On Tuesday Viking named its two latest Nile River ships, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, with a particular celebration in Luxor, Egypt.
The Hon. Edward Herbert served as ceremonial godfather of Viking Hathor. His great-great-grandfather, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, was Howard Carter’s benefactor and co-explorer, whose excavation uncovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen close to Luxor nearly precisely 102 years in the past on November 4, 1922.
Mohamed El Banna, founding father of Cosmos Egypt and a member of the Egyptian Senate, served because the ceremonial godfather of the Viking Sobek. Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are similar sister ships to Viking Aton and Viking Osiris and are state-of-the-art vessels designed particularly to navigate the Nile River on Viking’s fashionable 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary and constructed at Massara shipyard in Cairo.
(Photo courtesy of Viking)
“Today, we are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek to our growing fleet in Egypt. Along with their sister ships, we believe they are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile,” stated Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “We are very grateful for our continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family and that Eddie has honored us by serving as godfather of the Viking Hathor. For more than 15 years, Mohamed El Banna has been a part of the extended Viking family, helping to take good care of our guests in Egypt, and it is a great honor that he is serving as godfather of the Viking Sobek. As our award-winning fleet on the Nile continues to grow, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to this phenomenal destination.”
The naming ceremony of the 2 vessels occurred at Viking’s unique docking location in Luxor and was adopted by a celebratory dinner contained in the close by Karnak Temple. Viking’s visitors additionally loved a efficiency by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of many world’s main crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter, who sang the Egyptian, Norwegian and United Kingdom’s nationwide anthems of their native languages.
(Photo courtesy of Viking)
Hosting 82 visitors in 41 staterooms, Viking Hathor and Sobek are impressed by Viking’s different river and ocean ships with the Scandinavian design that Viking is understood for.
Identical sister ships to Viking Osiris and Viking Aton, Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek characteristic a number of points acquainted to Viking visitors, equivalent to a particular sq. bow and an indoor/outside Aquavit Terrace. Other ships within the Egypt fleet embrace Viking Ra and MS Antares. Viking plans to welcome 4 extra ships within the subsequent two years: two in 2025 and two in 2026. That would convey Viking’s Nile River fleet to 10 vessels.
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