Viking Ocean Cruises has officially taken delivery of its first seagoing cruise ship, the new Viking Star. The presentation of the ship to the cruise line from the Fincantieri Italian shipyard marks the company’s entrance into the ocean cruise market after its success in the world of river cruising. The ship will embark on its first cruise on April 11, 2015 from Istanbul, Turkey into the Mediterranean making her way towards Bergen, Norway for her christening on May 17, 2015.
“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’s maiden voyage and christening now within sight, we are ready to bring our destination-focused experiences to ocean cruising.” Hagen has also expressed how Viking Ocean Cruises will be most renowned for one thing: enrichment.
The 47,800-ton, 930-passenger Viking Star will be an all-veranda ship with 465 cabins. The smaller ship design affords the opportunity for the vessel to access most ports with ease of embarkation and disembarkation. A complimentary excursion will be made available in every such port. The cruise ship will also feature a Scandinavian decor extending from the popular Viking river Longships design. To see more, check out Viking Star renderings by clicking here.
The Viking Star is one of three ocean cruise ships currently on order with the Viking Sea and Viking Sky to follow. For more information, visit Viking Ocean Cruises‘ website here.
HEADER IMAGE SOURCE: VIKING OCEAN CRUISES
Comments