Viking operates the largest fleet of their own river vessels, and they are proud to offer you the best ships in each region where they travel. Most of the Viking ships were built since 2000, and the rest have been recently renovated. Viking river ships are smaller than ocean vessels, so every stateroom has an outside view of the river and passing scenery. And the flat-bottomed shape of these ships ensures a safe and smooth ride with no worries about motion sickness. Viking ships are specially designed to navigate the world’s great rivers and provide convenient access to every destination along the way.
The Viking-operated MS Antares is a classic ship, your floating oasis as you immerse yourself in ancient Egypt. Specifically built to navigate the Nile, she is a spacious, state-of-the-art vessel with a refined, understated ambiance. Her spa facilities, Sun Deck, pool and revitalizing amenities provide a serene haven from which to explore this culturally rich destination. Accommodating just 62 guests, MS Antares offers the ultimate in comfort and relaxation.
Astrild - Goddess of Love. Classical mythology has its cupid. In Nordic culture, it’s Astrild who sets hearts afire. The delicate lilt of her name first caressed the ears of literature lovers in the 17th century, when Swedish poet Georg Stiernhielm introduced her to northern Europe in his writing. She remains a fabled figure who spreads love, passion and affection. To get a sense of the beauty and love which Astrild inspires, one need only look to the estrildid finch. It’s fitting that this tiny bird from which Stiernhielm got Astrild’s name remains devoted to the same partner for life.
Owned and operated by Viking, Viking Aton is a brand new sister ship to Viking Osiris, the most upscale ship in Egypt. Specifically built to navigate the Nile, she is a state-of-the-art vessel—designed in the clean, elegant Scandinavian aesthetic for which Viking is known. Accommodating just 82 guests, she offers the ultimate in comfort.
Beyla - Farm Servant to Norse God Freyr. Beyla is a servant to Freyr, Norse god of virility. She looks after his realm with her husband Byggvir. Because of her association with Freyr’s farm, Beyla personifies agriculture and the seeds from which crops grow. Byggvir shares the root of his name with Bygg, the Old Norse word for barley. True to this origin, he is a mill grinder and bread maker. Beyla’s name may be tied to cows, beans or bees. Together, they represent the enduring spirit of Scandinavia’s bounty, an ideal pair to serve a virile god.
Egdir is identified in Norse mythology as the watchman of J�tunheimar, home of the J�tnar (or giants) and one of the nine realms in Norse cosmology. He is also believed to have been the herdsman who cared for the offspring of the mythological wolf Fenrir. But he is most well-known for his role in Ragnarok�signaling the J�tnar for the final, epic battle with the strum of his harp.
Gymir is a wealthy J�tunn (a race of giants in Norse mythology) who, by some accounts, is said to be the same mythological figure as Aegir, the giant god of the sea. According to legend, Gymir is well-respected among the gods for his fine ales and feasts. He is also the father of the beautiful giantess Geror, wife of the god of harvest, Freyr.
Helgrim co-led the first recorded mission from Norway to England at the command of Harald I, King of Norway. Harald corresponded with Athelstan, King of Wessex, and the Norwegian king dispatched Helgrim and Osfrid to sail to England and deliver Harald’s gift of a fine ship.
Hemming was a Danish king for only two years, but his reign helped shape the future of Franco-Danish relations immeasurably. He was best known for signing the Treaty of Heiligen with the Frankish emperor Charlemagne in 811.
Valkyrie Hervor’s dedication to Odin during wartime is illustrated by her well-known story. During a time of peace, she was spinning flax by a lake when the blacksmith Volund came along and took the fair-haired woman as his wife. After they were married for seven years, Hervor was called to battle and never returned.
The daughter of Kjárr of Valland, Alruna (Ölrún in Old Norse), was one of three Valkyries spinning linen on the shore of Wolf Lake, when they were spotted by three brothers who lived nearby. Alruna and Egil, one of the brothers, lived together for seven winters, until Alruna flew off to battle, never to return.
The beautiful giantess Atla is the Norse goddess of water. She is the daughter of Aegir and Ran, god and goddess of the sea. Atla is one of the nine wave maidens who lives at the bottom of the sea, watching over the World Mill that continually turns with the seasons to bring the earth and its people fertility and harmony.
Baldur was everyone’s favorite, loved by both gods and mortals. Baldur was believed to be indestructible. So impervious to injury was he that, at banquets, guests used to amuse themselves by hurling objects at him. Nothing, it seemed, could harm him. Yet the malicious trickster Loki discovered that the one thing that could kill Baldur was mistletoe. He tricked Hodur into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at the beautiful and good Baldur, fatally wounding him.
His name means “dayspring” or “shining one,” and in Norse mythology, the god Delling is the father of the day. According to legend, Delling is married to Nott, the goddess of the night, and together they have a son, Dagr. Odin placed the three of them in the sky, so that they may ride across it with their horses and chariots every 24 hours.
The goddess Eir is by many accounts “the best of all physicians.” But scholars differ on the capacity in which she used her power. Some depict her as a goddess of healing, tending to the sick and the war-wounded. Others view her as a horse-riding Valkyrie who rides into battles to decide which soldiers die and which live.
In Norse mythology, Embla was the first woman to be created, the mother of the human race. The god Odin and his brothers made Embla, along with Ask, the first man, from two tree trunks found on the seashore. Embla and Ask were then given Midgard, the world of humans, as a place to live and call home.
Gefjon is credited with the creation of the Danish island of Zealand. When the ruler of Sweden offers her all the land she and four oxen can plow in a day and a night, she transforms her four sons into beasts of burden. Together, they uproot a swathe of earth from the mainland and deposit it into the sea, creating Zealand. This act of might earns Gefjon respect among gods.
Her name means “gold branch.” This beautiful, beguiling Norse sorceress loves and desires nothing more than gold. When she leaves the realm of the Vanir gods and travels to Asgard, home of the Aesir gods, in search of gold, Gullveig talks of nothing else. Worried by her gold-lust, the Aesir cast her into the fire three times. Each time she rises from the flame brighter and more beautiful. When she then returns to the Vanir, they vow to avenge her mistreatment, and so begins the fabled war between the worlds.
Tall and handsome and known for his purity of heart and mind, Heimdal is the ever-vigilant guardian of the gods. Heimdal is blessed with extraordinary sight and hearing. He can see for 100 leagues and can hear the grass growing. His horn, Gjallarhorn, can be heard throughout heaven, earth and the lower world.
The task of the Norse goddess Hlin is to protect and shelter humankind. She is also the goddess of consolation and brings comfort and solace to those who grieve, kissing away their tears. Hlin is deeply compassionate in an unsentimental way, and a wise teacher. Thanks to her guidance, we learn how to honor our dead, and integrate their love and wisdom into the daily lives.
Idi, the frost giant, is the brother of Thjazzi and Gangr, and the son of Olvadi who was extremely rich in gold. When Olvadi died, he left such a vast amount of gold that no scale could measure it. To divide their inheritance, Idi and his brothers each take as much gold as their giant mouths will hold.
Jarl is a noble Norse warrior renowned for his strength and intelligence. According to Norse legend, Heimdal disguised himself as a human named Rig, and leaves his post at the gateway to Asgard, where he is guarding the gods, to travel the earth where he fathered three children: Thrall (serf), Karl (freeman) and Jarl (earl).
Eldest son of the ancient giant Fornjot, Kari was the god of the north wind, capable of carrying great Viking longships across vast waters. He is associated with the very breath of life, providing air for the lungs of mortals and teaching people how to use song to heal themselves and others.
The Norse god Kvasir is born out of peace. When the two warring factions of the Aesir and the Vanir agree to form a truce, they do so with each god spitting into a bowl and stirring the saliva. From this, Kvasir, a new god of knowledge is created. Kvasir embodies all the gods’ knowledge. So great is his knowledge that there is no question he cannot answer.
Her name means simply "Life." In Norse mythology, Lif and the male Lifthrasir are two mortals who are foretold that they will survive Ragnarok, the end of the world as it is known, by hiding in the forest of Hodmimir. After the flames have abated, Lif and Lifthrasir emerge to discover that everything has been destroyed, and it is up to them to begin anew and repopulate a fertile new world.
The Norse goddess Lofn is so gracious that the mightiest of gods melts to her will. Even Odin himself, the chief god of Norse mythology, gives Lofn permission to arrange marriages. Whether the love that impassions men and women is right or wrong or approved by others does not concern her. Rather, she longs to nurture adoration at its purest, even if it means arranging marriages that are taboo.
Mimir is said to have gained wisdom and knowledge by drinking from the Well of Wisdom. He is so wise that when the great tribes of Vanir and Aesir gods are at war, the Vanir tribe calls on him for counsel. But, incapable of translating his words of guidance, they behead him and send his head back to the Aesir tribe. Odin, the Aesir chief, embalms Mimir’s head with herbs, casting a spell that empowers it to speak and share secrets. Thus, Mimir guides Odin through the war until the two tribes of gods unify into one.
Radgrid was one of the legendary horse-riding Valkyries, the handmaidens of Odin, the father of the gods. These long-haired, beautiful women descended from the skies into battles to decide which soldiers lived and which died. Radgrid’s name translates into “truce of counsel,” suggesting her great power in determining the fate of mortals.
One of the oldest of all Nordic-Viking names, “Rolf” came from “Hrodwulf,” a Dark Ages appellation when mostly pagan names tended to extol virtues. One of the most famous kings of antiquity, Rolf gained renown in warfare by assembling the most celebrated warriors of the North, known as Rolf’s Twelve Champions. Equally famous was “Rolf the Ganger,” or “Marching Rolf,” a Viking chief who sailed the Seine and surrounded Paris.
Skirnir is a humble servant of the gods. When the lovesick Freyr, god of sunshine and prosperity, falls in love with the beautiful goddess Geror, he sends Skirnir to woo her. The coy goddess refuses Skirnir’s advances until he threatens her with his mystical wand. But Skirnir is smart; for delivering Geror, he requires that Freyr give him his powerful sword as a reward.
In Norse mythology, Tialfi was the son of Egil and a champion runner. He became a slave to Thor, the god of thunder, after eating one of his goats. On a journey with Thor, Tialfi stopped to run a race against the young giant Hugi. The giant was an illusion and the embodiment of thought; and since no one can run faster than thought, Tialfi lost.
Hosting 386 guests in 193 all outside staterooms, the new state-of-the-art Viking Mississippi is inspired by the award-winning Viking Longships® and ocean ships and will feature clean Scandinavian design, as well as public spaces that are familiar to guests but that have been reimagined for Mississippi River voyages. Purpose-built for the Mississippi, the ship’s cutting-edge design, expansive windows, and comfortable amenities will make it the first truly modern cruise ship in the region.
Osfrid co-led the first recorded mission from Norway to England at the command of Harald I, King of Norway. Harald corresponded with Athelstan, King of Wessex, and the Norwegian king dispatched Osfrid and Helgrim to sail to England.
Owned and operated by Viking, Viking Osiris is a brand new vessel, the most upscale ship in Egypt. Specifically built to navigate the Nile, she is a state-of-the-art vessel�designed in the clean, elegant Scandinavian aesthetic for which Viking is known. Accommodating just 82 guests, she offers the ultimate in comfort.
Owned and operated by Viking, Viking Ra is the newest, most upscale ship in Egypt. Specifically built to navigate the Nile, she was completely stripped down to her steel frame and reconfigured to be a modern, elegant vessel. Fully re-imagined to international standards and Viking design specifications, she is now an all-suite, state-of-the art ship with the clean, elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known blended with local influences like traditional geometric Arabic patterns. Accommodating just 48 guests, she offers the ultimate in comfort.
Designed to navigate the Mekong River, hosting just 80 guests, Viking Saigon offers understated elegance and has been built to reflect the clean, Scandinavian design principles for which Viking is known. Explore one of the world’s most scenic regions in comfort with outdoor verandas, hotel-style beds and public areas bathed in light, offering panoramic views of your surroundings.
Astride her horse, the Valkyrie Skaga flew into battle to determine which soldiers would live and which would die, escorting the dead to Valhalla, the kingdom of the gods. There, the warriors prepared to fight in the ultimate battle of Ragnarok, which would all but destroy the mythological realm so it could flourish again.
An alleged son of the Danish King Harald, Torgil sailed westward to Bretland (Wales and western England), Portugal and Ireland. According to Viking history, he and his brother Frode were the first Northmen to conquer Dublin. Torgil lived to be king of Dublin for many years.