JOANNA LUMLEY LAUNCHES RECORD BREAKING VIKING LONGSHIPS

AMSTERDAM (March 21, 2012) – Joanna Lumley today became the God Mother of the Viking Odin,  one of four new Viking River Cruises Longships launched in a record breaking day in Amsterdam.

The World’s Leading River Cruise line today christened four new state-of-the-art ships at once, all designed by maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten. The ships will set sail immediately along Viking’s vast range of routes throughout Europe; taking in rivers such as the Rhine, Danube and Elbe. 

Speaking at the launch in Amsterdam Joanna Lumley said “I’m absolutely delighted to become the God Mother of the wonderful Viking Odin, she’s magnificent. It’s been a fantastic day and I do hope that Longships will have a long and successful tenure exploring some of the most famous, historic and monumental waterways around the World.”

Managing Director of Viking River Cruises UK, Wendy Atkin-Smith said “This is not only a historic moment for Viking but also for the travel industry as a whole. More and more cruisers are switching to the river and we hope that with such a famous fan, even more people will try this fascinating and unique way of exploring the world.”

The launch of Viking Freya, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin is part of a £160 million investment by Viking River Cruises. Two more Longships will be launched in 2012 alongside a completely revamped Russian fleet, whilst Viking have also announced that they are to sail on the river Douro in 2013, customers are available to book onto this cruise now.