Viking Nile River ships

During a ceremony in Luxor, Egypt this week, the cruise line welcomed identical Viking Nile River ships to its growing fleet. They’ll now begin sailing Viking’s 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary.

Built at Massara shipyard in Cairo, the vessels can each accommodate up to 82 guests in 41 staterooms. They feature Viking’s signature Scandinavian design, and have familiar spaces like the indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace.

The Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are identical to Viking’s existing Nile River ships, the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton. The company also has two other ships in its Egypt fleet: the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.

The company will add another four ships to its fleet over the next two years, bringing the total number of ships it has sailing on the Nile River to 10 vessels. The Viking Amun and the Viking Thoth are scheduled to debut in 2025, and the Viking Sekhmet and the Viking Ptah are slated to launch in 2026.

Viking Hathor’s ceremonial godfather is Edward Herbert, whose great-great-grandfather was Howard Carter’s benefactor and co-explorer. Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen near Luxor 102 years ago on November 4, 1922. 

Viking Sobek’s godfather is Mohamed El Banna, the founder of Cosmos Egypt and a member of the Egyptian Senat.

The naming ceremony was held in Luxor at Viking’s exclusive docking location. Afterward, guests enjoyed a celebratory dinner inside Karnak Temple and a performance by Sissel Kyrkjebø.

“Along with their sister ships, we believe they are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile,” says Torstein Hagen, chairman and chief executive officer of Viking. “We are very grateful for our continued close friendship with the Carnarvon family and that Eddie has honored us by serving as godfather of the Viking Hathor. For more than 15 years, Mohamed El Banna has been a part of the extended Viking family, helping to take good care of our guests in Egypt, and it is a great honor that he is serving as godfather of the Viking Sobek. As our award-winning fleet of Viking Nile River ships continues to grow, we look forward to introducing even more curious travelers to this phenomenal destination.” 

This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.