Six new river cruise vessels were christened by travel agents at ceremony in Amsterdam by Viking River Cruises.
The Longship godmothers represented travel trade organisations from across North America and the UK.
They included Beryl Gibson, joint owner of Northumbria Travel, and Jennifer Gasser, vice president of supplier relations and product operations for World Travel Holdings.
Four of the new Longships will be deployed on Viking’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The other two will sail the Seine in France.
Viking will add a seventh new river ship, Viking Osfrid, specifically built for the Douro River, bringing the company’s total number of ships in Portugal to three.
Viking Cruises chairman, Torstein Hagen, said: “River cruising remains one of the fastest-growing segments of travel, and we would not be the leading river cruise line without the help of travel agents.
“The naming of ships by ceremonial godmothers is a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years.
“The partners we have chosen to name our newest ships are experts in their field, and as Viking has marketed the concept of river cruises over the last two decades, they have always recognised our value in the industry. We are honored to have their support and their participation in this year’s celebration.”
The christening came two years after the company set a second Guinness world record for the most new ships launched in a single day, and just a month before Viking Ocean Cruises launches its second ship, Viking Sea.