Viking’s newest ship for the Nile River — the 82-guest Viking Aton — was “floated out” last week, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.Set to debut in August 2023, Viking Aton will join the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships purpose-built for the Nile River and sail Viking’s bestselling 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. Viking reports very strong demand in Egypt, with the 2023 season now sold out and many 2024 sailing dates already closed out. The surge in demand has led Viking to open 2025 sailing dates sooner than originally expected.
“We are pleased with the continued strong interest for our Nile River voyages. Our guests are curious explorers, and Egypt remains a destination of great interest for its many cultural treasures,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.“We are proud to be the only western company to build, own and operate ships on the Nile, and with the float out of the Viking Aton, we look forward to welcoming more guests to experience this fantastic region.”The traditional float-out ceremony took place at Massara shipyard in Cairo on 4 April, 2023, and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction.Viking Aton features 41 staterooms and is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris,Viking Aton features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. In addition to Viking Osiris, Viking Aton will join Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. In response to strong demand, Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025 with the addition of two new sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, which are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.Find out more about Viking’s Nile River product in LATTE’s recent ‘Ship of the Month’ review on the links below;https://latteluxurynews.com/2023/02/06/getting-to-know-vikings-newest-nile-river-cruiser/https://latteluxurynews.com/2023/02/14/viking-osiris-dining-experiences/https://latteluxurynews.com/2023/02/21/what-are-the-accommodation-options-aboard-viking-osiris/https://latteluxurynews.com/2023/02/28/viking-osiris-pharaohs-pyramids-itinerary/
