Viking Rides Wave Season With New Sale for North America

Viking Cruises is offering savings on its river, ocean and expedition cruises through January 31, 2024. Guests in North America can receive free or reduced airfare and $25 deposits as part of the cruise line’s “Discover More” sale.

‘Discover More’ Sale Includes Savings up to $800

The new “Discover More” sale by Viking Cruises is offering new and returning guests savings of up to $800 on cruises in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The sale also includes $25 deposits along with free or reduced airfares, the cruise line announced this week.

The deal, good through January 31, 2024, applies to Viking river, ocean and expedition voyages. 

“For more than 26 years, we have invited curious travelers to explore the world in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “As this new year begins, we look forward to welcoming returning guests back on board, as well as introducing new travelers to the Viking way of exploration.”

Included in the sale are several new itineraries. New river cruise voyages include “Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle,” a 12-day sailing between Paris and Zürich with stops in the German towns of Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, Winningen, Koblenz, Mainz, Mannheim, and Speyer. The sailing also includes visits to Reims and Strasbourg in France and Basel, Switzerland. 

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Similarly, a 12-day “Christmas on the Main & Moselle” voyage between Paris and Prague features visits to the German towns of Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem, Winningen, Mainz, Heidelberg, Würzburg, Bamberg, and Nuremberg. Guests also visit Reims in France. Shorter Christmas river cruises feature voyages on the rivers Seine, Rhine, Elbe, and Danube.

Viking Enjoying Stronger Bookings for 2024 and 2025

The new sale comes as the cruise line has enjoyed strong demand for 2024 and 2025 sailings. In December 2023, Viking announced it was opening river cruise bookings early for its 2026 season. 

The new sale also arrives a year after Viking Cruises experienced its largest booking month to date in January 2023. That month saw 18 of the line’s all-time top 20 booking days.

“We focus on the destination, and we design travel experiences for the thinking person,” Hagen said. “This approach has always allowed our guests to discover more history, science and culture when they travel with us.”

To meet demand, Viking Cruises has 10 new longships under construction in Germany. A keel laying ceremony for all 10 vessels was held in December 2023 at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, the same facility that has built each of Viking’s longships since 2012.

Regular fares for river sailings on Viking traditionally offer free onboard WiFi along with free beer, wine, and soft drinks onboard during lunch and dinner. Guests are offered free, guided tours in each city the ship stops in, with the option of booking more elaborate excursions for hosted dinners and tours for additional fees.

Ocean and Expedition Journeys on Sale Too

Ocean and expedition cruises are also included in the latest Viking promotion. Viking operates a fleet of 10 ocean vessels with sailings that explore Europe, the Caribbean, the British Isles, Scandinavia, Central and South America, and the Mediterranean.

Among the popular itineraries for its ocean liners is the 15-day “Viking Homelands” journey between Stockholm and Bergen with stops in Poland, Denmark, Germany, and the Åland Islands.

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For guests preferring warmer climates, a 10-day “Empires of the Mediterranean” voyage between Athens and Venice also visits Slovenia, Croatia, and Montenegro. 

Viking Expeditions sails on mid-size ships that are designed for trips to the Great Lakes in the United States, along with trips to the Antarctic peninsula.