Viking has announced the “float out” of its newest Nile River ship, the Viking Aton.
The traditional float out ceremony took place at Massara shipyard in Cairo on Tuesday, 4 April 2023, and denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction.
The float out of Viking Aton began at approximately 1:00 p.m. local time and was attended by Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen and Sayed Farouk, Chairman of The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.).
Set to debut in August 2023, the vessel 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.
The cruise line says it has seen very strong demand in Egypt, with the 2023 season now sold out and many 2024 sailing dates already sold out.
The surge in demand has led Viking to open 2025 sailing dates sooner than originally expected.
Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, said:
“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.
“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.”
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the Viking Aton is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known.
The ship is identical to the Viking Osiris, which was named in 2022 by Viking’s first ceremonial godfather, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon.
The Viking Aton features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace.
In addition to the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton will join the 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.
For more information, visit Viking.com.
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