Viking (NYSE:VIK) has taken delivery of the Viking Sekhmet, its newest river ship for Egypt, at Massara shipyard in Cairo, the company said on September 29.
The 82-guest vessel is the second Nile ship Viking has taken this year, after the Viking Ptah in August, and adds capacity ahead of the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027, when totality over Luxor will last about six minutes and 22 seconds, one of the longest of the century. Operators are already building departures around the event, including a new luxury Nile sailing boat with a 2027 eclipse voyage, while Egypt is pursuing a 30mn tourist target.
“The Nile has connected people with the history and culture of Egypt for thousands of years, and it continues to be a destination that inspires curious travelers,” said Leah Talactac, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viking. “With the arrival of the elegant Viking Sekhmet, we are pleased to offer even more opportunities for curious travelers to explore Egypt in Viking comfort.”
The ship has 41 outside staterooms and was built for Nile conditions. Like its identical sister ships, it carries Viking’s Scandinavian design, including a square bow and an indoor-outdoor Aquavit Terrace.
The Viking Sekhmet will sail the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary and the new 12-day Total Eclipse on the Nile itinerary in 2027. Both begin with three nights at a hotel in Cairo, with visits available to the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sakkara necropolis, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Guests then fly to Luxor for the Luxor and Karnak temples before an eight-day round trip on the Nile. Stops include the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the High Dam in Aswan and a Nubian village, where guests can visit a traditional elementary school. The trip ends with a flight back to Cairo for a final night.
Viking expects to take delivery of 19 more river ships by 2028, 11 ocean ships by 2032 and two expedition ships by 2031, giving it 114 river ships in 2028 and 28 ocean and expedition ships in 2032.
Viking was founded in 1997 and is led by Executive Chairman Torstein Hagen. It operates a fleet of more than 100 ships on 21 rivers, five oceans and all seven continents, and markets its trips to travellers interested in science, history, culture and cuisine.