Viking Cruises on Tuesday, August 22, officially named its newest riverboat - Viking Osiris, with a celebration in Luxor (Egypt).
As part of the event, the first ceremonial godfather of the company, George Herbert, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon, offered the blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the newbuild - an evolution of the naval tradition dating back thousands of years.
Specifically designed to navigate the Nile River, the state-of-the-art vessel was constructed at Massara Shipyard (in Cairo) and will sail Viking’s bestselling itinerary "Pharaohs & Pyramids".
The naming of Viking Osiris comes as Egypt marks key events this year, such as the highly anticipated opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo on Giza Plateau and the 100th anniversary of the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by the most famous Egyptologist in the world, Howard Carter, and his benefactor/co-explorer, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
Viking Osiris' fleetmates in Egypt are Viking Ra (2018-built) and Viking Aton (2023/currently under construction). Unlike Viking Ra (which is a fully reconstructed old vessel), the sisterships Osiris and Aton are with deck designs and venues similar to the ones on Viking OCEAN's liners.