Photo: Viking
With one ship already sailing the Nile and two more under construction, Viking this week celebrated the naming of its newest river ship, the Viking Osiris, in Luxor, Egypt.
Designed specifically to sail the Nile, Osiris was built at Massara shipyard in Cairo and will sail Viking’s bestselling Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
Viking Osiris joins Viking Ra, which launched in 2018, and Viking Aton, coming in 2023. At the ceremony, Viking also announced that two more ships for the Nile, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, already are under construction, with delivery planned for 2024 and 2025, respectively.
In the meantime, Viking Osiris will sail a 12-day voyage past ancient pyramids, the temple of Karnak, Queen Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings, and the Aswan spice market. They will begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali—and in late 2022, the new Grand Egyptian Museum. They then fly to Luxor, boarding the ship for an eight-day, round-trip voyage on the Nile River, featuring Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan.
Also included is a visit to a traditional elementary school in a Nubian village.
“Egypt has always drawn curious explorers for its rich history and ancient antiquities, and ever since we first began operating on the Nile River in 2004, our guests continue to be amazed by the country’s many cultural treasures. Today we are pleased to officially welcome the Viking Osiris to our growing fleet on the Nile River, which allows us to welcome even more curious explorers to this incredible destination,” Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said.
Carrying a maximum of 82 guests in 41 staterooms, Viking Osiris follows the design of other Viking ships, including a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. The Viking Osiris joins the Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. Additionally, in response to strong demand, the Viking Aton, an identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, will join the fleet in 2023. During today’s naming event in Luxor, Hagen also announced that two more sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, are already under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
