Following the christening of its two latest Egyptian riverboats, Viking has now amassed six in the region, with another four to come through 2026. Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, built at the Massara shipyard in Cairo, were recently named in Luxor, and two more new sister ships are scheduled over the next two years.
The identical 82-guest riverboats continue the new vessel class started with Viking Osiris in 2022 and Viking Aton in 2023. Refurbished in 2017 and 2018 respectively, 52-passenger Viking Ra and 62-passenger MS Antares round out the current fleet.
The Viking Longship-inspired Aton, Hathor, Osiris and Sobek all feature a signature square bow, 41 staterooms and suites and a guest-favorite al fresco Aquavit Terrace. Each also includes a pool overlooking the stern and an upper sun deck, in addition to an indoor lounge, bar and restaurant, as well as central atrium, guest services desk and retail shop.
The founder of Cosmos Egypt and a member of the Egyptian Senate, Mohamed El Banna served as godfather to Viking Sobek, and the Hon. Edward Herbert served as godfather to Viking Hathor. Herbert’s great-great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was Howard Carter’s benefactor and co-explorer in excavating and uncovering King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922.
Both Hathor and Sobek navigate Viking’s 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. The route is bookended with a three-night, pre-cruise and one-night, post-cruise hotel stay in Cairo to access the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Elsewhere along the way, guests visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak during an eight-day Nile River cruise.
Other highlights extend to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, plus the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan and more.
As a showcase of Viking’s partnership with Highclere Castle — the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and filming location of “Downton Abbey” — the line also offers a pre- or post-itinerary extension. The five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt add-on encompasses four Privileged Access visits to said castle, the Griffith Institute, the British Museum and Sir John Soane’s Museum, in addition to guided tours of the Ashmolean Museum, the Petrie Museum and the city of Oxford, England.
The inauguration of Hathor and Sobek was celebrated with a dinner inside the Karnak Temple, where soprano and godmother to Viking Jupiter, Sissel Kyrkjebo, sang the Egyptian, Norwegian and United Kingdom’s national anthems.
Next up will be sister ships Viking Amun and Viking Thoth arriving in 2025 and Viking Sekhmet and Viking Ptah in 2026.
