Viking Continues Successful Restart And Welcomes First U.S. Guests Back On Board In Bermuda
Viking Orion Currently Sailing First of Eight Roundtrip Departures from Hamilton; Space Still Available
LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking® (www.viking.com) welcomed American guests on board for the first time in 15 months today in Bermuda, as the company continues its successful restart of operations. Guests boarded the award-winning Viking Orion® in Hamilton and will sail the new Bermuda Escape itinerary. Offered as part of Viking's Welcome Back collection, exclusively available for vaccinated guests, this is the first of eight roundtrip sailings from Hamilton planned for summer 2021. After departing the capital city, the eight-day journey continues with scenic sailing around the British island territory and an overnight call in King's Wharf.
"Today is an extraordinary milestone as the world continues to reopen for international travel. On behalf of the entire Viking family, we are delighted to welcome our loyal American guests back on board," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "We applaud the government of Bermuda for its collaboration and support as we have restarted our operations. Bermuda has been a favorite destination among our guests since our ocean ships began calling there in 2017, and we look forward to introducing even more Viking guests to the island's history, culture and phenomenal natural beauty."
Viking successfully restarted operations in May and has been sailing in England with British guests since May 22. Later this month, Viking will launch Welcome Back sailings around Iceland and in the Mediterranean – and will restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine.
Those who sail Welcome Back voyages will also experience Viking's industry-leading health and safety program. Grounded in scientific research, the Viking Health & Safety Program was developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Raquel C. Bono, M.D., Viking's Chief Health Officer. Dr. Bono is a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy Medical Corps—and most recently led Washington State's medical and healthcare systems response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing a full-scale laboratory installed on every Viking ocean ship—and a strong network of dedicated shoreside labs for Viking river ships in Europe—all guests and crew will receive frequent quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests. New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms. And additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey. A complete overview of the Viking Health & Safety Program can be found at: www.viking.com/health-safety.
Booking Details
Limited space is still available on 2021 summer sailings. Call Viking toll free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel agent.
Media Assets
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About Viking
Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person's Cruise® in contrast to mainstream cruises. In its first five years of operation, Viking has been rated the #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure's 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 "World's Best" Awards. In addition to the Travel + Leisure honors, Viking has also been honored multiple times on Condé Nast Traveler's "Gold List" as well as recognized by Cruise Critic as "Best Overall" Small-Mid size ship in the 2018 Cruisers' Choice Awards, "Best River Cruise Line" and "Best River Itineraries," with the entire Viking Longships® fleet being named "Best New River Ships" in the website's Editors' Picks Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking's award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.
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SOURCE Viking
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