The German shipbuilding company Neptun Werft (Rostock) on March 25 delivered a couple of river cruise vessels to the shipping company Viking River Cruises.
The newbuilds - named Viking Gymir and Viking Egdir - are the last 2 riverboats in the company's order book.
The long-standing cooperation between Neptun Werft and Viking River Cruises started back in 2010 with the order for a single river ship. With a total of 65 ships, the Longships form the world's longest series of river sisterships are thus a testament to the partnership between the two companies.
The new ships boast a hybrid propulsion system (a combination of diesel engines and batteries). A total of 5 engines for power generation were installed on the Viking series' ships in the past which included an emergency and auxiliary diesel. The 2 engines have been replaced by batteries and ensure emergency operation in the future. They can cover the energy required during peak loads. The engines run in the optimal range, as well as consume less fuel and produce fewer exhaust gases.
The pandemic and the standstill of Europe's river cruise fleet are currently causing less demand for newbuilds. Neptun Werft was one of the global market leaders in the segment for years. In addition to riverboats, the engine room modules for ocean ships built by Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku are also built in Warnemunde-Rostock (Germany).