Viking Announces Six New Land Extensions In Iconic European Destinations

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Cruises (www.vikingcruises.com) today announced the availability of six additional Explore More™ land extensions for 2014 that enable Viking guests to extend their stay and enhance their time abroad. The new extensions allow Viking guests to explore some of Europe's finest cities before or after their cruise, and to customize a unique itinerary to fit their interests through the services of Viking's on-site Concierges.

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"Viking's itineraries are designed to show travelers the world in a unique and in-depth way, and these new land extensions provide an additional way to maximize and personalize that experience," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. "Our Concierges are friendly, local experts whose assistance ensures that our  guests have the same warm, personal Viking experience on land as they do onboard, while seeing the city in interesting new ways."

Similar to Viking's carefully crafted cruise itineraries, these new Viking land extensions provide guests with options to customize their experience to suit their interests.  All extensions begin with a walking tour to familiarize guests with the area and include handpicked, high-quality hotel accommodations. With a Viking Concierge available on-site at the hotel, travelers have a local host to help them make the most of their trip. New excursions for 2014 include:

• Bruges (3 nights; available with Rhine Getaway) – Recently named one of Condé Nast Traveler's most popular cities in Europe, Bruges offers some of Europe's finest dining, scenic squares set among medieval houses, charming bridges and beautiful canals. With the on-site Viking Concierge, travelers will feel right at home. Prices start at $699 per person.
• Kraków (3 nights; available with Elegant Elbe) – In addition to exploring one of Poland's oldest and largest cities long hidden behind the Iron Curtain, Viking's Concierge can help guests plan a visit to the moving site of nearby Auschwitz or the fascinating Wieliczka Salt Mine. Prices start at $699 per person.
• Nuremberg (2 nights; available with Romantic Danube) – Guests will enjoy a guided tour of historic Nuremberg Castle, and Viking's Concierge can help guests make the most of their time by planning a visit to the Germanische National Museum or a nearby Brauhaus to experience an authentic German beer hall up close. Prices start at $399 per person.
• French Riviera (3 nights; available with Portraits of Southern France or France's Finest) – Guests can take in the glitz and glamour of Nice with a guided tour of the coastal resort town; then relax on the beach; or take in the cosmopolitan sites of nearby St. Tropez, Cannes or Monaco with customized arrangements made by their Viking Concierge. Prices start at $799 per person.
• The Hague (2 nights; available with Tulips & Windmills) – Following a guided tour of The Hague, guests can have their Viking Concierge arrange for visits to local great art collections from  17th-century Dutch Masters like Vermeer and Rembrandt, to modern works by Monet,  Mondrian and Picasso. Prices start at $499 per person.
• Lake Geneva (3 nights; available with Rhine Getaway) – Guests will enjoy the beautiful scenery of Montreux, one of the loveliest resorts on Lake Geneva, and their Viking Concierge can provide a customized plan for a Swiss Riviera wine tour or a ride on the Golden Pass train through beautiful Alpine scenery. Prices start at $799 per person.

For more information, pricing and availability, visit www.vikingcruises.com or contact [email protected]. For additional details, contact Viking toll-free at 1-877-66VIKING (1-877-668-4546). 

About Viking Cruises
Viking Cruises offers destination-centric river and ocean cruising designed for experienced travelers with an interest in geography, culture and history. Featuring onboard cultural enrichment and included shore excursions, Viking's journeys are competitively priced for genuine value. Debuting its maiden season of ocean cruising in 2015, the sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking Star will host 930 guests on itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Mediterranean. As the world's leading river cruise line, since its 1997 inception the company has grown to a fleet of 35 river vessels (in 2013) offering scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China, Southeast Asia and Egypt. Viking has been honored multiple times in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards and Condé Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized multiple times by Cruise Critic as "Best River Cruise Line," with the entire Viking Longships fleet being named "Best New River Ships of 2012" in the website's Editors' Picks Awards. The travel trade has ranked Viking as the "Best River Cruise Line" by Travel Weekly, Recommend and Travel Agent magazines, "Best Cruise Line for Luxury River Cruises" at the Luxury Travel Advisor Awards of Excellence and as "Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising" and "Best River Cruise Line for Travel Agent Support" in TravelAge West's WAVE Awards. For additional information, contact Viking Cruises at 1‑855‑8-VIKING (1‑855‑884‑5464) or visit www.vikingcruises.com. To join the Viking Cruises communities online, visit www.facebook.com/vikingcruises, www.facebook.com/vikingoceans and www.facebook.com/vikingrivercruises.

SOURCE Viking Cruises