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Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, welcome all of you to today's river naming celebration, a momentous occasion for our entire Viking family.

At Viking, we believe that sharing knowledge is important.

So before we begin naming our new ships, I'd like to share with you something that I learned just last week.

It's a word, a German word.

The word is "fernweh." Fernweh.

What does it mean?

Well, fernweh describes a deep and painful yearning to travel and visit faraway places.

And for those of you who suffer from this painful affliction, do not worry.

Help is at hand.

Doctors are available, except they are not called doctors.

They are called travel advisors.

And they help us to explore the world in comfort.

So in recognition of this, we will be honoring seven of them who will serve as godparents to Viking's brand-new river ships.

Now, Viking was first launched 30 years ago in 1997 with a fleet of just four river ships.

And now we are proud to have the largest river fleet in the industry.

The fleet is not just large, it is also multi-award-winning, lauded for its beautiful ships, enriching programming, and exceptional service.

Before we move on to the naming ceremony, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Viking's Executive Chairman, Mr.

Torstein Hagen, and Viking's President and CEO, Leah Talactac.

Since I'm chairman, I'll do it from the chair.

It's always nice to be in Amsterdam.

So ladies and gentlemen, Excellency from Norway, it's a big event.

It's the 98th you said we are up to? 98.

Torstein says 98 ships.

It's been quite a journey.

I would like to make one point since we're talking about Amsterdam.

We like Amsterdam a lot.

I personally lived there for four years.

And I think the good way of doing tourism in Amsterdam is by small river ships as these are.

So I hope we can continue to be welcomed as small river ships in this beautiful city and not be confused with the loud lager mouths who come from across the channel, Southern Scotland, for example.

So I really hope we can continue to show ourselves as responsible citizens.

And thank you for the hospitality, City of Amsterdam.

Okay, thank you, all.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Hagen.

It's now my pleasure to welcome His Excellency, the Ambassador Erling Rimestad.

He's Ambassador of Norway to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's a special pleasure to be here today.

First, let me offer my congratulations to everyone at Viking on this important milestone.

As we celebrate today, we are also celebrating a spirit of curiosity and discovery that has long been associated with exploration and travel.

These new vessels will continue that tradition.

I wish these vessels every success, fair winds, and safe journeys in the years ahead.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Ambassador.

Thank you.

I think it's time we named some ships, don't you?

It's a maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years that every new ship has a ceremonial godmother or godfather to offer a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing.

And today, we are delighted to be joined with the godparents of all the new ships officially becoming part of the Viking fleet.

The seven individuals that we are honoring today are valued travel advisor partners, and they embody the strength of those longstanding and very important relationships.

Each of our godparents and their teams serve as an extension of the Viking brand, helping curious travelers explore the world with us.

This is a global celebration.

Let's get started.

Our first ship, we're going to go to Luxor.

The Viking Sekhmet is named after an ancient Egyptian goddess of power and healing, often depicted as a lioness wearing a solar disk and a sacred serpent.

Sekhmet was a healer whose name means "the powerful one." And was said to have been created by the sun god, Ra.

For our Egypt fleet, we have adapted the age-old maritime godmother tradition to include godfathers.

Joining us to name the first of our Egypt ships today, I call upon Michael Consoli, longtime Viking partner and owner of Cruise Planners.

He is accompanied by the splendidly attired captain of the Viking Sekhmet, Mr.

Elwy Atta.

Sir.

Michael became a Cruise Planners franchise owner in and made Viking a major focus of his business after his first Viking River voyage way back in 2010.

His exceptional service and longstanding commitment to Viking guests have made him the company's first global top producer, an honor he has received, amazingly, for the past 10 years.

Congratulations, Michael.

So, by the magic of whatever, let's travel over to Luxor and the banks of the Nile, where Karolina Landa is standing by.

Hello, everyone in Amsterdam.

Yes, we are all set here and honored to be part of this very special day.

I have Mr.

Ahmed Youssef here next to me, who will share with us some interesting facts about Viking and Egypt.

I would like to say that beyond the pyramid, there is the unmatched diversity.

We have been always famous with our cultural antiquities and beach and sun tourism.

We have the mice.

We have the spiritual tourism.

We have the ecotourism, adventure sports, you name it.

One country with many sub-destinations and experiences exciting to travelers all over the world.

We have been operating in Egypt for more than 20 years, and the fantastic experience that you are delivering means more business, repeated business, and healthy business for everybody.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Youssef, for all these insights, and I think now we're ready to name the Viking Sekhmet.

I'm handing back to you, Alastair.

Thank you very much indeed, Karoline.

So, Michael, are you ready to name your ship?

First, I just would like to say thank you so much for creating a product that is amazing, one of the most amazing products to sell in the industry, and providing us with an amazing sales team, Michelle's support in helping us get here.

This is definitely the pinnacle of my career, so thank you so much for this opportunity.

I name you Viking Sekhmet.

May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand width of water beneath your keel.

Okay, let's proceed with our next vessel.

The second of our Egypt ships, the Viking Ptah.

Viking Ptah is named after one of the oldest Egyptian deities, chief god of the ancient city of Memphis.

Ptah was considered the patron deity of craftsmen, architects, and builders.

The Viking Ptah will also be blessed by a godfather, another very special member of travel advisor's family in Australia, Senior Vice President Global Operations of Virtuoso, Michael Londregan.

Joining Michael is the captain of the Viking Ptah, Mr.

Mohsen Mostafa.

Great.

Wonderful.

With more than three decades of leadership experience in hospitality, aviation, cruise, and tourism, Michael has built partnerships and helped shape the travel industry in markets around the world.

He shares a deep belief in travel as a pathway to learning and cultural exchange and has played a significant role in strengthening Viking's presence within the Virtuoso network across Australia and New Zealand.

Michael, it's your moment.

Thank you very much.

I would just take the opportunity.

We have a wonderful relationship with Viking, but the Viking sales team down in Australia tell us every day that the most wonderful thing is the people, the crew, but then they prove every day that they are part of that wonder by being wonderful people and the best people we work with.

And I'm very honored to be here today, but I'm not confused as to why I'm here.

I'm here because of the incredible work that hundreds of our travel advisors do in supporting this wonderful product, and I appreciate, and I take this honor on their behalf.

I now name you the Viking Ptah.

May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand width of water beneath your keel.

Like birds on migration, we're off to our next country.

We travel to Les Andelys on the beautiful River Seine in France.

The Viking Fjolvar is named after the Norse goddess of the Earth, who was also the mother of Thor, the mighty thunder god, and the son of Odin.

To name the Viking Fjolvar, I'd like to welcome Shelby Steudel to the stage, president of Pavlus Travel.

And to help her name her ship, we have the captain of the Viking Fjolvar, Mr.

Vandeville.

Shelby has helped build one of Viking's longest-standing and most successful travel agency partnerships, guided by her commitment to exceptional service, trusted relationships, and enriching lives through travel.

From her beginnings as a travel advisor in New Mexico to leading Pavlus Travel today, she brings decades of industry experience and a lifelong passion for exploration to her godmother role.

Let's go to Les Andelys, where I believe Nikolas Rabogliatti, corporate enrichment program manager in charge of the French and Portuguese operations, is standing by.

Hello, Alastair.

Great to see you again as part of another naming ceremony.

The Viking Fjolvar has actually already been sailing for Viking since July.

So we have guests on board, and we thought it was a good idea to also bring our guests here to share a few reasons why they're joining us on this vessel.

First of all, you have great destinations, and the crew is great.

The boats are beautiful.

We always have a good experience.

Anne, I asked you if you could maybe prepare your own personal blessing for the ship and what you would wish for the crew and their sailings.

Okay.

May you see the way wherever the journey takes you.

May you find treasure in Earth's infinite variety.

May your boat fill with insight, laughter, generosity, and love.

Safe travels and happy homecomings always.

Nikolas, thank you so much, and a huge thanks to your two wonderful guests that you have alongside you.

Shelby.

Yes.

Are you ready to name your ship?

I am.

You are?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

Tor and Leah and Karine, thank you.

Michelle, Sandra, best sales team and inside sales team that anyone could ever ask for.

I am so honored and privileged to be here today with all of these other godmothers and godfathers.

So thank you very much for that privilege.

I name you Viking Fjolvar.

May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand's width of water beneath your keel.

For the next two ships, we head eastwards to the shipyard in Rostock in Germany, where the newest longships joining the Viking fleet are being prepared to welcome guests in November.

First, the Viking Halogi, named after the Norse god of fire.

Together with Kari, the god of the wind, and Aegir, the god of the sea, they represent the three primal elements on Earth, fire, wind, and sea.

To name the Viking Halogi, I'd like to welcome to the stage Carol Shaddix, owner of Imagine Going There, and joined by the future captain of the Viking Halogi, Mr.

Ralph De Vogel.

As the owner of Imagine Going There, she has had a lifelong curiosity about the world and a belief in travel's ability to create lasting memories.

Carol has built her business through a dedicated focus on Viking and has become Viking's number two global travel advisor.

So let's go to the Rostock shipyard in Germany, where Sam Corbin is standing by.

Hello, Alastair, and greetings from a very sunny Rostock.

We are extremely excited to be here and a part of today's naming events.

Tell me, for you and your team, what is it like to be a part of today's events?

Sam, many thanks for the invitation, and I'm standing here in the name of the whole Neptun shipyard team.

And in fact, we are proud today to bring a vision into a concrete product and to deliver it.

And all the aspects from starting with the idea, the specification, the design work, the renderings, the naval architects, engineering it down to every detail and integrating everything together.

That is the special thing.

Passenger at heart, ship owner in mind.

That's perfect.

Thank you so much.

Okay, I think we are ready to name our first ship here in Rostock.

So, for the Viking Halogi, Amsterdam, it's back to you.

Thank you, Sam.

Carol, are you ready to name your ship?

I am ready.

Thank you, Viking leadership team, for this incredible honor.

It means a great deal to me personally, and it will always be a highlight of my career.

I also want to thank Michelle.

Her incredible way of looking out for travel advisors and always supporting us and giving us such a wonderful team means so much, and it's a great reason for our success.

And of course, I wouldn't even be here today without our exceptional clients and the talented and extremely dedicated team of Imagine Going There Travel.

They work so hard to make each guest feel special.

So on behalf of all of us, I'm ready to name the ship.

Come on.

All right.

I name you Viking Halogi.

May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand's width of water beneath your keel.

Go.

We're going to stay right with Rostock because our next ship is also in the shipyard over there, the Viking Sjofn.

The Viking Sjofn is named after the Norse goddess of love and romance.

She was said to spend her day facilitating romantic encounters amongst people and protecting engagements between couples.

To name the Viking Sjofn, I'd like to welcome to the stage, all the way from Australia, Danielle Galloway, Global Managing Director, Luxury and Independent of Flight Centre Travel Group.

Joining her is the captain of the Viking Sjofn, Mr.

Dmitry Vinokurov.

Welcome to the stage.

Now, as one of Australia and New Zealand's most respected luxury travel leaders and a longtime advocate for Viking, Dani, if I may call you Dani, has been instrumental in helping Viking become the number one cruise line within Flight Centre Travel Group's luxury travel advisor brand, Travel Associates.

So let's go back to the shipyard.

Sam, are you ready to proceed with naming our next ship?

We are ready to go, and we are ready to bring the Viking Sjofn into the fleet.

Are you ready to name your ship?

Absolutely.

Hello, everyone.

Well, this is an absolute honor of a lifetime to be the first Australian godmother of a Viking ship.

I want to say a huge thank you to Michelle Black and to all the Australian team.

Your leadership unites the Viking brand and also the power of connections.

Ships don't just carry people, ships carry dreams.

And today, she has made my dreams come true.

So I officially name Viking Sjofn.

May her crew and passengers always be safe, and may she always have a hand's width of water beneath her keel.

Our next ship is right here beside us, the Viking Haki.

Named after the Norse king, Haki was a formidable sea king and warrior.

Haki commanded a massive fleet and successfully led his warriors across the water to conquer new territories.

To name the Viking Haki, I'd like to welcome to the stage Carol Porter, co-owner of the Roaming Boomers, and with her, the future captain of the Viking Haki, Mr.

Maciej Borsokowski.

As a luxury cruise adviser and entrepreneur, Carol co-founded the Roaming Boomers with her husband, Dave, first as a travel blog, and later as a travel planning business serving discerning travelers around the world.

She and Dave have grown their travel services business into the number one advisors for Viking within the Virtuoso network.

Okay, here we go.

I first just want to say, this is such an incredible honor to be up here with these other godfathers and godmothers.

It is truly a dream come true.

Thank you, Tor.

Thank you, Karine, for creating the incredible company called Viking.

And a special thank you to Sandra, to Michelle.

The support that you have given us over the years has allowed us to build our Viking business to levels we never could have imagined.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I love you both.

Let's name this baby.

I name you Viking Haki.

May your passengers and crew always be safe.

May you always have a hand's width of water beneath your keel.

And finally, the last, but certainly not the least ship that we will name in today's ceremony is the Viking Rota.

Rota was a rebellious Valkyrie, one of the fierce warrior women known as the Choosers of the Slain, who served Odin.

In Norse mythology, the Valkyries escorted the souls to Valhalla.

To name the Viking Rota, I would like to welcome to the stage the Senior Director of Strategy, Partnership, and Sales at Expedia Cruises, Ealeen Wong.

Joining Ealeen is the captain of the Viking Rota, Mr.

Lyubo Nedkov.

Ealeen leads growth initiatives for cruise, tour, and insurance partners at Expedia, while supporting more than 7,500 travel advisors worldwide.

She is inspired by a multicultural upbringing and a family legacy of exploration.

A strategic and valued partner, Ealeen has helped develop Viking's relationships with Expedia Cruises and strengthened the business across the Canadian and US markets.

Ready to name your ship, Ealeen?

You bet.

There you go.

Now, every great journey begins with someone who dares to dream.

Tor, your vision to bring creativity and exploration within reach has helped millions of people discover not only new places, but also perspectives.

Thank you.

And thank you to Michelle and the entire team who has built Viking into what it is today, and for lifting all of us with you.

And to everyone who's celebrating here with us today, oh, you can see how excited my kids are there.

But to everyone celebrating with us here today, what a remarkable journey we are on.

And I just want to give a big shout-out to our vacation consultants who work day in and day out to create memories and customers for life.

And I and my family am so proud to be here today in honor of our beautiful ship, our captain, and our crew.

I think it's very fitting.

Rota was a fierce warrior, a bold leader.

Now, the moment we've all been waiting for, I name you Viking Rota.

May your passengers and crew always be safe, and may you always have a hand's width of water beneath your keel.

Godmothers and godfathers, thank you all for honoring your ships and gracing them with your well wishes.

And to mark this momentous milestone, another Viking tradition, we will hear two national anthems.

First, the national anthem of our native home, Norway, followed by the anthem of today's ship naming event, the Netherlands.

And to sing them, let me now invite to the stage someone who is not only- A Norwegian national treasure, but also a very cherished member of our extended Viking family.

She too is a godmother to one of our ocean ships, the Viking Jupiter, and is often described as having a voice as pure and as clear as a Norwegian mountain stream.

Please give a huge Viking welcome to the stage to the fabulous one and only Sissel.

Ja, vi elsker dette landet som det stiger frem.

Furet, værbitt over vannet vekk i tusen hjem.

Elsker, elsker det og tenker på vår far og mor.

Og den sagnakt som senker, drømme på vår jord.

Og den sagnakt som senker, senker drømme på vår jord.

Wilhelmus van Nassouwe ben ik, van Duitsen bloed.

Den vaderland getrouwe blijf ik, tot in den dood.

Een prins van Oranje ben ik, vrij onverweerd.

Den koning van Hispanje heb ik altijd geëerd.

Thank you, Sissel.

So ladies and gentlemen, our naming ceremony is drawing to a close.

But don't go away just yet, because as we always do, we will end this ceremony in a traditional manner with a beautiful song written by the Norwegian composer Ole Bull and sung for us once again by the dear Sissel. Å solen jeg ser, det skrider alt frem.

Snart er det ved hjemme se tide.

Og den som en stund fikk ønske seg hjem.

Blant folk som på kirkevei skrider.

Når kveldsolen stiger litt så den står.

Der midt over skaret i kammen.

Da vet jeg i dalen klokkene går.

Da ringer fra tårnet det samme.

Når kveldsolen stiger litt så den står.

Der midt over skaret i kammen.

Da vet jeg i dalen klokkene går.

Da ringer fra tårnet det samme.