Viking River Cruises has been making a lot of changes and enhancements in recent years, and within the next 12 months, nearly a dozen new longships are to be put into service. Between this year and next, Viking will have introduced 16 new ships to the water. That’s right – 16! Some of the biggest cruise lines don’t even have 16 ships!

And nice ships they are! These “longships” as Viking has taken to calling them combine the best of what river cruises and ocean cruises have to offer, including full balconies on full size staterooms, something unheard of in traditional river cruising. Also these ships feature a fabulous venue called the “Aquavit Terrace,” an indoor-outdoor lounge and casual dining venue.

Culture is also a big part of what Viking has to offer including lectures and classes about many of the things guests will learn about when they are on land, touring the historic cities that these ships pass through. All in all, Viking offers guests an incredibly relaxing environment to really explore inland areas all over the globe. Take a look at this great video which takes you on a virtual tour of the longship.