The Identical 82-Guest Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek Join the Company’s Award-Winning Fleet in Egypt
Viking® (www.viking.com) (NYSE: VIK) 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.
Godfather of the Viking Sobek
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.
Most elegant vessels on the Nile
“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.
Award-winning fleet on the Nile
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
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
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 Osirisand the Viking Aton.
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