After the Viking River Cruises 2019 Viking Longships Naming Ceremony, we enjoyed a short mini-cruise from Switzerland to Germany on the river Rhine. A part of that marvelous experience that I mentioned briefly but commands a whole lot more attention: More new ships on the way for 2020 and some new itineraries possible with a growing fleet.

In 2020 two more identical Viking Longships will go into service on the Rhine, Main & Danube rivers. That adds even more capability and capacity for Viking River Cruises in one of the most popular places to visit by ship on the planet. Four additional ‘Baby Longships’ designed for the Seine river will be launched as well. On top of that, another Baby Longship on the Nile. Let’s start there.

Viking Osiris will be the first new ship on the Nile owned and operated by a Western company. That’s significant as most companies still operating on the Nile charter ships or put groups on someone else’s ship. Few details are available on the new ship other than the images you see here.

That’s what we did on the Nile, traveling with a luxury land travel company Abercrombie & Kent. That trip of several years ago still ranks in my top five travel experiences of all time and probably always will. Still, our small group was booked on Sun Boat 2, a rather dated ship but the best one on the river at the time. That’s about to change.

Then, Abercrombie & Kent was one of the only travel companies still going to Egypt. Nearly all other Nile river ships were tied up for the season, basically in storage.

Viking stayed with the Nile market as well, operating MS Antares, a ship typical of others on the Nile. That classic Nile ship features elegant decor for just 62 guests and stateroom choices ranging from 290 to 829 sq ft.

Viking Ra is an existing ship that was completely remodeled in 2017 and is the newest, most upscale ship in Egypt. Brought up to international standards and Viking design specifications, Viking Ra became an all-suite, state-of-the art ship with the familiar Viking Scandinavian design and even fewer guests, just 52.

To know about Nile & Egypt travel, the cruise ship in motion is just one part of the experience. This Viking video explains.

Viking Pharaohs & Pyramids is a 12 day experience with 11 guided tours

Travelers often do what we did, spend several days pre- and post-cruise in that part of the world.

Viking offers a 4-night Jerusalem Pre-Cruise Package as well as a Post-Cruise Jordan extension that visits Petra, the Dead Sea and Amman. Let’s look at both.

In Jerusalem

Visit historic, archaeological and holy sites, including the Temple Mount, Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. Spend a full day exploring Jerusalem’s Old City, including the city wall and gates, and see the Dead Sea Scrolls. Four nights in the First-Class King David Jerusalem (or similar); eight meals, including daily breakfasts; three full-day tours; Tel Aviv–Cairo flight and all transfers between your hotel and airport are included in this fully escorted program.

• 4 nights in Jerusalem: King David Jerusalem (or similar)
• 8 meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 1 dinner
• 3 guided tours: Bethlehem Walking Tour; Jerusalem City Tour; Israel Museum Tour & Marc Chagall Stained Glass
• Fully escorted by your Viking Tour Director
• Flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo
• Hotel & airport transfers
• Starts at $1899, price varies by season

In Jordan

Extend your travels in the Middle East to scenic, historic Jordan. See Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak, and the lost city of Petra, one of the new seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Enjoy guided tours of Petra, the Dead Sea and Jordan’s capital city, Amman. Two nights in the First-Class Petra Marriott Hotel (or similar) and one night each in the First-Class Crowne Plaza Dead Sea (or similar) and the First-Class Le Méridien Amman (or similar); eight meals, including daily breakfasts; three full-day tours; Cairo–Amman flight and all transfers between your hotel and airport are included in this fully escorted program.

• 4 nights accommodations: 2 nights in Petra—Petra Marriott Hotel (or similar); 1 night at the Dead Sea—Crowne Plaza Dead Sea (or similar); 1 night in Amman—Le Méridien Amman (or similar)
• 8 meals: 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 2 dinners
• 3 guided tours: Guided Tours of Madaba, Petra and Amman & Jerash
• Fully escorted by your Viking Tour Director
• Flight from Cairo to Amman
• Hotel & airport transfers
• Starts at $1899, price varies by season

There are more Baby Longships out there as well, ships designed specifically for other rivers in the world. We’ll come back to those, including ships on Portugal’s Douro River, the Elbe River in Germany and the Czech Republic. Unique Viking Baby Longships also sail in Russia, Asia and the Ukraine.