Viking Cruises Partners With Discovery Times Square To Sponsor New Vikings Exhibition

LOS ANGELES, March 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Cruises^® (www.vikingcruises.com) today announced that it has signed on as presenting sponsor of The Vikings Exhibition, which recently debuted in New York City's Discovery Times Square. The new deal builds on Viking's commitment to supporting cultural programming around the world, with current and past partners including PBS' MASTERPIECE, the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Hollywood Bowl, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the Museum of Russian Art and the Terra Cotta Warriors exhibition. The company also sponsored this exhibition during its successful tenure at Chicago's Field Museum in 2015.

"Viking's commitment to cultural exploration extends far beyond the walls of our ships," said Richard Marnell, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Viking Cruises. "In addition to the obvious connection The Vikings Exhibition shares with our company name, both our guests and Discovery Times Square visitors seek to enrich their lives through history, culture, and exploration, so this partnership is a natural fit."

With the largest display of Viking artifacts ever to visit North America, The Vikings Exhibition explores the rich Viking culture with more than 500 treasures, some never before seen outside of Scandinavia. Visitors can marvel at full-scale model Viking ships, experience daily life of the Viking people with hands-on interactive activities, and learn about Norse mythology dating as far back as 750-1100 AD with displays of exquisite jewelry, metalwork craftsmanship, and religious iconography including the earliest known Scandinavian crucifix and striking silver pendants representing the pagan gods.

"We are thrilled to partner with Viking Cruises," said James Sanna, President of Discovery Times Square. "Both The Vikings Exhibition and Viking Cruises present visitors with the rare opportunity to experience the rich history and culture of Scandinavia."

The exhibition, which is now open, will run through September 2016 and shows visitors why – even 1,000 years later – Viking culture still captivates our imagination. For more information about The Vikings Exhibit or to purchase tickets, visit www.discoverytsx.com/vikings-the-exhibition.       

Viking has expanded rapidly in recent years as a result to unprecedented demand for destination-focused cruises. Earlier this month the company launched seven new river ships for 2016 and will launch its second ocean ship, the 930-guest Viking Sea, in April. Homages to Viking history and Norse mythology are woven throughout Viking's fleet of ships. Most of the company's 59 river ships are named for Norse gods and heroes, such as Odin, Idun, Tor, Baldur and Bragi. Viking's ocean ships feature an onboard Viking Heritage Museum that showcases ship models and historic artifacts, and symbols of Norse mythology can be found in artwork throughout the ship's public spaces. Some of the company's cruise itineraries are also inspired by original Viking trade routes. Guests on Viking's Waterways of the Tsars river cruise learn about the original Viking explorers who plied the Russian waterways, and this September, ocean guests will sail across the North Atlantic from Bergen to Montreal on the In the Wake of the Vikings itinerary – which was developed in part to honor the most famous Viking explorer, Leif Eriksson, who set foot on North American soil 500 years before Columbus.

Additionally, Viking has produced several cultural enrichment videos about the history of the Vikings – including "The Original Longships – Technology that Shaped a Culture" and "Leif Eriksson – The First European in North America." These original videos are some of the newest installments in the company's award-winning online content series.

For more information, visit www.vikingcruises.com or contact [email protected]. For booking details, contact a travel agent or call 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. As the world's leading river cruise line, since its 1997 inception the company has grown to a fleet of 59 river vessels (in 2016) offering scenic cruising along the rivers of Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Egypt, China and Southeast Asia. Named Cruise Critic's "Best New Ocean Ship" of 2015, the sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking Star hosts 930 guests on itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic; the Western and Eastern Mediterranean; and the Caribbean and North America. The company's second ocean ship, Viking Sea, will launch in April 2016, and a third ship, Viking Sky, is under construction. In 2015 Viking was rated the highest of all cruise lines in Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards after appearing on – and topping – the river cruise rankings multiple times. Viking has also been honored multiple times Condé Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by the editors of Cruise Critic as "Best River Cruise Line" and "Best River Itineraries," with the entire Viking Longships^® fleet being named "Best New River Ships" 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," "Best New River Cruise Ship" and for the seventh consecutive year, "Best River Cruise Line for Travel Agent Support" in the 2015 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 community online, visit www.facebook.com/vikingcruises, www.facebook.com/vikingoceancruises and www.facebook.com/vikingrivercruises.

About Discovery Times Square:
Discovery Times Square (DTS) is New York City's first large-scale exhibition center presenting visitors with limited-run, educational and immersive exhibit experiences while exploring the world's defining cultures, art, history, and events. More than a museum, DTS has featured exhibitions of unparalleled breadth, including Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, King Tut, Pompeii The Exhibit, Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition, Body Worlds: Pulse, The Art of the Brick, The Hunger Games and most recently, Star Wars and the Power of Costume: The Exhibition.

Media Contact:
Edelman for Viking Cruises
[email protected]

SOURCE Viking Cruises

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