Last year, Viking debuted four new custom built Longships that could dock closer to the Eiffel Tower in Paris than ever before. Due to huge demand for these cruises, Viking will be adding a fifth ship in 2025.
These custom built Longships are slightly shorter than Viking’s standard Longships and this allows them to have a premium docking location in the heart of Paris. From Paris, the river ships sail the cruise line’s eight-day Paris and the Heart of Normandy itinerary on the Seine River.
“France continues to be among the most popular destinations for our guests, and we are pleased to expand our fleet on the Seine River to meet that demand,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “With our exclusive docking location at Port de Grenelle, even more guests will soon be able to explore the ‘City of Light’ in the Viking way.”
The ships are pretty much identical to Viking’s Longships that sail on the Danube and Rhine Rivers except they only carry 168 guests in 84 staterooms. The river ships feature a hybrid propulsion system with batteries and are also equipped for shore power to reduce reliance on fuel while in port. Onboard solar panels further contribute to the ships’ energy efficiency.
Sailing roundtrip from Paris, guests on Viking’s Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary explore Giverny and visit the beautiful gardens and charming farmhouse where Claude Monet lived and worked; trace the footsteps of Joan of Arc in Rouen; walk hallowed ground at Normandy’s American Military Cemetery and World War II beaches; and savor the cuisine of Normandy.
This eight-day voyage along the Seine River celebrates history, art, food and customs in the country’s most dazzling urban and pastoral settings.
