The Identical 82-Guest Viking Hathor and Viking
Sobek Join the Company’s Award-Winning Fleet in Egypt
Viking® (www.viking.com) (NYSE: VIK) today named its newest
river ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, with a special
celebration in Luxor, Egypt. The Hon. Edward Herbert, served as
ceremonial godfather of the Viking Hathor; his
great-great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was Howard
Carter’s benefactor and co-explorer, whose excavation uncovered the
tomb of King Tutankhamen near Luxor almost exactly 102 years ago on
November 4, 1922. Mohamed El Banna, founder of Cosmos Egypt and a
member of the Egyptian Senate, served as the ceremonial godfather
of the Viking Sobek. The Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek are
identical sister ships to the Viking Aton and the Viking Osiris and
are state-of-the-art vessels designed specifically to navigate the
Nile River on Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids
itinerary and built at Massara shipyard in Cairo.
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Viking today named its newest river
ships, the Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, with a celebration in
Luxor, Egypt. Designed specifically to navigate the Nile River, the
state-of-the-art ships were built at the Massara shipyard in Cairo
and will sail Viking’s popular Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
Pictured here, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek at Viking’s
premier docking location at the Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt. For
more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
"Today, we are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor and the Viking
Sobek to our growing fleet in Egypt. Along with their sister ships,
we believe they are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile,”
said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “We are very
grateful for our continued close friendship with the Carnarvon
family and that Eddie has honored us by serving as godfather of the
Viking Hathor. For more than 15 years, Mohamed El Banna has been a
part of the extended Viking family, helping to take good care of
our guests in Egypt, and it is a great honor that he is serving as
godfather of the Viking Sobek. As our award-winning fleet on the
Nile continues to grow, we look forward to introducing even more
curious travelers to this phenomenal destination.”
The naming ceremony of the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek
took place at Viking’s exclusive docking location in Luxor and was
followed by a celebratory dinner inside the nearby Karnak Temple.
Viking’s guests also enjoyed a performance by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one
of the world’s leading crossover sopranos and godmother of the
Viking Jupiter®, who sang the Egyptian, Norwegian and United
Kingdom’s national anthems in their native languages.
The Hon. Edward Herbert, Godfather of the Viking
Hathor
The Hon. Edward Herbert is the son of George Herbert, the 8th
Earl of Carnarvon, and Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon.
In his new godfather role, Edward joins his father and mother, who
are also Viking’s first “godparents.” In 2022, Lord Carnarvon
became Viking’s first godfather, fulfilling the role for the Viking
Osiris. Lady Carnarvon is the godmother of a Viking Longship, the
Viking Skadi and an ocean ship, the Viking Mars®. Edward’s
great-great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, spent 16 years
working in Luxor and later in 1922, with his colleague Howard
Carter, discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen. In Lady
Carnarvon’s newest book, The Earl and the Pharaoh: From the Real
Downton Abbey to the Discovery of Tutankhamun, she explores the
unparalleled life of the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and tells the
behind-the-scenes story of the historic discovery.
Highclere Castle, Egypt & Viking
For years Viking has offered a variety of ways for its guests to
experience life at Highclere Castle, which is the home of the Earl
and Countess of Carnarvon and the historic estate best known as the
filming location of Downton Abbey. Among the 5th Earl’s many
talents, he was an avid amateur photographer with an artistic eye
for composition. His photographs are at Highclere Castle currently,
stored in photo albums in The Library, and show the process of
discovering and excavating the tomb of Tutankhamen, as well as
scenes of daily life in Egypt of the period. With kind permission,
the Carnarvons have allowed Viking to share this private collection
for guests sailing on board the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek,
as well as their sister ships, the Viking Osiris and the Viking
Aton.
For guests who are interested in extending their exploration of
Egypt, Viking offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide
Privileged Access® to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day
British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will begin the
journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director,
an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two
museums: first a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian
Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general
public —and then a visit to the home and personal museum of
world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane, where the tour will be
illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained
guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian
antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more
than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford,
guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the
world, and home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and
art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith
Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access visit to see
Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of
Tutankhamen’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further Privileged
Access with an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl
of Carnarvon’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian
artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible
to the public.
Mohamed El Banna, Godfather of the Viking Sobek
With his exceptional communication and interpersonal skills and
deep interest in world cultures, Mohamed El Banna was destined for
a career in the travel industry. He completed a bachelor’s degree
in commerce and began working in tourism in 1970. Seven years
later, he founded Cosmos Tourism Company—now Cosmos Egypt—a
Cairo-based tour operator and the country’s oldest destination
management company. He continues to run the business with his son,
Sherif El Banna, who serves as CEO. Viking has proudly partnered
with Cosmos Egypt and Mr. El Banna for more than 15 years to
promote exploration along the Nile River. As Viking’s exclusive
tour operator in Egypt, the company continues to handle all ground
operations and transportation for shore excursions and helps source
English-speaking tour guides and Egyptologists. Mr. El Banna also
helped Viking create its operational division in Egypt, which now
includes more than 500 company employees that work in the country.
Through these extensive partnerships, Viking consistently provides
its guests with an award-winning and seamless travel experience in
Egypt. As one of Egypt’s most devoted ambassadors for travel, Mr.
El Banna has held several influential government positions
throughout his distinguished career. Previously, he was a member of
the Chamber of Tourism from 1986 to 1994 and served two terms as
the Deputy of the Tourism and Antiquities Committee in the House of
Representatives from 2005 to 2015. Currently, he is a senator in
the Egyptian Senate, a role he will fulfill through the end of his
five-year term in 2025.
The Viking Hathor, the Viking Sobek & Viking's Growing
Egypt Fleet
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new Viking Hathor and
Viking Sobek are inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean
ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is
known. An identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking
Aton, the Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek feature several aspects
familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an
indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Other ships in the Egypt fleet
include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares. Viking plans to welcome
four additional ships in the next two years—the Viking Amun and the
Viking Thoth in 2025 and the Viking Sekhmet and the Viking Ptah in
2026—which would bring Viking’s fleet to 10 vessels on the Nile
River.
Viking was rated #1 for Rivers, as well as #1 for Oceans and #1
for Expeditions, by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice
Awards for the second consecutive year. This achievement marked the
first time a travel company won these three categories in
back-to-back years. Viking’s Egypt ships have also been included in
Condé Nast Traveler’s “Hot List” the last two years. Viking was
also named a “Best Luxury River Cruise of 2024” in Forbes’ “Best
Luxury Cruises” list. Additionally, TIME magazine featured both
Giza and Saqqara on its “World’s Greatest Places” 2023 list,
mentioning sailing the Nile River with Viking. TIME notes that
Viking is among the very few who stop in both Giza and the village
of Sakkara, where excavation sites, like the megatombs of animal
and human mummies, are active.
Viking's Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary
During the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests
begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo,
where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of
Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the
Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit
the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship
for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring
visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the
tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to
the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena,
the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to
a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a
traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with
a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.
Media Assets
For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll,
please contact vikingpr@edelman.com
About Viking
Viking (NYSE: VIK) was founded in 1997 and provides
destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans, and lakes around
the world. Designed for curious travelers with interests in
science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman and CEO Torstein
Hagen often says Viking offers experiences For The Thinking
Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including
being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by
Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 and 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
Viking is also rated a “World’s Best” for rivers, oceans and
expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has
simultaneously received the same honors by both publications. For
additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING
(1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s
award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.
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