Viking Takes Delivery of 82-Guest Nile River Ship
The Nile cruiser has forty-one staterooms, a crew of forty-eight and an indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace, with the cruisetour beginning and ending in Cairo.
Viking has taken delivery of Viking Ptah, its newest Nile River ship, following a handover ceremony at Massara shipyard in Cairo on August 7. The 82-guest vessel will operate the line’s 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. It joins a group of identical sister ships on the Nile.
“We are delighted to welcome the Viking Ptah to our growing fleet on the Nile River,” said Leah Talactac, President and CEO of Viking. “Egypt continues to inspire curious travelers from around the world, and with the addition of the Viking Ptah, we are pleased to offer even more guests the opportunity to explore this extraordinary destination in the comfort of a Viking vessel.”
Ship built for Viking’s Egypt cruisetour
Viking Ptah carries 82 guests in 41 staterooms and has a crew of 48. The 236-foot Nile River cruiser measures 3,600 gross tons and is arranged over five decks, with three decks containing guest cabins.
The accommodation mix includes 12 Standard Staterooms, 21 Veranda Staterooms, six Veranda Suites and two Explorer Suites. Viking said the ship follows the design approach used on its river and ocean vessels, including a square bow and an indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace.
The Pharaohs & Pyramids program is a Cairo-to-Cairo cruisetour. The itinerary begins with three nights in Cairo, continues with a flight to Luxor for the Nile sailing, and ends with a final overnight stay back in Cairo before departure.
Excursions on the program typically include Saqqara, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, Qena, Dendera, Esna, Edfu, Aswan, Kom Ombo, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, including access to Queen Nefertari’s tomb.
Orderbook extends beyond the Nile
Viking’s broader fleet now totals more than 100 ships, with operations across 21 rivers, five oceans and all seven continents. The company said its committed orderbook would bring 20 more river ships by 2028, nine additional ocean ships by 2031 and two more expedition ships by 2031.
If those deliveries proceed as planned, Viking expects to operate 114 river ships in 2028 and 26 ocean and expedition ships in 2031.
