Viking launches new series of expedition voyages

Viking is expanding its destination-focused travel experiences with the launch of new expedition voyages. 

READ MORE: Viking Venus joins the fleet in 2021 with new Mediterranean journeys

Viking Expeditions will begin sailing in January 2022 with its first vessel, Viking Octantis, embarking on voyages to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. A second expedition vessel, Viking Polaris, will debut in August 2022, sailing to Antarctica and the Arctic. Viking’s arrival to the Great Lakes will bring the newest and most modern vessels ever to explore this region of North America and will mark a major commitment to local tourism and economic development for the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as the Canadian province of Ontario. 

As part of an exclusive preview, past Viking guests have been able to book select Viking Expeditions polar itineraries since Oct. 9. Starting today, Jan. 15, all expedition voyages – including the new Great Lakes itineraries – are available to the public for booking.

To develop the new expedition voyages, Viking has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious scientific institutions. The lead partner is the University of Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute.

In the last eight years alone, the company has introduced more than 60 new river cruise ships and six ocean cruise ships to become the largest small ship cruise line with a current fleet of 79 river and ocean vessels around the world. In 2020, Viking will launch seven new river ships. 

Six more ocean sister ships are on order, with options for four additional ships. These options could bring Viking’s total ocean fleet to 16 ships by 2027.

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!