April 06, 2021
(1:15 p.m. EST) -- Viking, today, outlined further restart plans with new sailings from Bermuda and Iceland in June and additional sailings from the United Kingdom.
Viking's new "Welcome Back" sailings will be available only to passengers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at time of departure and only for U.S. and U.K. residents.
In Bermuda, Viking Orion will sail roundtrip from Hamilton on eight-day itineraries from June 15 that call exclusively on Bermudan ports, with overnights in Hamilton and St. George's, plus two days at sea; while Viking Sky will homeport in Reykjavik, Iceland, for a series of immersive Icelandic voyages from June 26.
In the U.K., two additional "England's Scenic Shores" itineraries that set sail in June 2021 will be available for booking. Viking had previously announced three departures aboard Viking Venus, all of which sold out before they could be offered to the general public.
Viking Venus will also boast the distinction of being christened in the U.K. The new ship is Viking's latest oceangoing vessel to debut and will be christened by British broadcaster and journalist Ann Diamond on May 17, 2021.
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Viking's itineraries in Bermuda and Iceland will initially be available only to vaccinated passengers residing in the U.S., while Viking's U.K. sailings will continue to only be available to vaccinated U.K. residents at this time.
"We applaud the governments of the United Kingdom, Bermuda and Iceland for their collaboration and support in restarting the cruise industry safely," Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said in a statement.
"No other travel company has implemented the same science-led approach that includes a vaccination requirement for all guests, plus frequent noninvasive saliva PCR testing among all guests and crew. Therefore, we believe there will be no safer way to travel the world than on a Viking voyage. We look forward to welcoming guests back on board -- and welcoming them back to the world."
Viking's new "Welcome Back" voyages in Bermuda, Iceland and the U.K. are now available for booking for eligible customers.
