Viking plans to restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine River through several countries.
The cruises are open to vaccinated guests. The announcement was made right after the European Union agreed to reopen its borders to vaccinated Americans and other travelers.
The first five Europe river itineraries available in July include the eight-day "Rhine Getaway" between Amsterdam and Basel, the 10-day "Portugal's River of Gold" between Lisbon and Porto), the eight-day "Paris & the Heart of Normandy" roundtrip from Paris, the eight-day "Lyon & Provence" between Avignon and Lyon, and the 15-day "France's Finest," which combines the northern and southern France itineraries.
"The response to our initial 'Welcome Back' ocean voyages has been overwhelmingly positive," said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen. "It is clear that many people are eager to get back out into the world, and I would like to thank all of our destination partners for their support as we plan our return to service."
Viking also has launched "Welcome Back" voyages for vaccinated guests in England, Iceland, Bermuda and the Mediterranean. Earlier this week Viking also named its newest ocean ship, Viking Venus, in England - and the ship is currently sailing its maiden voyage along the coast of England.
The company is working on developing additional "Welcome Back" itineraries in a variety of other destinations, with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as possible.
Those who sail these voyages will need to follow the Viking Health & Safety Program, developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Dr. Raquel C. Bono, Viking's chief health officer, a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired Vice Admiral of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. Every Viking ship will have a full-scale laboratory and a network of dedicated shoreside labs. All guests and crew will receive frequent non-invasive saliva PCR tests. New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms.
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