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October 13, 2025 — 2:54pm
Viking already has the largest fleet of river cruise ships in the world, with more than 80 vessels. A few years back the Swiss-based river and ocean cruising line announced plans to add 23 new ships to its fleet by 2030. And if the recent activity is anything to go by, it’s on track to fulfil the promise.
Travellers looking to sail the Mekong are the latest beneficiaries, with the launch of Viking Tonle, Viking’s second on the Mekong River, following the launch of Viking Saigon in 2022.
Purpose-built for the Mekong, she carries 80 guests across 40 river-facing staterooms in three categories. The pick of those is the Verandah Suite, comprising 12 staterooms with walk-out balconies (all the others have French balconies).
The Mekong itself is having a busy time, too, as the search for the road less travelled turns cruisers away from traditionally plied European waterways and towards alternatives.
The Mekong River starts at the Tibetan Plateau and is estimated to run 4909 kilometres through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Like most of the mighty rivers in the world, it is the lifeblood of many communities. A cruise along it reveals South-East Asian culture and gives guests access to villages, temples, culture and heritage including Siam Reap, gateway to Angkor Wat.
Most leisure river cruises begin and end in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and take place on the lower Mekong, cruising Cambodia and Vietnam. The upper Mekong, with its wild natural landscapes, is, however, becoming increasingly popular. Some stretches of the river require smaller ships due to limited navigability and Viking’s ships are built for this.
Tonle’s inaugural sailing departs October 27, tracing the Magnificent Mekong itinerary from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap.
The cruise line’s innovation is at play in other parts of the world, too. Viking Vela, the first of a series of eco-friendly sea cruising ships, has joined the fleet and is set to sail itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Viking Vela can be retrofitted with a hybrid propulsion system using liquid hydrogen and fuel cells that is currently in development. The system will allow it to operate at zero-emissions in the Norwegian fjords and other areas with fragile ecosystems and when ready will be installed in new ships.
Viking is expanding its European river fleet with five new ships this year and five in 2026.
Meanwhile, on the Nile in Egypt, Viking Amun is set to go. She’s also purpose-built for her waterway, and is an identical sister ship to the Osiris, the Aton, the Sobek and the Hathor. The cruise line says they are the most modern ships on the Nile.
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