Viking on Wednesday, January 26, “floated out” its newest ship for the Nile River—the 82-guest Viking Osiris—marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. The traditional float out ceremony took place at Massara shipyard in Cairo
Set to debut in August, Viking Osiris will sail Viking’s 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary. The ship’s debut later this year will coincide with several events in Egypt in 2022, including the opening of the new Grand Egyptian Museum outside Cairo on the Giza Plateau, as well as the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter and his benefactor, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
Tip: Building on Viking’s longstanding relationship with the Carnarvon family, guests who sail on board Viking Osiris will experience “Privileged Access” to memories from 1922 and the events surrounding the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s tomb.
Viking Osiris
Accommodating 82 guests in 41 staterooms, Viking Osiris will have several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Viking Osiris will join the company’s other ship on the Nile, Viking Ra, which launched in 2018. Additionally, in response to strong demand, Viking Aton, an identical sister ship to Viking Osiris, will join the fleet in 2023.
Viking’s “Pharaohs & Pyramids” Itinerary
During the 12-day, “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a hotel in Cairo, where they can visit sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or—beginning in late 2022—the new Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, with “Privileged Access” to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, as well as excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the city.
For guests looking to extend their journey, Viking also offers pre- and post-cruise extensions that provide “Privileged Access” to additional archives and exhibits. One such extension allows guests to retrace the steps of Howard Carter and the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. Guests on the five-day “British Collections of Ancient Egypt” extension will begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking tour director and experience “Privileged Access” to two museums—first a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the public, and then a visit to the home and personal museum of architect Sir John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan.
In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a collection of Egyptian mummies and art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will see Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Lastly, guests will visit Highclere Castle—the country seat of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon—to view the Earl’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.
Additional offerings include a pre-cruise extension in Jerusalem where guests will explore the history and culture of Israel’s capital and a post-cruise extension to “Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea & Amman” to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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