Viking Jupiter comes to Edinburgh for the first time

Viking Cruises’ brand new cruise ship dropped anchor in the Firth of Forth last week on its maiden voyage from Norway, where Viking Jupiter was officially named by star Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebo. 

The ship is the sixth ocean-going ship to join Viking’s fleet. Jupiter is a ‘small ship’ by cruise line standards (that means she has space for 930 guests in 456 staterooms) but with her vast central atrium and huge glassed-in lounges, bars and restaurants she never feels crowded.

All staterooms have exterior balconies and cruise fares include all meals and perks that Viking claims are worth more than $200 per person per day, including beer and wine with meals, WiFi, spa access and shore excursion in each port of call. Most rival cruise lines charge for such extras, Viking claims.  

Viking’s ocean cruise programme for 2020-2021 ranges from shorter seagoing cruises such as an 11-day Greek Odyssey itinerary starting and ending in Athens, an Iconic Adriatic Antiquities voyage from Venice to Rome, a three-week West Indies and Western Mediterranean transatlantic crossing and an epic 140-day Viking World Discoveries odyssey.

New highlights of Viking’s popular river cruise programme for 2020 will include a Danube cruise featuring the once-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play, a Black Sea and River Dnieper itinerary including Kiev, Odessa, Bucharest and Istanbul.