Viking River Cruises will officially launch its newest ship, Viking Legend, with a christening event to be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Nov. 23. Viking has selected Stevi M. Tracas as Viking Legend’s godmother. Tracas, a travel industry veteran, is married to Steve Tracas, president and CEO of Vacation.com.
“Stevi is the perfect choice as Viking Legend’s godmother,” said Michele Saegesser, Viking’s vice president of sales for North America and the South Pacific. “For three consecutive years, Vacation.com has recognized Viking River Cruises as Specialty Cruise Line of the Year during its annual Power of Partnership Awards. It seemed only fitting for us to honor the Vacation.com team for their ongoing support and for being our top-producing travel marketing organization. And what better way to do so than to partner in the ceremonious launch of our legendary ship.”
The newest and longest ship in the Viking River Cruises fleet, Viking Legend carries 189 guests in 97 staterooms, including two suites, 90 deluxe doubles and five singles. All staterooms and suites have hotel-style beds, 26-inch flat-screen televisions and refrigerators. Two decks will feature French balconies.
Legend is referred to in the industry as a hybrid ship because of its propulsion system using environmentally friendly, diesel-electric hybrid engines that are 20 percent more efficient than the conventional type. The newbuild’s innovative design also reduces noise and vibration levels by using four smaller propellers instead of two large ones.
The new ship is sailing a 15-day Grand European Tour from Amsterdam to Budapest along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers through Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. For 2010, Viking Legend will begin the season by sailing a 10-day Tulips & Windmills program through Holland and Belgium; it will then spend the majority of the season on the Grand European Tour, ending with a series of seven-day itineraries — the Romantic Danube, Danube Explorer and Danube Holiday Explorer.
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