Viking Saigon: Viking to launch new ship on Mekong

Viking will launch a new ship, the 80-guest Viking Saigon on its Magnificent Mekong itinerary next summer.

The ship is scheduled to debut on August 30 2021, and will between Kampong Cham, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“For many of our guests, Vietnam and Cambodia remain top destinations because of their significance in world history,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “We have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travellers closer to the cultures of the world for more than two decades. This will be the most modern vessel on the Mekong and will feel like ‘home’ to our loyal Viking guests who are familiar with the comfortable design of our ships.”

The Viking Saigon is purpose-built for the Mekong and will host 80 guests in 40 outside staterooms, all of which will have floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with a veranda or French balcony. The three-deck ship will also enjoy a spa and fitness centre, infinity pool and open-air Sky Bar on the upper deck.

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During the 15-day cruise, guests explore Vietnam and Cambodia with 16 guided tours. It includes hotel stays in Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City each side of an eight-day Mekong river cruise, which takes in Old Hanoi’s markets; the Khmer temple complex of Angkor Wat; the ruins and jungles of Ta Prohm; and Phnom Penh by cyclo rickshaw.

Prices starts from £5,195pp, including airfare from select UK airports.

Read: The best Mekong cruises
Read: Viking on the Elbe

In March, Viking announced its plans to launch on the Mississippi in 2022. The line revealed that it is building the 386-passenger Viking Mississippi to operate eight-day cruises between New Orleans and Memphis, and St Louis and St Paul. There is also a 15-day itinerary from St Paul to New Orleans.

“At a time where many of us are at home, looking for inspiration to travel in the future, I am pleased to introduce a new, modern way to explore this great river,” said Hagen in a statement.

“Our guests are curious travellers, and they continue to tell us that the Mississippi is the river they most want to sail with us. The Mississippi river is closer to home for many of our guests, and no other waterway has played such an important role in America’s history, commerce and culture,” he added.