The new Downton Abbey movie is everything fans of the beloved Downton Abbey TV series hoped for – and more.
All the characters are back, along with a few new ones to advance the plot.
Everything looks so much more grand and sumptuous on the big screen, from the crystal stemware to the crystal beading on the women’s evening clothes.
As with the series, you do not want the movie to end.
Viking Cruises is offering you the chance visit Highclere Castle, the filming location of the beloved show and film of the to see it in person, via not one but two sweepstakes that are FREE to enter.
Both give you private access to the castle and its wealth of history and furnishings.
The film revolves around a visit to Downton Abbey by the King and Queen.
The new characters are almost all part of the royal staff, and much of the plot also revolves around the tension between the royal staff and the Downton Abbey staff.
My favorite character continues to be the Dowager Duchess, portrayed by the incredibly wonderful Maggie Smith. Her acerbic put-downs and witheringly disapproving glances are the stuff of legend.
This is no spoiler alert – but the scene in which the elderly duchess curtsies deeply to the King and Queen and then requires assistance to get back up to standing is also the stuff of legend. It’s my personal favorite scene in the movie.
Viking has been a sponsor of the PBS series, which has earned it – and Viking passengers – special access to Highclere Castle, and that is at the heart of the sweepstakes offer.
From now until September 30, entrants have a chance to win a grand prize that includes roundtrip international Business Class air for two, an 8-day Paris & the Heart of Normandy river cruise and the 3-night land extension program visiting Oxford & Highclere Castle.
Starting October 1 through December 31, 2019, Viking offers another sweepstakes with additional chances to win the grand prize.
For years Viking has offered a variety of ways for its guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, the filming location of Downton Abbey.
In celebration of the film’s global premiere, the company has created a new Pre/Post Cruise Extension, Great Homes, Gardens & Gin, designed to give guests an exclusive look at several country estates that have served as the settings of acclaimed PBS and MASTERPIECE productions.
The program includes Viking’s Privileged Access® tour of Highclere Castle, as well as a visit to Broughton Castle, home to the influential Fiennes family, whose members include the renowned British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and actors Ralph Fiennes and Joseph Fiennes.
For more information and to enter, visit the Highclere Castle Sweepstakes page on Viking’s website here.
Viking also offers a five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt, a Pre-Cruise Extension for the Pharaohs & PyramidsNile River cruise itinerary, which gives guests an introduction to Egyptian antiquities in preparation for th Nile experience, and includes retracing the steps of the world’s most famous Egyptologist, Howard Carter, and his benefactor, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon.
Together, Carter and the Earl discovered the tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings.
There is a display of Egyptian artifacts at Highclere Castle.
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