in Baltic Sea (Scandinavia, Russia) and Mediterranean Sea. Viking Cruises' ocean liners made the company world's largest "small ship cruise" brand with a dominant share on the luxury travel market (23,9 % by year 2020). For the ex-Malta season, Viking partnered with Lufthansa (Deutsche Lufthansa AG - Germany's largest airline) to offer non-stop Transatlantic flights between New Jersey USA (Newark Liberty Airport) and Malta Airport, exclusively for Viking OCEAN customers. In China (on Yangtze River), Viking River Cruises operates under charter the large-sized boat Viking Emerald. Followers 7. The launch platform features a 26 m (85 ft) wide rollers-covered slipway (boat ramp) that allows safe and sheltered embarkation on the RIBs inside the cruise ship. Pax Global Media. CruiseMapper provides you with free-of-charge schedules with listed cheapest ticket prices per person per itinerary. In 2015, Viking's European river cruise sales became a bit slower than expected. While the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic and its global reach, and our medical conditions and age, we will not be traveling any time soon and certainly not in the next 24 months especially on a ship of any kind, Keyles said. Ok as I predicted, all sold out cruises have been dropped from Viking as of this morning. 13 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso-Santiago, 137 days, one-way from Fort Lauderdale to London-Tilbury, 11 days, one-way from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, 12 days, one-way from Bergen to London-Tilbury, 17 days, one-way from Valparaiso-Santiago to Buenos Aires, 7 days, one-way from Barcelona to Civitavecchia-Rome, 14 days, round-trip Panama Canal Central America, 7 days, one-way from Rosedale MS to New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades, Florida), Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA), Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale Florida), Viking River Cruises kicks off stops in Greenville (Mississippi), A new Viking Longship for Seine River cruises joins the fleet in 2025, Fire breaks out on Viking Orion cruise ship docked in Sydney (NSW Australia), Mississippi RIver's largest cruise ship ever debuts in June 2023, Viking Cruises releases 2024-2025 world voyage itineraries, Godmother Nicole Stott names Viking OCEANs newest ship Neptune in Los Angeles USA, Viking Orion ship stranded off the coast of Australia due to fungus outbreak, Townsville (Queensland Australia) welcomes first cruise ship in 2+ years, 1 dead, 4 injured after giant wave breaks glass panels on Viking Polaris ship, Viking Ocean Cruises takes US$1.5 billion in financing on 4 ships, Fred. MS Steigenberger Omar El Khayam (Lake Nasser, Egypt) is a Steigenberger-owned ship operated by Viking under a charter. They offered us a 150 dollar non refundable credit to be used onboard. Shorter itinerary segments are also available for booking, including the 119-day "Viking World Horizons 2022" (Los Angeles to London, departure January 10, 2022) that visits 49 ports in 22 countries. Departing from Fort Lauderdale and ending in London-Greenwich, "Viking World Voyage 2023-2024" prices started from USD 60,000 (EUR 51015) on Viking Sky/Dec 20, and from USD 55,000 (EUR 46760) on Viking Neptune/Dec 23. Currently, Viking River Cruises USA offers 4 itineraries, themed as: The Viking Mississippi itinerary program offers visiting 7 states (Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota) and the port cities Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans, St Francisville, Natchez, Vicksburg, Memphis, Hannibal, St Louis, Burlington, Dubuque, Davenport, La Crosse, Red Wing, St. Paul. This offer covers all Viking reservations that are made between November 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 on any 2022 voyage. Details of world cruise itineraries for 2024-2025 have been released by Viking Cruises as the company reported strong demand for longer itineraries Viking Cruises named its newest ocean ship, Viking Neptune, with a celebration on Sunday, January 8th, in Los Angeles CA. And it all started in the not-so-distant 1997 with the establishment of the modest Viking River brand founded by a consortium of Scandinavian and Dutch investors, with only 4 second-hand riverboats bought in Russia. Viking named two more ships in Oporto (Portugal) on March 21. My cruise (Italian Sojourn, August 1) isn't there. Note that for the Rhine and some other itineraries it is intentional that Viking starts with two ships on the same date at the ends of the itinerary to meet in the middle for a ship swap if necessary, it is a "ship pair". It worked out for us. Starting in 2018, Viking River Cruises is the first non-domestic company licensed to operate cruise ships on the Nile River in Egypt. Viking Venus is scheduled for the August 13-23 cruise. The funding helped the company's growth, particularly on the ocean cruising market, and also strengthened its balance sheet as it branched into China (since 2016). By Certain days, ships going both directions on several itineraries are showing sold out. The first river cruises of Viking in the United States had been highly anticipated when they were announced in April 2020. Tours include a private visit to Nefertari's tomb (Valley of the Queens) and excursions to Khnum Temple (Esna) and the Dendera Temple complex (Qena). Email also stated ", Because we have cancelled itineraries that were not possible to operate given current circumstances, including your sailing, we have redeployed our ocean fleet to the new. Volos, Greece is a cosmopolitan port city, and the region was once considered the playground of the gods. The reason for. Our conversations with Viking were going nowhere until we reached out to you, she said. It takes them a few days to get their ducks in a row before they send out the cancellation notices. The voyage starts from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA) on December 24, 2021, and ends in London City England. On November 25, 2020, China Merchants Shekou and Viking officially signed the joint venture agreement a separate (China-flagged) fleet of sea liners for coastal cruises. NOAA scientists are present on all Great Lakes USA voyages to conduct researches (on local weather changes and ecosystems) and present lectures themed on the Great Lakes region. The final balance is due based on offer at Viking's Canada cruises visit NYC New York, Halifax NS, Gulf of St Lawrence (scenic cruising, Cape Breton National Park), Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), Magdalen Islands Quebec (scenic cruising), Cap-aux-Meules (Quebec), Sept-Iles Quebec, Saguenay Quebec (zodiac cruising through Saguenay Fjord), Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres Quebec, Montreal Quebec, Seaway Locks (transit to Lake Ontario), Toronto Ontario. Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. As part of the event, the Travelers hoping to enjoy a holiday voyage instead found themselves stranded off the Australian coast due to a fungus outbreak onboard Viking OCEAN's Townsville QLD (Queensland Australia) welcomed its first major cruise ship in 2+ years after Viking Cruises' ship Viking Orion visited the Port last 1 person died and 4 were injured after a giant wave broke several glass panels of an Antarctic Viking Cruises ship that was sailing south of Cape Viking Ocean Cruises announced it is taking US$1.5 billion in financing on 4 ships. The new ship was scheduled to start operations with a World Cruise 2022-2023. It is not the geographical location of the trip as much as being in any enclosed space with a large group of people and the U.S. has not been a model of controlling the virus anyway, Keyles said. As a result of newbuilds and acquisitions, in 2014 the company had a river fleet of 52 vessels with a total of 9200 berths. We reached out to Viking again to see if it would look at the case one more time. Just in case someone is wondering: low water does not normally happen in December on the Rhine. All Viking OCEAN ships offer destination-rich itineraries marked by "small ship cruise" tour and onboard experiences. MV Viking Star became world's ever-first ocean ship with a "snow room". Viking Cruises Ltd (shipowner) is the parent company of Viking Flusskreuzfahrten AG (Viking River Cruises) as well as of KD Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt GmbH, which is subsidiary of Koln-Dusseldorfer (aka KD Cruises, fka KD Line). Viking Ocean's port agent for China is Wallem Ship Agency China. Cunard Line canceled cruises on the Queen Victoria through Aug. 27 and the Queen Mary 2 through Nov. 12. But Keyles wasnt ready to accept such an offer. CruiseMapper's Viking schedules also show how much will cost you to travel with the Viking brand. These new types marine engines use 20% less fuel than the conventional ones. Which means that some passengers will change ship and date. That is one scenario and pure speculation. And while the travel vouchers are good for 24 months, given the state of the pandemic, the couples medical conditions and age, they didnt think they would be traveling any time soon. UK site not showing new Malta cruises yet. China Merchants Viking Cruises' General Manager is Wu Wei. Viking Neptune's World Cruise itinerary offers overnights (also double overnights) in 11 ports, including Auckland New Zealand, Sydney NSW Australia, Benoa Bali Indonesia, Saigon Vietnam, Singapore, Yangon Burma, Colombo Sri Lanka, Mumbai India, Haifa Israel, Istanbul Turkey and London-Greenwich (before the debarkation). Fleetwide operations were planned to resume on October 1, 2020. The list of its services also includes. As ownership, 1/5 (20%) of the company is owned by TPG Capital (US investment company) and CPP Investment Board (CPP=Canada Pension Plan). CC Help Jenn Later was added the 21-day "Malta, the Adriatic and Greece". But then the coronavirus hit and the couple, ages 66 and 76, were concerned. Asian rivers - Ukraine's Dnieper, Russia's Volga, China's Yangtze, Myanmar-Burma's Irrawaddy and Vietnam's Mekong. The snow on the floor is kept at sub-freezing temperatures. By 2023, the newbuilds (by Fincantieri Italy) expanded the fleet to 10 liners. All bookings made by April 30, 2020, received Risk-Free Guarantee that allows penalty-free cruise cancellation up to 24 hours prior departure. Next are listed all Viking Expeditions cruise itineraries by length and theme. Their godmothers were from USA (Los Angeles), the UK, and Russia. Risk-Free Guarantee: How it Works We have listed all Viking ships as schedules (itinerary calendars with prices) and current position tracking maps. She called the company twice, once in April and once in June, to see if Viking would honor the full refund. Passengers can visit the remains of Byzantine Basilica of St John, enjoy sights like the massive Great Theater and Library of Celsus, and see the modest home where the mother of Jesus, Mary, lived out her final days. On both riverboats, all the hotel staff is Mandarin-speaking, all the signage is in Mandarin (from menus to toiletries). We have since then tried to book a trip two times, and the required medical . Explorers Lounge (Decks 5-6, bow-facing) is 2-deck, circular-shaped, glass-covered and walled indoor observation lounge with wraparound windows. Cash compensation would not necessarily cover the full amount owed and the travel insurance premium is not eligible for reimbursement in any event.. Call us at 800-454-0927 to speak to a Cruise Concierge today. I am sure I will get the dreaded e-mail today or tomorrow. The cruise line offered her future cruise vouchers worth 125 percent of her fare. I argued a bit, but nobody knows anything--maybe upper Management. On November 23, Disney . Looks like our September cruise to the Fjords is in the process of being cancelled! Olsen unveils new 106-night Voyage of Exploration Around the World aboard flagship Bolette, Sidney BC-Anacortes WA ferry cancelled until 2030, CCL-Carnival brings 4th ship, Carnival Miracle, to Port Galveston TX, Nicole Scherzinger to serve as Godmother of P&O Cruises ship Arvia, Nassau Cruise Port boasts new 1-day passenger record of 28,554, Marella Cruises removes COVID vaccination requirements from May 1st, Genting Hong Kongs last ship World Dream sold to undisclosed buyer, Fred Olsen's MS Borealis to set sail on a 2nd world cruise from Southampton UK in early 2024, Hiva Oa Island, Marquesas French Polynesia, Bora Bora Island, Society Islands French Polynesia, "Heart of the Delta" (8-day from New Orleans to Memphis) - prices started from GBP 3390 pp, "America's Heartland" (8-day from St Louis to St Paul) - from GBP 4790 pp, "Southern Celebration" (8-day roundtrip from New Orleans) - from GBP 3390 pp, "America's Great River" (15-day from St Paul to New Orleans) - from GBP 8690 pp, The "9-vessel fleet" news was announced at the float-out ceremony of. I know a lot of this was not their fault and up till now I have been very pleased with how they were handling things, but this is just biting the hands that feed them! Viking's longship fleet totals 65 boats, delivered in the period 2012-2021. In Strasbourg, passengers take the high-speed TGV train to Paris. Scenic cruising: Mt Athos: On sea days, passengers will sail past Mt Athos, the "Holy Mountain" (UNESCO Site, the spiritual capital of Orthodox Christianity). Plus two new Med itineraries in the welcome back program (don't know if this is for US pax only or not). These boats are with modified longship design ("baby Longships") with only 2 decks (1/4 lighter) and capacity 98 guests (46 cabins). The experience (touted beneficial to the body's blood circulation) includes heating in a sauna (steam bath), then walking into this small room. 8-day "Heart of the Delta" from New Orleans to, 8-day "Southern Celebration" roundtrip from New Orleans, visiting. Viking is bringing back river cruises to Europe in July. Deliveries were scheduled for 2026 and 2027 (2x units) and 2028 (2x units). Paid for a cruise in Nov 2021 for an Oct 2022 cruise . In the UK, Viking OCEAN ships are homeported in London-Greenwich England. Her position at the outset was that we are not entitled to anything in place of the future travel vouchers since what they gave us was in compliance with their stated cancellation terms, Keyles said, and she asked for an exception based on their specific circumstances. My Danube Waltz on 11-22-21 on the Embla is gone and my Viking Journey is locked. Viking River Cruises holds 1/2 of North America's market. 2/3s of Longship's cabins are with French balconies, verandas, or both. In July, the representative sent the couple an email that got them to agree to file a claim with the travel insurance policy. I am sure I will get the dreaded e-mail today or tomorrow. There isn't enough demand for all the originally scheduled sailings, so they are taking certain ships out of the rotation, and moving passengers to another ship likely a few days from the original sailing date. Viking Mediterranean itineraries are themed as: In November 2018, Viking announced an 11-day itinerary named "Greek Odyssey". By. Our Viking cruise embarkation was delayed by 2 days, shortening our trip from 12 to 10 days. Here you can compare all Viking cruise ships (RIVER, OCEAN, EXPEDITIONS) and their itineraries, destinations, and departure dates. At additional cost are only spa massages, beauty salon services; specialty beer, premium alcohol (wine and spirits), and some shore excursions. Nowadays, Viking manages the world's largest fleet of river cruise vessels, ever. Since the focus is on the port cities and river cruising, activities onboard are geared towards enrichment lectures. In 2019, the parent company also created the brand "Viking Expeditions" with a newbuild fleet of two small-sized expedition vessels - Viking Octantis (2021) and Viking Polaris (2022), plus an option for 2 more same-designed units. Share. The brand's enrichment program is based on shipboard events (lectures, entertainment) and shore excursions themed on local history, traditions, nature, food. Viking Expeditions (as a travel brand) was officially launched on January 15, 2020, with cruising operations starting in January 2022. The infinity pool (resistance swimming pool) on each ocean ship was a "first at sea" facility. Just more work for me! Hope this is right as our September Amsterdam to Bergen no longer shows on Viking website.