Dear Traveler, It is with great pleasure that I present you with our 2012 River Cruise Atlas.tm
As I turn the pages, I cannot help but reflect on the past — the history of Viking River Cruises — and remember all the milestones.
I fell in love with the river cruise concept at first introduction; the idea that you could travel through the heart of your destination in such comfort and ease. And, it was with the purchase of four ships in Russia that Viking was established. This was followed by the acquisition of the venerable KD River Cruises and build of several European vessels, launch of new ships to sail China’s Yangtze River and the recently added itineraries in Egypt and Southeast Asia.
However, our heritage goes beyond our first ships to the experience gained from Royal Viking Line. That tradition of quality continues today — with finely appointed ships, a dedicated staff and exciting excursions in our daily ports of call — as we strive to provide our guests with a most elegant cruise journey, our contemporary adaptation of the golden age of global cruise travel.
It is with the same excitement and pride that I also look to Viking’s future. The 2012 season marks yet another milestone, the introduction the Viking Longships, four vessels innovative in design, engineering and elegance, which are sure to set a new standard in European river cruising. With the completion of full refurbishments of our Russian fleet and a new vessel in China, Viking offers the best ships in every region in which we travel.
I invite you to join us this year in a journey of discovery, choice and value as you embark on one of our all-inclusive itineraries to a place you have always dreamed of visiting — and you, too, will fall in love with river cruising.
Sincerely,
Torstein Hagen Chairman
x Cover: Budapest, Hungary x This page: Cathedral domes, Moscow; see pages 82-87