Viking Cruises Sails Into Summer As Official Cruise Line Sponsor Of The Hollywood Bowl

LOS ANGELES, July 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Cruises (www.vikingcruises.com) has signed on as the official cruise line sponsor of The Hollywood Bowl for the 2013 concert season. Viking Cruises, which is based in Woodland Hills, will be the title sponsor of six Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts beginning with the July 16 performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto. The LA Phil sponsorship builds on the company's commitment to supporting cultural programming; Viking is also a national corporate sponsor of PBS' MASTERPIECE.

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"Viking's commitment to cultural exploration goes beyond our cruise itineraries, and the LA Phil is an ideal partner with one of the nation's finest classical music programs," said Richard Marnell, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Viking Cruises.

"The LA Phil is an essential element of our offerings at the Hollywood Bowl, and we are grateful to Viking Cruises for their sponsorship which helps enable us to continue presenting orchestral music to our audiences," said Gail Samuel, Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. "We are excited to have Viking Cruises on board in support of these beloved concerts."

Each of the six concerts Viking Cruises will sponsor this summer features music by European composers whose home countries are destinations on Viking's popular river and ocean cruise itineraries.  Viking will sponsor performances of English composer Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto on July 16; French composer Hector Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique on July 18; Austrian composer Franz Haydn's London Symphony on August 1; a selection of Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky's works at the Tchaikovsky Spectacular on August 16; Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony at The Russian Resistance concert on August 27; and German composer Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Concerto on August 29.

Viking Cruises offers river and ocean cruise journeys for its travelers that emphasize cultural exploration. The company has a tradition of supporting regional artistic programs, and in 2011, Viking signed on as a national corporate sponsor of PBS' celebrated series MASTERPIECE, supporting programming that includes the Emmy® Award-winning series Downton Abbey. Last year, Viking sponsored the Vancouver Christmas Market, an authentic European-style market offering traditional German holiday entertainment, food and shopping experiences. In 2009, Viking sponsored the popular Terra Cotta Warriors exhibit, which traveled to the Los Angeles area Bowers Museum, Houston's Museum of Natural Science and Washington's National Geographic Museum. Viking has also partnered with Lobkowicz Palace in Prague and with the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg to offer exclusive behind-the-scenes tours for Viking passengers.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic is recognized as one of the world's foremost orchestras and has garnered the praise of audiences and critics alike. Under the leadership of Gustavo Dudamel, the LA Phil presents an inspiring array of music from all genres – orchestral, chamber and Baroque music, organ and celebrity recitals, new music, jazz, world music and pop – at two of L.A.'s iconic venues, Walt Disney Concert Hall (www.laphil.com) and the Hollywood Bowl (www.hollywoodbowl.com).

With river cruising now the fastest-growing segment of travel, Viking Cruises is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The cruise line launched 10 new Viking Longships^TM in March – an industry first – and will launch 12 more of the state-of-the-art vessels in 2013. Viking also recently announced the launch of its first ocean cruise ship, Viking Star, which will embark on her maiden voyage in 2015.

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 in 2015, the sophisticated state-of-the-art Viking Star will host 928 guests on itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern 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 Conde Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by the editors of 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.

About the Hollywood Bowl
One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and is home to the best and brightest in all genres of music. It remains one of the best deals in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. The venue offers something for everyone, from its sizzling summer evening concerts to the daytime summer arts festival for children, "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," now in its 44th season. In February 2013, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue for the ninth year in a row at the 24th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards. The Hollywood Bowl has become synonymous with summer in Southern California. http://www.HollywoodBowl.com

SOURCE Viking Cruises