Viking has announced that its seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus, will join its award-winning fleet in early 2021. Viking will also expand its offerings in the Mediterranean and announced five new itineraries that include stops in Istanbul, marking the company's return to the iconic city.
Beginning in April 2021 and sailing on Viking's award-winning 930-guest all-veranda Viking Sky, guests embarking on the new Ancient Mediterranean Treasures itinerary or its longer combination cruise options will witness the origin of civilisation while cruising the fabled Aegean Sea. Highlights of the new itinerary include Istanbul, Troy (Çanakkale) and Ephesus (Kuşadasi) in Turkey, and Rhodes, Heraklion, and Athens in Greece.
The new eight-day Ancient Mediterranean Treasures will sail between Athens and Istanbul, with overnight stays in both cities. Guests looking for an extended experience in the region can choose a longer versions of the itinerary, including the 15-day Ancient Adriatic Treasures, which sails between Venice and Istanbul; the 15-day Ancient Mediterranean Antiquities, which sails between Rome and Istanbul; the 22-day Iconic Mediterranean Treasures, which sails between Barcelona and Istanbul; or the 29-day Mediterranean's Iconic Shores, which also sails between Barcelona and Istanbul and includes stops in Montenegro and Croatia.
Viking Venus, the newest 930-guest sister ship, on the other hand, will spend her maiden season sailing itineraries in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, including British Isles Explorer, In Search of the Northern Lights, Viking Homelands and Into the Midnight Sun.
"The spirit of exploration is at the heart of everything we do. We have always drawn inspiration from the original Viking explorers, who were the first to use the stars and constellations for long-distance navigation. Many elements onboard our ships honour those Viking explorers, and we are proud to host our guests on itineraries that sail some of those historic trading routes," said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. "I am pleased to announce that Viking Venus will join our fleet in 2021, allowing us the ability to introduce even more travellers to the Viking way of exploration."