For the first time in 15 months, American guest have embarked on a Viking cruise ship as the cruise line continues their successful restart of cruises.
Guests boarded the award-winning Viking Orion in Hamilton, Bermuda and will sail the new Bermuda Escape itinerary. Offered as part of Viking’s Welcome Back collection, exclusively available for vaccinated guests, this is the first of eight roundtrip sailings from Hamilton planned for summer 2021.
After departing the capital city, the eight-day journey continues with scenic sailing around the British island territory and an overnight call in King’s Wharf.
“Today is an extraordinary milestone as the world continues to reopen for international travel. On behalf of the entire Viking family, we are delighted to welcome our loyal American guests back on board,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We applaud the government of Bermuda for its collaboration and support as we have restarted our operations. Bermuda has been a favorite destination among our guests since our ocean ships began calling there in 2017, and we look forward to introducing even more Viking guests to the island’s history, culture and phenomenal natural beauty.”
Viking successfully restarted operations in May and has been sailing in England with British guests since May 22. Later this month, Viking will launch Welcome Back sailings around Iceland and in the Mediterranean – and will restart its European river operations in July 2021 with select itineraries in Portugal, France and along the Rhine.
Those who sail Welcome Back voyages will also experience Viking’s industry-leading health and safety program. Grounded in scientific research, the Viking Health & Safety Program was developed in partnership with an international team of medical advisors, including Raquel C. Bono, M.D., Viking’s Chief Health Officer.
Dr. Bono is a board-certified trauma surgeon and retired Vice Admiral of the United States Navy Medical Corps—and most recently led Washington State’s medical and healthcare systems response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Utilizing a full-scale laboratory installed on every Viking ocean ship—and a strong network of dedicated shoreside labs for Viking river ships in Europe—all guests and crew will receive frequent quick and easy non-invasive saliva PCR tests.
New air purification technology has also been installed on all Viking ships, which have always featured independent air handling units for all guest staterooms. And additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey.
