Viking Unveils Special 2015 Pricing Promotion For Popular River Cruise Itineraries

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking Cruises (www.vikingcruises.com), recently named "Best River Cruise Line" in Cruise Critic's® 2013 Annual Editors' Picks Awards, today announced that for a limited time a selection of its 2015 European river cruise itineraries are available for booking at 2014 prices. The announcement comes as a result of unprecedented consumer demand in Viking's biggest year to date: in March, Viking set the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ for christening 10 ships in a single day; nearly all of its 2013 itineraries are sold out; and approximately 50 percent of all 2014 staterooms, including those on 14 new Viking Longships® launching next year, are already booked.      

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"We are delighted that so many experienced travelers are discovering how relaxing and enriching Viking's river cruises are, and our distinct way of exploring destinations,"  said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises.  "As our fleet of revolutionary Viking Longships continues to grow, we are proud to be able to offer both our new and return guests the best value possible, including the most diverse range of itinerary and stateroom choices of any river cruise line."

With 14 new Viking Longships launching next year, Viking's fleet will grow to 48 vessels by the end of 2014, with 30 new Longships launching in the last three years alone. The new 2015 special pricing promotion is valid from now until December 18, 2013, and applies to the most popular European river cruise itineraries that Viking Longships sail:

• Grand European Tour (15 days; Amsterdam – Budapest) – Spend 15 magical days on a cruise along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, seeing the best of Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Prices for 2015 start at $3,562 per person.
• Danube Waltz (8 days; Passau – Budapest) – Explore Europe's most enchanting countries along the Danube, visiting Budapest, Vienna, the Wachau Valley, Passau, Melk and Salzburg. Prices for 2015 start at $1,756 per person.
• Paris & the Heart of Normandy (8 days; Paris – Rouen – Paris) – Experience history at the Normandy beaches, see the Gothic architecture of Rouen and explore Paris, the world's most romantic city. Prices for 2015 start at $1,356 per person.
• Portraits of Southern France (8 days; Chalon – Avignon) – Sail along the scenic Saone and Rhone Rivers to discover Burgundy, Provence, Vienne, Arles and visit Avignon's historic Papal Palace. Prices for 2015 start at $1,856 per person.
• Romantic Danube (8 days; Budapest – Nuremberg) – Cruise the "Blue Danube" and along the way explore Budapest, Vienna, Melk's golden abbey, Passau, Regensburg and Nuremberg, complete with included guided tours throughout. Prices for 2015 start at $1,756 per person.
• Rhine Getaway (8 days; Amsterdam – Basel) – See Holland's famous windmills, Germany's romantic castles, multicultural Strasbourg and the Black Forest. Prices for 2015 start at $1,256 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 Conde 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