Hello Viking friends around the world. We dedicate this episode first of all to celebrating our restart on some of the European rivers along the Rhine and in northern France as well as in Portugal. It's been a long wait, especially for many of our guests who've had their dates rescheduled, and we hope to welcome many more guests onto our riverships in the coming months. As you may have seen in our episode on Monday, our river crew are so happy to be welcoming guests back on board again. So we thought this would be a good moment to take a look back at how river cruising with Viking has evolved over the past 24 years and remind ourselves of some of the very special moments as we start this new chapter. And now a few words from my father, our chairman, about how Viking River Cruises started with our ships in Russia and our Waterways of the Tsars itinerary, which is very near and dear to my heart. I've actually had the privilege of sailing it eight times, and though I'm not supposed to have favorites, you can probably correctly assume that this is one of them. So over to my father on our beginnings.
I went into my files and found some interesting piece of paper. The first is in Russian, but it says 5th of August 1997, establishment of passenger fleet in Leningrad, Russia. That is really the beginning. Next we expanded into Europe with the acquisition of ships from the German KD Lines, who were the pioneers of river cruising, and perhaps some of our long-standing guests may even remember some of the first Viking River ships. River cruising was little known in those days; they were largely mom-and-pop operations which Viking had the opportunity to professionalize and scale. And it didn't take long for people to understand that to see the world by river is truly a formidable way of traveling. You unpack once and sail through the world's most interesting and historic places, with the added benefit that it is impossible to get seasick on a river. And once docked, usually once or even twice a day, you're right in the heart of towns and villages, often just a few steps from your ship. So our beginnings were really to explore Europe in comfort, and that was our first tagline, which we had to change when we moved further into the world.
With the introduction of the first Viking Longships, we entered a new era of river cruising. Identical state-of-the-art ships with square bows — which you can see on this ship model behind me — allow for our Aquavit Terrace open-air dining. We also introduced asymmetrical corridors allowing for true two-room suites, quite revolutionary. Combined with our light, elegant Scandinavian designs, we set a new standard on the rivers. So here's a little look at how our beautiful river ships are built. Nestled along Germany's northern coastline is Rostock and the Neptune Yard, where we're going behind closed doors to watch the construction. Come with me into this highly secured shipyard for a sneak peek at the newest Viking Longships being built.
Before steel can be cut, months of design and consultation take place to finalize vision and direction. There are many inspirations and many solutions. We think about lighting, colors, reflections — creating something from nothing, from a piece of steel to a piece of ship. That's something amazing.
Guided by world-class architects and designers, no stone has been left unturned in the ramp-up to production. Tons of steel are cut by computer-controlled cutting machines, and workers assemble the keel. Then all production stops for the ancient tradition of keel laying.
Today is a great day for all of us — a keel laying of the next ship for Viking River Cruises. In the past, when they built a ship they wanted to satisfy the gods, and that's why we put a coin on the keel. It's an ancient habit. The coin is meant to bring good fortune, and the ceremony is widely known as the moment the ship comes to life. A real privilege and a great honor to help get this ship off to a good start.
Rather than a linear process, the longships are built in sections out of order and joined later. Sections are built upside down for easier piping, then flipped and assembled right side up. In the second stage, sections come together to start looking like a ship. Outside they're painted and prepared; inside, structural elements, bulkheads, and propulsion are installed. Then the vessel is launched for sea trials before returning for interior completion — rooms finished, systems checked, and the team works through the extensive snagging list.
The snagging lists are famous — thousands of comments. Every little damage, everything has to be remedied. Details everywhere. You have to go for the details; that's the way to get a good product.
This process continues non-stop right up to delivery day — the goal everyone is chasing, but once achieved is bittersweet.
I know what the saddest day is — it is delivery. When I walk out and see the ships, I'm of course very proud, but we also feel sad that we have to give away something we've been working on for many months with all our heart and hands. It's an emotional moment when these ships leave our harbor.
From here each ship is christened amid fanfare, a joyous tradition for good luck dating back centuries. Then it's time to set sail, off to explore the waterways of the world. It's a new way of cruising.
I think it's fantastic. Very, very proud of these ships. It's a truly grand environment, a new way of thinking about hospitality on the river. From point zero where there's the first idea on a piece of paper, after 18 months you see a beautiful ship. What better thing can happen in your life than working on something like that?
The spectacular longships continue the Viking tradition of innovation. The fleet quickly grew, sailing the Rhine, the Danube, the Seine, the Rhône, and the waterways around Bordeaux. As we welcomed more ships, the occasions were marked with special ceremonies. March 21st, 2012 was a historic day as Viking became the first company to launch four ships in a single day, from Amsterdam and Rostock.
I name you Viking Odin. May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand's width of water under your keel.
Each longship was appointed a godmother representing a key pillar of Viking's heritage: PBS Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton for culture, actress Joanna Lumley for inspiration, physicist Lisa Randall for discovery, and treasured guest Gail Wiswedel for journeying. It was a grand day, and Viking broke a Guinness World Record for most ships inaugurated in one day. In March 2013, Viking christened ten ships in a single day from Amsterdam and Rostock, breaking its own record.
