Viking celebrates float out of latest ocean ship milestone

Friday, December 1, 2023

Today, Viking revealed the exciting news of the “float out” of its latest ocean vessel, the 998-guest Viking Vela—a significant construction milestone as the ship touched water for the first time. Set to make its debut in December 2024, the Viking Vela is gearing up for its inaugural season with voyages through the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking, expressed pride in the partnership with Fincantieri, stating, “Together with Fincantieri, we have constructed the world’s most elegant ocean vessels, and witnessing our newest ship meet water for the first time is always a moment of great pride.” Highlighting the unique aspects of Viking’s offerings, Hagen added, “Our small, elegant ocean ships consistently top rankings by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. Viking stands out not only for what we offer but also for what we intentionally avoid—no children, no casinos, and no nickel and diming. We eagerly anticipate welcoming the Viking Vela to our award-winning fleet next year, introducing more curious travelers to the Viking way of exploration.”

The traditional float-out ceremony unfolded at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, signifying the ship’s transition to its final construction stage. The Viking Vela’s float-out commenced around 11:00 a.m. local time, marked by the cutting of a cord that allowed water to flow into the ship’s building dock. Over the next two days, the vessel will be set afloat and subsequently moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior completion.

Classified as a small ship, the Viking Vela boasts a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons and accommodates 499 staterooms for up to 998 guests. It will join the esteemed ocean fleet of sister ships, including the Viking Star®, Viking Sea®, Viking Sky®, Viking Orion®, Viking Jupiter®, Viking Venus®, Viking Mars®, Viking Neptune®, and Viking Saturn®.

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