Viking celebrated a significant milestone on October 21 –
the simultaneous christening of nine river boats, which brings the total fleet
size to 100 river, ocean and expedition vessels.
The ceremony was held onboard Viking Honir in Basel,
Switzerland, while the other eight Longships were scattered around the globe –
three in Rostock, Germany; two in Luxor, Egypt; and one each in Porto,
Portugal; My Tho, Vietnam; and Paris, France.
All seven godmothers – and two
godfathers – were in Basel, and the other ships joined the festivities via live
hookups.
Viking Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen, who started the
company 28 years ago with four Russian river vessels, set the goal of having
100 ships 10 years ago.
"We have always been quite a bit different from
others in the travel industry — we like to be contrarian," he said.
"Over the last 28 years, we have grown from four ships to more than 100 —
a fleet size that no other line has achieved — and we have done so because of
our innovative approach. First, we modernized river voyages; then we reinvented
ocean voyages and perfected the expedition experience. We look forward to
continuing our leadership in experiential travel in the years to come."
Although a light drizzle fell on the outside deck as
the ceremony began, it soon stopped, and the umbrellas were closed. The
celebration continued with a lavish dinner at a beautiful villa event venue
near Basel.
Performances at the naming event and gala banquet were
by Sissel Kyrkjebø, noted Norwegian soprano and godmother of the Viking Jupiter; Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran
Apold; the Viennese Residence Orchestra; and a Basel girls' choir.
Viking christening stage filled with Godmothers and Godfathers. (Photo Credit: Viking Media)
The godmothers and godfathers and their ships are:
- Michele Saegesser, Viking's vice president-trade
development and training, Viking Honir
- Sara Conley, Viking's senior vice president of brand,
creative and communications, Viking Dagur
- Allison Becker, Viking's senior vice president and
general counsel, Viking Nerthus
- Chitra Goswami, senior vice president of finance,
Viking Gyda
- Yumi Kim, senior vice president of finance-Europe,
Viking Eldir
- Michelle Patterson, senior vice president and corporate
controller, Viking Annar
- Laura Perlman, senior vice president of marketing
planning-international and product, Viking Tonle
- Youssef Fouad Amin, chairman and CEO of Viking partner
Sherry Nile Cruises, Viking Thoth
- Sherif El Banna, CEO of Viking partner Cosmos Egypt,
Viking Amun
For more information, visit www.Viking.com.
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