A dozen new vessels are entering service. Ten of them are Viking Longships destined for service on the Rhine, Maine and Danube rivers, and two are slightly smaller vessels for the Elbe. All were built at Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock.
This will bring the Viking River fleet to 60 vessels strong, most of them operating in Europe, with several in Russia and Southeast Asia and one in China.
After breaking world records two years in a row for number of ships christened in a day, Viking River is to usher in the relatively 'modest' dozen vessels. For the first time in company history, chairman Torstein Hagen selected employees to serve as godmothers.
They include Donora Anderson, senior director, operations, Los Angeles office, who will do the honors for Viking Skirnir, and Clare Armitage, senior operations executive, UK office, for Viking Eir. Sinemie Bakker, program director, on-board operations, is the godmother of Viking Astrild; Henrieta Balisova, program director, on-board operations, for Viking Vili; Adriana Filkaszova, chief receptionist, on-board operations, for Viking Beyla, and Jana Hudakova, chief receptionist, on-board operations, for Viking Mimir.
The godmothers also include Miriam Kajuchova, housekeeper, on-board operations, for Viking Ve; Karoline Landa, controller and hotel manager, on-board operations, Viking Lofn; Kornelia Pfeiffenberger, hotel manager, on-board operations, for Viking Vidar; Faye Pirie, specialist cruise consultant, UK office, for Viking Modi; Julie Rosoff, senior director, marketing services, Los Angeles office, for Viking Mani, and Verona Thiele, concierge, on-board operations, for Viking Gefjon.
