Viking River Cruises (www.vikingrivercruises.com), which has embarked on a building spree of new river vessels, is apparently ready to enter the world of ocean cruising, according to a news story today in the San Fernando Business Journal.
Rumors have circulated for some time about whether Viking would take the step. Viking’s Chairman Torstein Hagen has planned a press event in Beverly Hills later this week and the newspaper said that the formal announcement is likely to come at that time.
The newspaper says the first of two 47,000-ton, 900-passenger ships will launch in spring 2015. The oceangoing vessels will be built at one of Fincantieri’s Italian shipyards.
Cost for each ship is estimated between $350 million and $400 million, according to the business newspaper.
Viking just christened 10 new river vessels called Longships, both in Amsterdam and at a European shipyard in March 2013.
TravelAgentCentral.com asked the line's public relations agency for comment on the story but had not yet heard back at press time. We will print a response here if received.