Chairman Torstein Hagen Shares A Special Message For Viking River Cruise Guests
August 13, 2020
Earlier this year, Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen announced that the company would be the first river cruise line to immediately suspend all operations in the wake of COVID-19. Today, he shares that as a private, closely-held company, we do not have to rush the decision to return to service and we will only sail again when it is safe to do so. Therefore, we are extending our suspension of operations and canceling all scheduled departures through December 31, 2020.
In this new video message on Viking.TV, he also provides an update on the work Viking is doing to prepare for operating in these times as safely as possible and optimistically looks to the next year and beyond.
Just last week, we celebrated our 23rd anniversary, and in 2021 we will continue the expansion of our fleet. Next year, we will launch our seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus, as well as a new vessel on the Mekong, Viking Saigon, which will set a new standard for modern river cruising in Southeast Asia. In 2022, we will welcome our new expedition vessels, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, which will explore Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes—and Viking Mississippi, our first ship on an American river. Additionally, Chairman Hagen announces that we will welcome our eighth ocean ship, Viking Mars, in 2022.
From all of us here at Viking, thank you for your loyalty and support—and we look forward to sharing more milestones with you in the coming months.