The first Viking Longships were named in March 2012, and the design has been refined rather than replaced ever since. Once you know how the ships are laid out, choosing a stateroom becomes much easier.
Ships designed for Europe's rivers
Most of Viking's European river cruises sail on a Longship, a 135 metre vessel carrying 190 guests in 95 staterooms. The design was a clever piece of thinking. By squaring off the bow and rearranging the corridors, Viking found room for full-size verandas and for what it calls river cruising's first true two room suites. The result is a ship that feels spacious without being large.
Not every river can take a ship that size. The Seine, the Douro and the Elbe each have their own limits on length, depth or the height of their bridges, so Viking has built ships specially for them. They share the same Scandinavian look and many of the same features, but they carry fewer guests and the stateroom mix is a little different. We set out the key differences below.
Whichever ship you sail on, every stateroom faces the river and there are no inside cabins. The figures on this page come from Viking's own ship pages, using Viking Jarl as our example Longship, and we have converted the sizes into metres where it helps. If a particular ship matters to you, email us and we will check the details for that sailing.
Take a look on board
Video: Viking Longships: A Closer Look (Viking Cruises)
The Longship family
Viking Longships (Rhine, Main, Danube, Moselle, Rhône, Bordeaux)
This is the ship most people picture when they think of Viking. Each Longship has 95 staterooms across five grades: 2 Explorer Suites, 7 Veranda Suites, 39 Veranda Staterooms, 22 French Balcony Staterooms and 25 Standard Staterooms. The Aquavit Terrace sits at the bow, the restaurant and lounge have floor-to-ceiling glass, and the sun deck has a putting green, a walking track and an organic herb garden.
Viking now has dozens of these sister ships, most named after figures from Norse mythology and the sagas, so the experience on Viking Jarl is very close to that on Viking Ingvi or Viking Hild. They sail the Rhine, Main, Danube and Moselle, the Dutch and Belgian waterways, the Rhône and Saône, and the rivers around Bordeaux. One practical point: the lift serves the Middle and Upper Decks only, so it does not reach the Standard staterooms.
- Guests190
- Staterooms95
- Length135 m (443 ft)
- Crew53
Seine Longships
The Seine ships are a shorter version of the Longship, built with custom hulls and engines for the river between Paris and Normandy. They carry 168 guests in 84 staterooms, and they keep the full range of grades, including two Explorer Suites, seven Veranda Suites and 35 Veranda Staterooms, with the same stateroom sizes as the standard Longships.
Their great advantage is the mooring in Paris, which Viking says is a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. The fleet includes Viking Kari, Viking Skaga, Viking Radgrid, Viking Fjorgyn, Viking Fjolvar and Viking Nerthus, which was named in October 2025.
- Guests168
- Staterooms84
- Length125 m (410 ft)
- Crew46
Douro ships
Portugal's Douro is a narrow, winding river with deep locks, so the Viking ships here are much smaller, carrying 106 guests in 53 staterooms. There are no Explorer Suites, but there are 11 Veranda Suites, the largest of them at 302 sq ft (about 28 square metres), and 24 Veranda Staterooms, so a high share of guests have their own outdoor space.
Unlike the standard Longships, these ships have a swimming pool on the sun deck, which is very welcome in the Douro Valley in summer. The fleet includes Viking Torgil, Viking Hemming, Viking Helgrim, Viking Osfrid and Viking Gyda, which was named in Porto in October 2025.
- Guests106
- Staterooms53
- Length80 m (262 ft)
- Crew33
Elbe ships: Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla
The Elbe can be shallow, so Viking built two sister ships for it, Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla, which entered service in 2015. They carry just 98 guests in 49 staterooms, made up of 2 Veranda Suites, 19 Veranda Staterooms, 14 French Balcony Staterooms and 14 Standard Staterooms.
The staterooms are a little smaller than on the Longships, and there are no Explorer Suites, but the ships keep the Aquavit Terrace at the bow, a sun deck with a shaded area and herb garden, and the same calm Scandinavian style. With so few guests on board, they feel especially relaxed.
- Guests98
- Staterooms49
- Length110 m (361 ft)
- Crew33
Staterooms and suites
Explorer Suite
The largest suites on a Longship, at 445 sq ft (about 41 square metres) including the veranda. There are only two on each ship, at the stern, with a separate sitting room, a French balcony in the bedroom and a wraparound veranda giving views of around 270 degrees. Viking's suite guests also enjoy extras such as early check-in and a welcome bottle of champagne.
Veranda Suite
A proper two room suite of 275 sq ft (about 26 square metres) including the veranda, with a sitting room that opens onto a full-size veranda and a bedroom with its own French balcony. There are seven on a standard Longship, and they are popular with travellers who like to spread out.
Veranda Stateroom
At 205 sq ft (about 19 square metres) including the veranda, this is the most common grade on a Longship. A floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opens onto a full-size veranda with room to sit outside and watch the river go by.
French Balcony Stateroom
These measure 135 sq ft (about 13 square metres) and have a floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door that opens to a rail rather than a balcony you can step onto. You get fresh air and a wide view at a lower price than a veranda.
Standard Stateroom
Slightly larger than a French Balcony Stateroom at 150 sq ft (about 14 square metres), with a half-height picture window rather than a door. They are on a deck the lift does not reach, and they are the best value way to sail.
Dining and public spaces
Aquavit Terrace
Found at the bow, this indoor and outdoor space is where many guests end up as the ship sails. You can have breakfast or lunch in the open air, take a drink out to watch a castle slide past, or simply sit and enjoy the view ahead.
Restaurant
The main restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can see the river from almost every table.
Lounge and bar
The lounge is the social centre of the ship, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, a bar and plenty of comfortable seating. It is where port talks and evening music usually take place.
Sun deck
On a standard Longship the sun deck has 360 degree views, a shaded sitting area, an organic herb garden, a putting green and a walking track. On the Douro ships it also has a swimming pool.
Library
A quiet corner with books and the onboard shop alongside, ideal for an hour with a guidebook or a nap in an armchair between excursions.
Wi-Fi and technology
Wi-Fi is free throughout the ship, although speeds vary depending on where the ship is on the river. It is fine for email and messages but not always quick enough for streaming.
Built for the Douro
Video: Viking Douro Ships: A Closer Look (Viking Cruises)
Viking Longships: questions answered
A standard Viking Longship carries 190 guests in 95 staterooms. The ships built for particular rivers are smaller: the Seine Longships carry 168 guests, the Douro ships 106, and the Elbe ships Viking Astrild and Viking Beyla carry 98. All of them feel relaxed rather than crowded.
A standard Longship is 443 feet long, about 135 metres, which is close to the maximum size for many European rivers and locks. The Seine ships are 410 feet (about 125 metres), the Elbe ships 361 feet (about 110 metres) and the Douro ships 262 feet (about 80 metres).
If you like to sit outside, a Veranda Stateroom is the sweet spot for most people. A French Balcony gives you fresh air for less, while a Standard Stateroom is a little larger and cheaper still, though it has a window rather than a door. Tell us how you like to travel and we will suggest the right grade.
Yes, but on a standard Longship it serves the Middle and Upper Decks only. Standard Staterooms are on a deck the lift does not reach, so if stairs are a concern we would suggest a higher grade.
Yes. Viking's Douro ships have a swimming pool on the sun deck, along with a shaded seating area, a herb garden and a putting green. It is a real bonus in the Douro Valley, where summer days are often very hot.
They share the same design and style, but they are built to suit their rivers. The Seine ships are shorter and carry 168 guests. The Elbe ships are smaller again, carrying 98 guests, and have no Explorer Suites. Daily life on board feels much the same.
No. Every stateroom on a Viking river ship faces the river, from the Standard grade with its picture window up to the Explorer Suites with their wraparound verandas. Even the most affordable grade gives you natural light and a view of the passing scenery.