This Week in River Cruise: Cruise Planners' Vicky Garcia to Godmother the Viking Magni; CroisiEurope Reveals the MS Lafayette

Vicky Garcia, COO, Cruise Planners - American Express Travel, was chosen as the godmother of the new longship Viking Magni. The christening ceremony for the ship will take place in Amsterdam in March and will be part of festivities for 18 longships being christened throughout Europe by Viking Cruises. In the wake of the announcement, Cruise Planners also revealed a 250% increase in river cruises over the past two years, including sales of Viking Cruises.

“I am truly honored to be selected as godmother during this historic event,” Garcia said. “Viking Cruises believes in travel agents and they are an amazing travel partner.”

Earlier last month, CroisiEurope revealed the new MS Lafayette, which will sail a route from Holland, Germany and Switzerland. The MS Lafayette will be christined March 28, with Mary Rose N. Reade, the wife of the U.S. Consul General in Strasbourg Evan G. Reade, as godmother of the ship.

The MS Lafayette was named after General Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the French military hero who supported the American Army during the Revolutionary War. The ship, at 295 feet long, can accommodate up to 84 passengers in 42 rooms.

European Waterways also announced a new foothold in France with the opening of a base of operation in Burgundy, which will carry out the line's winter refurbishing and regular maintenance for France-based luxury hotel barges. The canal-side facility will permit the company to perform upgrades and repairs while overseeing quality control

Located in the village of Ravieres, the new facility is situated along the Burgundy Canal and is fully equipped to perform all necessary maintenance and refurbishment work. It offers workshops for engineering and woodwork repairs and a central stock of consumables and spare parts to supply the hotel barges throughout the operating season. The new building also includes offices for operations management and training.