These include six Viking Longships, which will sail the company’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube, and one additional vessel, inspired by the Longships and specifically designed for Portugal’s Douro.
New 'Holland & Belgium' itinerary
Debuting in March, the 10-day 'Holland & Belgium' itinerary will sail between Amsterdam and Antwerp, exploring the inland waterways of the Low Countries and visiting new ports for Viking: Rotterdam, Maastricht and Nijmegen.
Also, in commemoration of World War II and D-Day, Viking will offer a new 11-day cruise-tour, 'Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary,' with two special departures that coincide with the June 6 anniversary. On this historic journey, passengers will travel from London to the maritime city of Portsmouth before embarking their ship in Paris and sailing through Normandy, where they will visit and honor D-Day landing sites.
New pre-/post-cruise extensions
New fully excorted land extensions for river itineraries include 'Timeless Istanbul,' 'Brussels,' 'Historic Bruges,' 'Churchill's Britain,' 'From the Bulge to Remagen,' 'World War Battlefields and 'Burgundy's Vineyards.'
'Timeless Istanbul' extends the Black Sea program with three nights in the city on the Bosphorus. Two nights in Brussels can be added to the 'Holland & Belgium' itinerary. 'Historic Bruges,' another option for that itinerary, adds a three-night stay in Bruges with visits to the surrounding area including Ghent and the World War I battlefields of Flanders.
'Churchill’s Britain' can be added to various itineraries and builds on the success of the 'Oxford & Highclere Castle' program, Viking’s highest-rated extension that visits 'the real Downton Abbey.' Travelers will explore the life and times of Sir Winston Churchill, from his birthplace (the English baroque Blenheim Palace) and his family home (at Chartwell) to his final resting place (St. Martin’s Church in the village of Bladon). During the five-night program, participants will benefit from Viking's 'Privileged Access' to the Churchill War Rooms, the prime minister’s secret underground headquarters and Bletchley Park, the Victorian estate in Buckinghamshire where Alan Turing and a team of mathematicians and scientists worked to break German codes during World War II.
During 'From the Bulge to Remagen,' a four-night extension available with 'Paris & D-Day 75th Anniversary,' participants will continue to follow in the footsteps of Allied troops who marched across France toward Germany during World Wars I and II. Stops include the Meuse-Argonne and Luxembourg American Cemeteries, the Bastogne War Museum in Belgium and the ancient city of Mainz.
Another extension for the same anniversary sailing, 'World War Battlefields' is a four-night program exploring the battlefields of northern France and the Low Countries. Included are Dunkirk, the trenches of Flanders Fields and the opportunity to pay respects to British and Canadian servicemen at the Menin Gate.
Available after the 'Lyon & Provence' cruise, 'Burgundy’s Vineyards' is a three-night extension to experience the grandeur of Dijon and the world-renowned wine country of Burgundy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Savings now through Jan. 31
From now through Jan. 31, US residents can get special cruise fares on select 2019, 2020 and 2021 Viking river and ocean itineraries, with additional savings on international air.
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