Viking River Cruises plans to build four new cruise ships that are set to launch at the start of its 2012 sailing season, announced the company that has U.S. headquarters in Woodland Hills. The new vessels are part of the next phase of the Viking River Cruises’ $250 million fleet development program. The last time the company engaged in four new ship builds in one season was in 2001. The four ships—called Viking Freya, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin—are the first of Viking’s Longships, a new class of vessel within the fleet. Each ship will be 443 feet long. Viking River Cruises touts the class of ships for its Scandinavian-style design and high-tech, patent-pending features. The company also claims the new line of ships will have the largest real suites in Europe. “For our 2012 new builds, we have stretched ourselves creatively and technologically, evaluating every aspect of the guest’s cruising experience and asking ourselves how we can surpass it,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking River Cruises. “What has emerged are vessels that will deliver a peerless travel opportunity to aficionados of river cruising and those that have yet to try this unique way to see the world.” Jessica Vernabe
