TRAVEL ADVENTURES . . . VIKING TAKES DELIVERY OF NEWEST OCEAN SHIP The Viking Mars Will Be Named on May 17 by the Countess of Carnarvon of Highclere Castle Viking® ( www.viking.com) today announced it has taken delivery of the company’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Mars®. The delivery ceremony took place this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. The Viking Mars will now make her way to Valletta, Malta, where she will be officially named on May 17, 2022—Norwegian Constitution Day—by her ceremonial godmother, Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon. The ship will then sail itineraries in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Northern Europe before repositioning at the end of the year for voyages around Australia and New Zealand. “As we celebrate our 25th anniversary and a year of important milestones for Viking, today we are very proud to welcome the newest ocean ship to our award-winning fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “Lady Carnarvon has honored us by serving as godmother to the Viking Mars, and we look forward to welcoming guests on board this beautiful new sister ship in the coming weeks.” Viking and Highclere Castle For years Viking has offered a variety of ways for its guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, which is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Highclere Castle is known as the filming location of Downton Abbey, and Viking became a household name during its sponsorship of the celebrated series MASTERPIECE through the years Downton Abbey aired on PBS. Viking Executive Vice President Karine Hagen worked closely with the Carnarvon family to develop Privileged Access® Pre/Post Extensions that feature the estate, including the highly-rated Oxford & Highclere Castle and Great Homes, Gardens & Gin extensions, both of which are available for guests on select river and ocean voyages. Also, for guests on the popular Pharaohs & Pyramids Nile River itinerary, Viking offers the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt Pre Extension, which gives guests an introduction to Egyptian antiquities in preparation for their Nile experience—and includes retracing the steps of the world’s most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor, the 5 th Earl of Carnarvon. Guests experience Privileged Access to archives and museum exhibits not normally accessible to the public, and at Highclere Castle, have the opportunity to view the Earl’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts. Lady Carnarvon has also welcomed viewers to Highclere Castle on Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, Viking.TV ( www.viking.tv). In her ongoing series, At Home at Highclere, Lady Carnarvon offers virtual Privileged Access to the historic home and its grounds. In the past two years, she has led more than 20 virtual tours and offered glimpses of life at her home. Additionally, Lady Carnarvon has served as godmother to a Viking Longship, the Viking Skadi, which sails Viking’s popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers. The Viking Mars The delivery of the Viking Mars comes as Viking continues to mark its 25 th anniversary. In January 2022, the company launched Viking Expeditions and its first purpose-built Polar Class vessel, the Viking Octantis®; in March 2022, the company named eight new European river ships during a special event in Paris. By the end of the year, Viking will have also welcomed a second identical expedition ship, another identical ocean ship, and new purpose-built vessels for the Nile, Mekong and Mississippi rivers. The Viking Mars is the newest ship in Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of identical sister ships. Classified by Cruise Critic as “small ships,” Viking’s ocean vessels have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, with 465 staterooms that can host 930 guests; the ships feature all veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options. About Viking Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers guests The Thinking Person’s Cruise® in contrast to mainstream cruises. With more than 250 awards to its name, Viking has been rated the #1 River Cruise Line and #1 Ocean Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking has also been consistently rated the #1 ocean cruise line and one of the best river cruise lines in Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” Awards. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv. ____________________________________________________________________ James Joyce's Ulysses turns 100 Even after 100 years, Joyce's most famous book is still
the perfect guidebook to Dublin city June 12-18, 2022 By the time Ulysses was published, Joyce was 40, had lived and travelled all over the world, and was already known for writing Dubliners and The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. But it is his modernist retelling of Homer’s Odyssey that has left the most lasting legacy. With its own annual festival – Bloomsday – and fans from Salman Rushdie to Jack Kerouac and George Orwell, Ulysses changed the literary world forever. Now, a century on, we celebrate 100 years of Joycean genius. Who was James Joyce?
Born in Dublin in 1882, James Augustine Aloysius Joyce became one of the most influential, innovative and best-known writers of the 20th century. After graduating University College Dublin, he met his muse (eventual wife), Nora Barnacle. So central was she to his life and writing that 16 June, the anniversary of their first date, is when Bloomsday is celebrated each in Dublin year – but we’ll get to that later! “For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world.” Ulysses's Dublin
One of the things that has kept Ulysses so alive in people’s hearts and minds is its faithfulness to its home city. From stopping to feed the seagulls off O’Connell Bridge, to touring Glasnevin Cemetery and admiring the National Library of Ireland, any reader can come to Dublin and arrive straight into a scene from the novel. In his own words, Joyce declared, “When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart”. His work certainly delivered on that promise. Beyond Ulysses
Of course, Ulysses is just part of Joyce’s literary catalogue. Although a prolific writer, best known for this novel, and three other main works: Dubliners (published in 1914), The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), and Finnegans Wake (1939). Each has its own devoted audience, despite (or because of!) Joyce’s reputation for being a difficult, at times even impenetrable writer. If you’re wondering where to start, Dubliners, a collection of 15 short stories based on the Irish middle class in the early 20th century, is probably the most accessible. But don’t give up on Finnegans Wake: once you build up to it with the rest of Joyce’s work, it’s well worth the journey! Bloomsday Festival 2022
www.ireland.com/en-us/things-to-do/events/bloomsday-festival please visit www.Ireland.com |
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