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JOURNEYS magazine
Volume I, 2016
ingredients, a French seafood
restaurant, sushi bar, and a
wine-blending room, just to
name a few.
After its April launch,
Koningsdam
will briefly sail the
Mediterranean before offering a
series of Baltic, British Isles and
Northern Europe itineraries
throughout the summer months
from its home port in Amsterdam.
In winter, it will reposition to Fort
Lauderdale, where it will ride out
the season cruising the Caribbean.
New to the Scene
O
ne of the newer players in the
ocean cruise industry is Viking
Cruises. Viking has been a world
leader in the river cruise industry
since 1977, operating more than
60 river vessels in Europe, China,
Vietnam and Myanmar. Viking
took its destination-focused
experience to the high seas in
early 2015, with the launch of its
first mid-sized ocean going ship,
the 930-guest
Viking Star.
Two
sister ships are currently under
construction –
Viking Sea
and
Viking Sky. Viking Sea
will make
its maiden voyage in April 2016.
Light, intimate, elegant and just
under 750 feet long, each is large
enough to sail the ocean blue,
but small enough to venture
into ports that the larger ships
can’t, providing more time for
longer port excursions and
overnight stays.
Equipped with all the
creature comforts that seasoned
cruise travelers have come to
expect on ocean-going vessels,
Viking’s ocean cruise ships are
all-inclusive, including all tours/
including purpose-built staterooms
for families and single staterooms
for solo cruisers. The ship’s
highlights include a three-story
high skylight-capped atrium with
a stainless steel sculpture
reminiscent of a string quartet
hanging from above; World Stage,
a 2-tiered theater featuring a large
270 degree LED screen; an
adults-only “Sea View” complex;
Billboard Onboard, a sing-along
piano/guitar venue; Lincoln
Center Stage, featuring classical
music with a piano and string
quartet; Greenhouse Spa & Salon;
two large swimming pools; a
state-of-the-art fitness center; and
sports court.
Koningsdam’s
signature
touch however, will be its
gastronomic concepts, including
a new Culinary Arts Center with
its own “green: area to grow
Viking’s ocean cruise ships are all-inclusive,
including all tours/shore excursions, just like its
river cruise ships.
LEFT & BELOW
(L) Expand your horizons on Viking’s intimate,
state-of-the-art
Viking Star
(B) In her debut
season
Viking Star
was awarded with the cruise
industry’s highest honors.
