Viking announced on Wednesday that it will be resuming its European river cruises this July.
Operations will resume with select itineraries in Portugal, France, and along the Rhine River. The first five itineraries, part of the line’s Welcome Back collection, are now available in July and are among the cruise line’s most popular.
- Rhine Getaway — 8 nights, Amsterdam to Basel
- Portugal’s River of Gold — 10 nights, Lisbon to Porto
- Paris & the Heart of Normandy — 8 nights, Paris roundtrip
- Lyon and Provence — 8 nights, Avignon to Lyon
- France’s Finest — 15 nights that combines the northern and southern France itineraries into one voyage
This announcement comes just after the European Union agreed on Wednesday to reopen its borders to vaccinate Americans and other travelers.
“The response to our initial Welcome Back ocean voyages has been overwhelmingly positive. It is clear that many people are eager to get back out into the world, and I would like to thank all of our destination partners for their support as we plan our return to service,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.
“We have been delighted to greet our first guests back on board in England this week—and we are looking forward to welcoming travelers back on board some of our European river vessels in July.”
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The announcement of Viking’s European river cruise restart follows the launch of Welcome Back voyages in England, Iceland, Bermuda, and the Mediterranean.
Earlier this week, Viking named its newest ocean ship, Viking Venus, in England, and the ship is currently on her maiden voyage along the coast of England with Chairman Hagen on board.
Those who sail these new voyages will experience Viking’s new health and safety program, which includes frequent saliva PCR tests, physical distancing, increased sanitation, and new air purification technology installed onboard. All passengers and crew are required to be vaccinated to sail on Viking’s Welcome Back sailings — both ocean and river.
The company is currently working on developing additional Welcome Back cruises in a variety of destinations.
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