LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 3, 2025--
Viking® ( www.viking.com ) (NYSE: VIK) today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Setting sail on Viking’s award-winning 930-guest ship, the Viking Sky ®, from Fort Lauderdale on December 22, 2026, the itinerary will include ports of call across six continents before its final destination of Stockholm on June 10, 2027.
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Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, the Aquavit Terrace and infinity pool which can be found on Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of sister ships. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, the Wintergarden which can be found on Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of sister ships. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, a map of the route and ports of call planned for the new Viking World Voyage III itinerary. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, Viking’s award-winning ocean ship calling on Sydney, Australia, an overnight destination during the new World Cruise itineraries. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
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“Our approach in everything we do has always been to focus on the destination, from our thoughtfully curated itineraries to our elegant small ships, which are designed to bring guests closer and enable exploration,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Extended voyages like our World Cruises allow curious travelers to experience dozens of destinations, iconic landmarks and rich cultures in one seamless journey, making them truly the adventures of a lifetime.”
World Cruise guests can explore ports of call in Hawaii and journey through the isles of the South Pacific, including French Polynesia; traverse New Zealand and Australia; sail to iconic destinations throughout Asia; and travel up the western coast of Africa to Europe before concluding in either London or Stockholm. A shorter, 153-day portion of the sailing, Viking World Voyage IV, departs from Los Angeles on January 8, 2027 and visits 37 countries with 18 overnight ports of call before ending in Stockholm. Guests may also choose the 142-day Viking World Cruise 2026-2027 itinerary from Fort Lauderdale to London visiting 31 countries, or the 125-day voyage, Viking World Discoveries, which departs from Los Angeles and visits 27 countries before ending in London.
Highlights of 2026-2027 World Cruise Itineraries:
Viking’s newest World Cruise itineraries visit dozens of the world’s most iconic cities, alongside lesser-known destinations, in one continuous journey. Overnight stays in iconic ports such as Sydney, Zanzibar, Cape Town, Casablanca and many others allow guests to delve deeper. Viking will also visit Africa’s western coast, including Lagos in Nigeria, as well as Accra and Takoradi in Ghana. While on board, Viking offers cultural enrichment through onboard lectures and entertainment – such as the Viking Resident Historian® program, which provides guests with a high-level historical and cultural education specific to their journey. Guests can immerse themselves in the world’s rich cultures during included excursions that provide unmatched insight into daily life, as well as Privileged Access® visits to cultural institutions. Highlights of the new 2026-2027 Viking World Cruise itineraries include:
Viking’s Award-Winning Fleet
Viking was rated #1 for Oceans, #1 for Rivers and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards for the second consecutive year. Viking was also named a “World’s Best” for oceans, rivers and expeditions in Travel + Leisure’s 2024 World’s Best Awards. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors from both publications – something Viking has now achieved two years in a row. Viking was named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Viking’s ocean ships have also been rated and “Recommended” as part of the Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Star Awards, an annual independent evaluation for luxury travel brands. Additionally, Cruise Critic honored Viking with seven awards across the Luxury (Ocean), River and Expedition categories in the 2024 Best in Cruise Awards.
Booking Details
From now through March 31, 2025, Viking is offering North American travelers special savings on 2026-2027 World Cruises with a total value of over $60,000 per couple, including free business class airfare and transfers, $4,000 per couple in shore excursion credit, $2,000 per couple in shipboard credit, complimentary Silver Spirits Beverage Package and more. Returning Viking guests also receive an additional $2,000 per couple in shipboard credit. Plus, guests can enjoy a limited-time reduced deposit of 10%. Call Viking toll-free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel advisor for details.
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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.
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, the Aquavit Terrace and infinity pool which can be found on Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of sister ships. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, the Wintergarden which can be found on Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of sister ships. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, a map of the route and ports of call planned for the new Viking World Voyage III itinerary. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
Viking today announced its new 2026-2027 World Cruise itineraries, including the Viking World Voyage III, which will journey around the world in 170 days, visiting 41 countries with 82 guided tours and overnight stays in 18 cities. Pictured here, Viking’s award-winning ocean ship calling on Sydney, Australia, an overnight destination during the new World Cruise itineraries. For more information, visit www.viking.com. (Photo: Business Wire)
One person died and two others were pulled from the wreckage of a partially collapsed church on Friday, after severe storms including a possible tornado swept through St. Louis.
Several other people were reported injured after the Friday afternoon storms, which tore roofs off some buildings, ripped bricks off of siding and downed trees and power lines as residents were urged to take cover.
At Centennial Christian Church, City of St. Louis Fire Department Battalion Chief William Pollihan told The Associated Press that three people had to be rescued after part of the church crumbled. One of those people died.
National Weather Service radar indicated that a tornado touched down between 2:30 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. in Clayton, Missouri, in the St. Louis area. It received reports of damages, mostly downed trees, weather service meteorologist Marshall Pfahler said.
The apparent tornado touched down in the area of Forest Park, home to the St. Louis Zoo and the site of the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympic Games the same year, Pfahler said.
The St. Louis Zoo posted a message on X, the messaging platform formerly known as Twitter, that it would remain closed for the rest of the day because of the weather. The post included no information on damages, a zoo spokesperson didn’t immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
“We can’t definitively say whether or not it was a tornado -- it likely was,” Pfahler said.
Radar confirmed a tornado above Venice, Illinois, about 2:50 p.m. CDT. It could be accompanied by golf ball-size hail, the National Weather Service in St. Louis said. Venice is northeast of St. Louis, just across the Mississippi River.
The weather service described the tornado as “extremely dangerous” and moving east at 50 mph. The tornado is part of a severe weather system that spawned tornadoes in Wisconsin, downed trees, left thousands without power in the Great Lakes region and brought a punishing heat wave to Texas.
Weather forecasters warned that severe storms with hail and even hurricane-force winds also could hobble parts of Appalachia and the Midwest on Friday. Tornadoes were also a risk there.
The National Weather Service said severe weather was likely across parts of the central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic states. Residents in Kentucky, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, parts of Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio should brace for intense storms that could include baseball-sized hail.
The weather service's Storm Prediction Center said that “strong, potentially long-track tornadoes and very large hail” could be expected. The threat for damaging winds in excess of 75 mph will increase into this evening as storms grow into larger clusters.
Ahead of Friday night’s anticipated storm, Appalachian Power, which serves 1 million customers in West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee, said Friday it requested 1,700 additional workers from neighboring utilities along with sending its own crews from unaffected areas to assist with service restoration.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, in a post on the social media platform X, put residents on notice.
“Kentucky, there is a dangerous weather system moving through our state with a significant round this afternoon through tonight. Strong winds, hail, flooding and tornadoes are possible starting at 2 p.m. CT in Western Kentucky and reaching Louisville around 5 p.m. ET,” he said.
Shelters were opening in the Paducah, Kentucky, area.
Faith Borden, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service Nashville office, said Friday that middle Tennessee could expect "all types of severe weather. Winds up to 70 mph. We’re talking seriously large hail up to 3 inches, which for us is big hail.”
Texas, meanwhile, faced searing heat. A heat advisory was issued for the San Antonio and Austin, with temperatures at a blistering 95 F (35 C) to 105 (40.5 C). Parts of the southern East Coast, from Virginia to Florida, battled with heat in the 90s.
The National Weather Service Office for Austin/San Antonio said Friday the humidity coming in over the weekend is expected to make temperatures hotter.
“There are concerns of heat exhaustion for people that aren’t taking proper precautions when they’re outdoors,” meteorologist Jason Runyen said. He advised those affected to take breaks and stay hydrated.
Overnight Thursday, storms accompanied by booming thunder, lightning displays and powerful winds swept through parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, northern Indiana and Michigan — leaving scores of trees down and thousands of homes without power.
Several tornadoes touched down Thursday in central Wisconsin. None of the twisters have received ratings yet, said Timm Uhlmann, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Green Bay.
“We’re still gathering reports,” Uhlmann said. “We’re assessing some of the damage and still getting video and pictures. The damage that we have is fairly widespread. There was a lot of large hail. In Eau Claire was one report of softball-sized hail.”
No injuries have been reported.
Surveys also were underway Friday of damage in Michigan to determine if any tornadoes touched down there, said Steven Freitag, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in White Lake Township, northwest of Detroit.
The storms were fueled by temperatures in the lower 80s that stretched from Illinois into Michigan and were activated by a cold front that pushed through, Freitag said.
By midday Friday, about 230,000 customers were without power in Michigan. An estimated 60,000 were without power in Indiana. Another 27,000 in total had no electricity in Illinois and Kentucky.
The threat of severe weather in Chicago delayed a Beyonce concert by about two hours Thursday at Soldier Field.
Associated Press writer Haya Panjwani in Washington and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this story.
Cody Sparks, left, and Eric Combs with Lewis Tree Service work to clear a tree off of a power line near on 92nd Street near Caledonia, Mich. on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
Zeeland resident Maddie Pellegrini clears debris outside her family's home on 64th Avenue in Drenthe east of Zeeland, Mich. on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Isaac Ritchey/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A snapped utility pole stands awkwardly off of 92nd Street near Caledonia, Mich. on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake/The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A tree is uprooted from Thursday night's storm in Trail Creek, Ind., on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Donavan Barrier /La Porte County Herald-Dispatch via AP)
Downed trees are shown blocking Leo and Oakland Avenues in Trail Creek, Ind., on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Donavan Barrier /La Porte County Herald-Dispatch via AP)
A snapped tree is shown up against an apartment on Salem Court in Michigan City, Ind. on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Donavan Barrier /La Porte County Herald-Dispatch via AP)
Damage from Thursday's storm is shown along U.S. 20 in Michigan City, Ind., on Friday, May 16, 2025. (Donavan Barrier /La Porte County Herald-Dispatch via AP)
Trees lay in a playground in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A tree branch covers a bus in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A tree lays in a parking lot in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)
A tree lays on a house in Dorr, Mich., after a severe storm ripped across Michigan the night before, on Friday, May 16. 2025. (Neil Blake /The Grand Rapids Press via AP)