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28 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News FEATURE THE ELECTRIC SHIP The latest newbuilding vessel of Viking River Cruises is Mv Viking Legend. The luxury vessel is the first "green" diesel- electric river cruise vessel in the fast growing fleet of the successful river cruise line. Henrik Segercrantz reports. Viking River Cruises is one of the world's leading river cruise company. Es- tablished in 1997, the Swiss company today has a fleet of 18 vessels, doing river cruises in Europe, Russia, Ukraine, China and Egypt. The company is currently heavily expanding its fleet of vessels, with eight newbuildings and two large re- furbishments planned, for a total of $250 million, to be delivered between 2011 and 2014. “Over the past decade, Viking has es- tablished river cruising as a mainstream means of travel. At the same time, we be- lieve that river cruising is still in its in- fancy, and has tremendous growth potential," Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking River Cruises, said when an- nouncing the newbuilding program in late May. The company initiated market- ing in North America in year 2000. Viking River Cruises has a tradition of setting the standard in the industry, and has won many awards for its services. Last year, in the beginning of July, the company took delivery of its largest ves- sel to date, the company’s flagship Viking Legend, the industry’s first “green” river cruise vessel. The next vessel to be deliv- ered, in June 2011 is Viking Prestige, a sistership, intended also for the European market. Viking Prestige will be built by the Neptun Shipyard in Rostock, Ger- many, part of the Meyer Neptun Group. This vessel is to be followed, also in 2011, by Viking Emerald, with 132 state- rooms with balcony, to be built in Chongquing for operation in China, and by two new vessels for each season in 2012, 2013 and 2014. At the Neptun Shipyard there are also an option for two additional sisterships, for delivery in spring 2012. Mv Viking Legend, the flagship Viking River Cruises AG placed its order for the first diesel-electric new- building at SET Tangermünde mbH, a yard placed at the cross points of rivers The Electric Ship A look inside of a Luxury Diesel-Electric River Cruise Ship (Photograph Cour tesy Schif fstechnik Buchloh) Mv Viking Legend features cutting-edge technology and the largest suites on European river cruise ships. The vessel is certified under new EU guidelines regulat- ing greenhouse gas emissions.
