On March 16, during a special event in Paris, we welcomed eight new Viking Longships to our award-winning fleet, yet another milestone in our 25th anniversary year. Aligned with our culture of innovation, four of these ships were built specifically to navigate the Seine River, allowing them to dock in the heart of Paris just steps away from the Eiffel Tower.

Among the women honored as godmothers to these state-of-the-art vessels were three valued members of the travel advisor community:

Brenda Hunsberger, Senior Vice President of Travel Services with AAA Club Alliance

Karryn Christopher, Executive Vice President of Preferred Partnerships & Marketing for Signature Travel Network

Muriel Wilson, Director of Event Strategy & Sponsorships for Virtuoso, Ltd.

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As part of the naming ceremony, musician and Godmother of Viking Egdir, Helen Deutscher, released white doves to carry a wish of peace.

In keeping with maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years, we invited eight distinguished cultural partners and important members of the company’s extended family to serve as ceremonial godmothers of the new ships.

Pictured here, from left to right: Kari Garmann, Godmother of Viking Kari; Karryn Christopher, Godmother of Viking Gersemi; Helen Deutscher, Godmother of Viking Egdir; Brenda Hunsberger, Godmother of Viking Hervor; and Muriel Wilson, Godmother of Viking Skaga.

“As we mark 25 years of sailing the iconic waterways of the world, it is always a proud day when we welcome new ships to our fleet and offer more opportunities for curious travelers to explore the world in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Today we are especially pleased to honor eight talented and accomplished individuals as godmothers of our newest river ships, and we look forward to the start of another season of European river voyages.”

The naming event was executed by connecting the new ships via satellite across two European cities: Paris and Amsterdam. Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga were docked in Paris at the Port de Grenelle, where they were named by their godmothers. The other four ships—Viking Egdir, Viking Gersemi, Viking Gymir and Viking Hervor—were docked in Amsterdam and named by their godmothers, who also joined the celebration in Paris.

In keeping with another maritime tradition, a bottle of Gammel Opland aquavit was broken on the bow of each new ship. Gammel Opland hails from the same county in Norway where Chairman Hagen’s mother, Ragnhild—also lovingly known as “Mamsen”—was born and was her favorite brand of aquavit.

Our new Viking Longships, Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Kari, Viking Radgrid and Viking Skaga, are built specifically to navigate the Seine River and bring guests to the heart of Paris with an exclusive docking location at Port de Grenelle, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower.

See more highlights from the naming ceremony