LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2026--
Viking ® ( www.viking.com ) (NYSE: VIK) today announced that its 2028–2029 expedition voyages are now open for booking, featuring newly released departure dates across the company’s most popular itineraries in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Great Lakes. Designed for immersive exploration in some of the world’s most remote regions, the expanded offerings include additional sailings of Viking’s epic Longitudinal World Cruises, which journey between the Great Lakes and Antarctica, as well as the unique Into the Antarctic Circle itinerary, offering guests the rare opportunity to cross the 66°33′ line of latitude into the Antarctic Circle—an honored milestone among polar explorers.
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“Our guests are curious travelers who seek meaningful experiences and a deeper connection to the destinations they visit,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Our expedition voyages are designed to bring them closer to the natural world through immersive exploration and discovery, alongside scientists and destination experts. We are pleased to offer even more opportunities in the years to come.”
The 2028–2029 deployment expands the company’s expedition offerings in the polar regions on the Viking Octantis® and her identical sister ship, the Viking Polaris®, with itineraries including:
Viking’s Award-Winning Expedition Ships
The Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms and are built specifically for exploration. Optimally designed for comfort in remote destinations, the ships offer more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels—bringing guests closer to the most spectacular scenery on Earth.
Booking Details
From now through May 31, 2026, Viking’s Spring Sale offers North American travelers up to 30 percent off fares and up to free international airfare on select 2026–2029 river, ocean and expedition itineraries—and a $25 deposit for all itineraries. Call Viking toll-free at 1-855-8-VIKING (1-855-884-5464) or contact a travel advisor for details.
Media Assets
For more information about Viking, or for images and b-roll, please contact vikingpr@edelman.com.
About Viking
Viking (NYSE: VIK) is a global leader in experiential travel with a fleet of more than 100 ships, exploring 21 rivers, five oceans and all seven continents. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences For The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers and #1 for Oceans five years in a row by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated a “World’s Best” by Travel + Leisure —no other travel company has simultaneously received such honors by both publications. For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com.
Viking today announced that its 2028–2029 expedition voyages are now open for booking, featuring newly released departure dates across the company’s most popular itineraries in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Great Lakes. Pictured here, a Viking expedition ship off of Mackinac Island while sailing through the Great Lakes region. For more information, visit www.viking.com.
Viking today announced that its 2028–2029 expedition voyages are now open for booking, featuring newly released departure dates across the company’s most popular itineraries in the Arctic, Antarctica and the Great Lakes. Pictured here, a Viking expedition ship sailing in Antarctica. For more information, visit www.viking.com.
New York (AP) — Whether dressed in a jewel-encrusted skeletal form, sculpted breast plates or anatomy-evoking trompe l’oeil, Met Gala guests physically evoked the theme “fashion is art” Monday evening as they masterfully pulled from a kaleidoscope of references to embody living works of art.
“Everyone who attended the Met Gala this year really leaned into fashion is art, using your body as a canvas, and that really came across in some of the best-dressed looks of the night,” said Kevin Huynh, fashion director of InStyle.
Fashionable A-listers gave into the theme and had fun with it. First-time Met Gala attendees included actors Chase Infiniti and Hudson Williams, as well as Olympian Alysa Liu, all of whom commanded the carpet in dramatic ensembles. Infiniti, for example, donned an enchanting Thom Browne sequined gown using trompe l’oeil to depict the female form.
Meanwhile, Met Gala mega stars and repeat attendees rose to the occasion: Vogue red-carpet correspondent Emma Chamberlain playfully dressed in a dramatic long-sleeved gown that appeared dipped in a rainbow of color from indigo to the brightest yellow-gold. And after 10 years of skipping the Gala, Beyoncé arrived to reclaim her throne, wearing a glittering crown and radiant Olivier Rousteing silver gown designed in the shape of a skeleton.
Maybe it was the theme or something in the air, but Met Gala guests ran with the dress code, embracing color, sculpture and a plethora of artistic references from Gustav Klimt and John Singer Sargent to the Winged Goddess of Samothrace.
Madonna even delivered performance art on the carpet, arriving with seven women carrying her cape, which was attached to her pirate-ship headpiece in reference to a painting by Leonora Carrington.
“The Met Gala has finally settled the question of ‘Is fashion art?’” said Nancy Hall-Duncan, an art historian and author of “Art X Fashion: Fashion Inspired by Art. “It is, according to the Met Gala, Anna Wintour and Andrew Bolton.”
For Lynette Nylander, executive digital director of Harper’s Bazaar, there were wins from Infiniti to Cardi B, though some guests steered more toward costume than couture. Heidi Klum, for example, arrived in full costume as a statue.
“It was the kind of loudest Met Gala that we’ve seen in a while, probably since the ‘Camp’ theme,” Nylander said. “It felt very ostentatious."
Despite all the artistic opportunities to draw from, some celebrities chose sophisticated all-black looks instead of color. Zoë Kravitz and Connor Storrie both wore black custom Yves Saint Laurent.
Yet the examples in solid black only amplified the more colorful ensembles, like Chamberlain's hand-painted Mugler dress with cascading fringe sleeves and a spiral deep rainbow train.
“It looked like an artist’s palette and it’s just stunning, colorful and interesting,” Hall-Duncan said. “This isn’t addressing a specific painting. It’s addressing the whole concept of color in artistic work.”
Artistic illusions of the body stood out throughout the night, with celebrities playing with the dress code and the “Costume Art” exhibit inside the Metropolitan Museum, which examines the dressed body and thematic body types.
Naomi Osaka wowed in a white Robert Wun overcoat featuring tiny slits that allowed a glimpse of her sparkling red dress underneath. In a dazzling red carpet moment, Osaka removed the overcoat to reveal a two-toned red gown with the human anatomy beaded into the dress. Nylander said designer Wun was one of several independent designers who dominated the carpet, dressing stars including the tennis pro and singer Lisa.
Actor Jeremy Pope was on theme for the menswear look of the night. Pope sported a Vivienne Westwood corseted jacket filled in with pearls in the shape of a chest.
And fashion darling Colman Domingo is never one to disappoint with his menswear attire.
“He was wearing a Valentino look that was color blocked in these beautiful tulle squares that were really reminiscent of Pablo Picasso’s harlequin paintings,” Huynh said. "I thought that was such a clever way to tap into the artistic side of things, whereas Hudson Williams, hot off all the ‘Heated Rivalry’ madness, wore a matador-inspired look that really harkened back to Cristóbal Balenciaga's Spanish roots.”
Several Olympians hit gold twice for taking risks with their looks. Bubbles filled the carpet as Olympian free style skier Eileen Gu walked up the steps in her mini Iris van Herpen dress covered with bubbles. Lindsey Vonn made a surprise appearance following multiple surgeries after a fracture took her out of the Winter Olympics.
Other athletes on the carpet included NFL players Joe Burrow and Justin Jefferson.
NFL Fashion Editor Kyle Smith, who dressed Burrow in a custom navy Bode look, said the Met Gala allows athletes to shine off the field.
“It’s this opportunity to express yourself and when you put on your uniform and your helmet, you’re part of a team and you’re working toward this really big shared goal,” he said. “But when you’re dressing for the tunnel or any red carpet event, it’s an opportunity to express themselves and show their identity.”
The night's fashion put a spotlight on some underlying politics: Billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos sponsored the gala and exhibit and served as honorary chairs, prompting some protests and a few absences.
Their involvement added another layer of interest in some of the fashion choices of the night. Actor Sarah Paulson arrived in a Matières Fécales gray tulle gown from their collection titled “The One Percent," which she accessorized with a $1 bill mask covering her eyes.
Chase Infiniti departs The Mark Hotel prior to attending The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
Naomi Osaka arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Naomi Osak arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Chase Infiniti arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Emma Chamberlain arrives at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Jay-Z, from left, Beyoncé, and, Blue Ivy Carter arrive at The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating the opening of the "Costume Art" exhibition on Monday, May 4, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
