Viking Ocean Cruises have just taken delivery of their first ship ever, the Viking Star. Her sisters, Viking Sea and Viking Sky are set to make their debut’s next year.
from Viking:
Viking Ocean Cruises announced it took delivery of Viking Star, marking the company’s official arrival into the ocean cruise industry. The delivery ceremony took place on March 28 when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard outside of Venice, Italy. On April 11, Viking Star will set sail from Istanbul and will make her way through the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic on her way to be officially christened on May 17 in Bergen, Norway.
“This has been a remarkable journey, and I am grateful to everyone at Viking and Fincantieri who has worked tirelessly to turn our vision into reality,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “With Viking Star’smaiden voyage and christening now within sight, we are ready to bring our destination-focused experiences to ocean cruising.”
Classified by Cruise Critic as a “small ship,” the all-veranda Viking Star has a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, boasts 465 cabins and will accommodate 930 passengers. It is engineered at a scale that allows direct access into most ports, so guests have an easy and efficient embarkation and debarkation. Light-filled with modern Scandinavian décor, the ship was designed by experienced nautical architects and engineers, including the same interior design team responsible for the award-winning fleet of Viking Longships®. Viking Star is one of three ocean cruise ships on order; the remaining two ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, are currently under construction.
Viking Ocean Cruises guests will enjoy curated itineraries that are designed to best showcase the destinations that they visit, with a complimentary excursion in each port and an onboard cultural enrichment program that includes academic lecturers, local speakers and interactive demonstrations.