Los Angeles, Calif. (August 28, 2008) - Viking River Cruises®, which offers river cruises and cruisetours through Europe, Russia, Ukraine and China, is reaching out to both previous guests and river cruising newcomers with generous new discount offers on its 2009 itineraries. These offers go into effect today and will remain in force through September 30, 2008.
"We want to encourage our satisfied customers to come back to us for another river cruising experience," said Richard Marnell, Viking's Senior Vice President of Marketing, "and we would like to introduce Viking to a whole new group of travelers who may not be familiar with river cruising. That's why we are introducing these great offers on some of our most popular cruise itineraries."
All-Inclusive International Roundtrip Airfare from $199
Guests who reserve and pay in full for a 2009 Viking vacation before September 30 have their choice of two offers. First, they can have all-inclusive international roundtrip airfare as low as $199 per person-covering any government taxes and airline fuel surcharges, plus all transfers to and from ships and/or hotels. Guests on Grand European Tour, China's Cultural Delights, Imperial Jewels of China and Roof of the World fly from$199; guests on Treasures of the Rhine, Portraits of Southern France, Rhine Getaway, Eastern European Odyssey, Romantic Danube, Elegant Elbe, Cities of Light, Paris & the Heart of Normandy, Tulips & Windmills, Danube Explorer and Danube Holiday Delight fly from $495; and guests on Waterways of the Czars, Russian Rhapsody and Footsteps of the Cossacks fly from $795. These airfare deals reflect Zone 1 pricing and are available to guests who book stateroom category B or above; final price does vary by gateway city, but all zones receive the same dollar savings.
Save up to $2,500 per stateroom on select itineraries
Guests who prefer to arrange their own air travel may instead choose an Early Booking Incentive offer that will save them up to $1,250 per guest ($2,500 per stateroom) on the vacation package itself. Guests on Grand European Tour or Eastern European Odyssey receive the $1,250 per person discount. Guests booking Treasures of the Rhine, Portraits of Southern France, Rhine Getaway, Romantic Danube, Elegant Elbe, Cities of Light, Paris & the Heart of Normandy, Tulips & Windmills, Danube Explorer, Danube Holiday Delight, China's Cultural Delights, Imperial Jewels of China and Roof of the World receive a $750-per-person discount. Guests on Waterways of the Czars, Russian Rhapsody or Footsteps of the Cossacks receive a $500-per-person discount. These discounts apply to stateroom categories B and higher; those choosing the more economical category C and below staterooms will each receive a $500 discount ($1,000 per stateroom).
Additionally, to encourage guests to take advantage of its new E-Check program, Viking will reward those who pay by E-Check (electronic funds transfer) or personal check with double frequent flyer miles. "This is a very convenient and secure way to transfer a payment," said Mr. Marnell, "with this program, guests earn two miles on select airlines for every dollar paid by E-Check." The E-Check double miles offer expires September 30, 2008 as well.
For more information on Viking River Cruises, visit www.vikingrivercruises.com
About Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises, the world's largest river cruise company, offers quality service, gourmet cuisine and comfortable scenic cruising along the majestic rivers of Europe, Russia and China. The company has been honored multiple times as the top river cruise line on Condé Nast Traveler's "Gold List" and Travel + Leisure's "World's Best" Awards. Travel agents have also recognized Viking River Cruises in 2006 and 2007 as "Best Riverboat Cruise Line" by Travel Weekly, "Best River Cruise Line" by Recommend and Travel Agent magazines, and in 2006, 2007 and 2008 as "Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising" by TravelAge West. Since its 1997 inception, the company has grown to a fleet of 21 vessels, and provides unique, deluxe vacations to experienced travelers with an interest in geography, culture and history. For additional information, contact Viking River Cruises at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) toll-free or visit the company online at www.vikingrivercruises.com.