Viking River Cruises Announces New Destinations

In a press release today, Viking River Cruises announced the launch of Viking Tours. Viking River Cruises calls itself the "the world's largest river cruise company."

The new tours will feature excursions into locations such as India, Southeast Asia, Egypt, Eastern and Southern Africa, South America, the Galapagos, the Norwegian coast, Antarctica and Australia/New Zealand. Along with these are pre and post tour packages that include the following locations: Bhutan, Dubai, Thailand & Cambodia, Petra, Reykjavik and Ayers Rock.

Ted Sykes, president of Viking Tours said, "We are very proud of these unique itineraries. Based on feedback from our customers and on our own worldwide travel experience, we hand-selected an initial list of destinations that we knew would most interest and excite our market. Each tour was then carefully planned to ensure the proper pacing and the highest level of comfort and quality. We understand the high expectations our guests have of Viking and will continue to meet and exceed these standards."

The new tours will begin in November of this year at a cost of $1000 per couple if booked early.

The company is partnered with several hotel and resort chains such as India's Taj Hotels, Resorts, and Palaces or Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises.

The press release also lists a number of other impressive partners: "The Shangri-La in Bangkok, the Serengeti Serena Lodge and the legendary Kirawira Camp in Tanzania, the Victoria Falls Hotel in Zimbabwe, Sydney's Observatory Hotel, the Lilianfels Blue Mountains Resort & Spa in Australia, the Hermitage Hotel at Mt. Cook in New Zealand (all glacier-view rooms), and the Taj Lake Palace and Jai Mahal Palace, two beautifully sited and appointed former palaces in India."

Viking Tours is unique in the fact that their tours include a variety of travel methods from trains and ships to catamarans and elephants.

The press release also boasts Viking Tour's desire to immerse travelers in local culture, mentioning that travelers often get to eat at dinners hosted by local families.

According to the company's website, it was founded by Torstein Hagen, a Norwegian of Viking descent. The company started with the purchase of four ships in Russia and has expanded to include fleets in Europe, China, and Ukraine.

Viking River Cruises stop at a different port every day to allow travelers lots of time to experience the destinations.

The company merged with KD River Cruises in 2000, propelling it to the top of the river cruise industry.

Sources:

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/07-11-2007/0004624061&EDATE=

http://vikingrivercruises.com/us/about/whyrivercruising.aspx