Viking, named the world’s best cruise line for the past five years, has announced new ocean cruises this summer and two cruise ships will offer sailings from Malta.
In addition to the new cruises from Malta, Viking is adding more sailing dates this summer from Iceland and Bermuda due to strong demand.
Viking Sea and the cruise line’s newest ship, Viking Venus, will homeport in Valleta, Malta each offering different eleven night cruises around the Mediterranean.
Guests on the new Malta & Adriatic Jewels itinerary will overnight in Valletta and then sail to Montenegro and Croatia, calling in Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar and Šibenik, before returning to the Maltese archipelago, with a stop in Gozo and finally back to Valletta.
Guests on the new Malta & Greek Isles Discovery itinerary will also overnight in Valletta and then sail to Greece, calling in Kalamata, Athens, Santorini, Rhodes and Souda Bay, before returning to Valletta.
Viking Venus and Viking Sea will sail the itineraries between July and early October 2021. Delivered in April 2021.
“We thank the government of Malta for its support and enthusiasm as we continue restarting operations,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Malta is a fantastic destination, with ancient history, rich culture and a central location in the Mediterranean. We began calling in Malta in 2016 and look forward to welcoming guests back to some of the most historically significant and naturally beautiful areas of the Med—in both the Maltese archipelago, as well as along the Croatian coast, and around Greek islands this summer.”
Today’s news follows Viking’s recent announcements of Welcome Back ocean cruises in England, Iceland and Bermuda, beginning in May 2021. The cruise line is actively working on developing additional Welcome Back itineraries in a variety of other destinations, with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as government approvals are given.
Guests who sail these new 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, all guests and crew will receive daily 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.
Additional health checks, sanitization and physical distancing measures will provide further protection for Viking guests and crew at all points of the journey.
