VIKING TAKES DELIVERY OF OCEAN SHIP

Rivers run to the ocean, and one cruise company will be in both places as Viking Ocean Cruises has taken delivery of Viking Star, marking the company’s official arrival into the ocean cruise industry. The delivery ceremony took place March 28 when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard outside of Venice, Italy. On April 11, Viking Star will set sail from Istanbul on her way to be officially christened on May 17 in Bergen, Norway.

VIKING PARTNERS ON BRITISH BAKING SHOW

Viking Cruises has announced it is extending its MASTERPIECE PBS partnership to include The Great British Baking Show, now airing Sundays at 8 p.m. EST. For the past four years, Viking has been a sponsor for the highly acclaimed series, Downton Abbey, which Cruising Squared never misses BTW. As they do on Downton, Viking commercials will bookend each episode. They will also leverage recipes from the show across its marketing channels.

The Great British Baking Show follows "the trials and tribulations of passionate amateur bakers whose goal is to be named the U.K.’s best. Each week, the bakers tackle a different skill, the difficulty of which increases as the competition unfolds. Mary Berry, a leading cookbook writer, and Paul Hollywood, a top artisan baker, serve as judges. Together with hosts and comic foils Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, Berry and Hollywood search for the country’s best amateur baker by testing the competitors’ skills on cakes, breads, pastries and desserts, crowning a winner after 10 weeks of competition." 

Here's hoping there's a show on making scones: Nothing goes better with afternoon tea, you know. --Gerry

VIKING EXPANDS ORDER FOR NEW VESSELS

Demand for river cruising has apparently never been higher. Viking Cruises has announced it has increased its order for additional Viking Longships in 2014 from 12 to 14 vessels. According to Viking, by the end of 2014 "Viking will have introduced a total of 30 new ships in a three-year period – the most rapid fleet expansion program the cruise industry has ever seen. The 14 new ships in 2014 will sail Viking’s most popular itineraries in Europe."

In March, Viking set a world record with the inauguration of 10 new Longships for the 2013 sailing season in a first-of-its-kind simultaneous christening ceremony in Amsterdam. Viking notes it is enjoying "its most successful sailing season, with more than 90 percent of all available staterooms sold during the spring and summer months and record sales for the holiday sailings."

Take a video tour of a longship:

VIKING SHARES CABBAGE SOUP RECIPE

Ciorba de Varza (Credit: Viking)

New Year's is a good time to try a new recipe, and the good folks at Viking River Cruises always seem to have something yummy cooking in their kitchens. Here's a soup provided by one of their executive chefs from their European fleet, Reiner Marks. It's called "Ciorba de Varza
Ciorba de Varza (pronounced CHOR ba duh VAR zuh)" which they describe as "a traditional cabbage soup with meatballs, very typical of the Bulgaria/Romania region."

Here's the recipe, courtesy of Viking:

VIKING HELPS YOU CREATE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE

What could be more Christmas than a Gingerbread House? Viking River Cruises, who take guests into the heart of the European Christmas markets, share a "how-to" video featuring one of their pastry chefs for any of us who want to create their own gingerbread house. Check it out, or go here for more Christmas videos.

NEW VIKING CRUISE EXPLORES BORDEAUX REGION

(Credit: Viking)

If you love wine (and we do), you'll welcome this news from Viking River Cruises: Today they announced a new itinerary in 2014 that highlights the Bordeaux region of France. The eight-day cruise called "Châteaux, Rivers and Wine," explores the Bordeaux and Aquitaine regions aboard Viking Forseti.

Here are the details from Viking:

"Châteaux, Rivers and Wine takes guests on a unique exploration of the Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers, through the region that has for centuries produced France's most remarkable wines including Margaux, Pomerol, St. Emilion and Sauternes. The eight-day cruise journey begins in Bordeaux and makes its first stop in Pauillac, where guests can sip the full-bodied blends of the renowned Médoc and Margaux wine regions and travel along the famed Route des Châteaux for an insight into authentic château life. Next, guests have the opportunity to explore the Citadel in Blaye and the charming town of St. Emilion—both UNESCO World Heritage sites—before continuing on to picturesque Cadillac, where they can taste the sweet Premier Cru wines from the Sauternes region. The unhurried voyage concludes with an in-depth tour of the beautiful churches, grand Louis XV architecture and charming cafes of Bordeaux.

"Guests may learn to make tender canelés, a caramelized custard pastry, observe the winemaking traditions that have made the area so famous, begin or expand their appreciation of fine Bordeaux wines with the guidance of a master sommelier, and brush up on their conversational French with optional onboard lessons." -- Gerry

VIKING ORDERS 10 ADDITIONAL SHIPS

(Credit: Viking)

Need more evidence on the popularity of river cruising? Viking River Cruises announced it has placed an order for 10 additional Viking Longships. That brings the total number of new ships launching next year to 10 and the number launching in 2014 to eight. They report by the end of 2014, they will have introduced a total of 24 new ships in a three-year period.

"Viking plans to inaugurate the first eight Viking Longships of 2013 in a first-of-its-kind simultaneous christening ceremony in late March in Amsterdam," according to their release. "The two newest ships, Viking Baldur and Viking Magni, will join the fleet in late August and September, respectively. Both vessels will sail Viking’s 15-day Grand European Tour (Amsterdam-Budapest), with Viking Baldur also sailing the 8-day Rhine Getaway (Amsterdam-Basel) and Viking Magni also sailing the 8-day Danube Waltz (Passau-Budapest)."

Here's more from the company: