Viking Cruises’ newest ship is ready to debut for Nile cruises in August.
The 82-guest Viking Aton joins the cruise line’s growing fleet of purpose-built ships for the River Nile and will sail its best-selling 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
A traditional float-out ceremony took place at the Massara shipyard in Cairo on April 4 marking the ship’s movement into its final stage of construction.
The ship features 41 staterooms – 12 standard staterooms, 21 Veranda staterooms, six Veranda suites, and two Explorer suites. It has a pool and sundeck, lounge and bar, restaurant, library, free WiFi, and a laundry service, as well as the Aquavit Terrace and Lounge, an indoor and outdoor viewing area for al fresco dining.
The Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary that Viking Aton will sail later this year begins with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where guests can visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Saqqara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Guests will then fly to Luxor to visit the temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding the ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile.
The cruise will conclude with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the city.
Viking offers guests pre- and post-cruise programmes, such as a five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension that begins in London, a pre-extension in Jerusalem, and a post-extension to Jordan.
Viking Cruises is represented by Development Promotions in South Africa.
