Viking is the latest cruise line to announce that it will sail again this summer with a collection of initial itineraries around Bermuda and Iceland, as well as adding two additional cruises in the UK. All guests must be vaccinated to board.

The news follows Viking’s recent announcement that it would initially restart operations with domestic sailings in England for UK residents on board Viking Venus beginning in May – sailings that sold out within a week.

Among the other cruise lines that have recently announced summer sailing dates (outside of the US) include Crystal, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and Seabourn.

Viking says it has been working closely with officials in the UK, Bermuda, and Iceland for months, choosing the destinations due to their popularity among Viking guests, as well as their commitment to welcoming Viking ships.

The cruise line says it is also actively working on developing “Welcome Back” sailings in a variety of other destinations, including Greece, Turkey, and Malta, with the goal of announcing further 2021 sailings as soon as government approvals are given.

“We applaud the governments of the United Kingdom, Bermuda and Iceland for their collaboration and support in restarting the cruise industry safely,” said Viking chairman Torstein Hagen, adding, “No other travel company has implemented the same science-led approach that includes a vaccination requirement for all guests, plus frequent non-invasive saliva PCR testing among all guests and crew. Therefore, we believe there will be no safer way to travel the world than on a Viking voyage…”

All the cruises will be available exclusively to vaccinated passengers, in accordance with local entry rules in any destination visited. The measures will complement Viking’s stringent new health and safety protocol enhancements, which include a full-scale onboard laboratory on every ship; non-invasive saliva PCR tests at embarkation and frequently throughout the itinerary for guests and crew; new air purification technology on all Viking ships, and more.

For the new Bermuda Escape itinerary, Viking Orion will homeport in Hamilton for eight-day roundtrip itineraries. Viking Sky will similarly homeport in Reykjavik for eight-day roundtrip itineraries. Both itineraries will be available for a limited time this summer and can be booked now.