By
Alice Chambers |
Viking has taken delivery of its newest ocean ship Viking Saturn from Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy.
The vessel is part of the line’s fleet of eight identical sister ships and accommodates 930 guests across 465 staterooms.
Viking Saturn will be officially named in New York City on 6 June 2023 by philanthropist Ann Ziff, who was chosen as godmother to reflect Viking’s ongoing support to the culture and arts industries.
“I am delighted to serve as godmother of the Viking Saturn,” said Ziff, who is also the current chairman of the Metropolitan Opera, which is a cultural partner for Viking. “For those who are curious about the world, there is no better way to explore and immerse yourself than from the comfort of a Viking ship.”
The line’s partnership with the Metropolitan Opera allows it to offer the Live in HD series to guests for entertainment onboard its ships. Viking also holds other partnerships and sponsorships to support its cultural programming including with Classic FM, the British Museum, the Royal Academy of Arts, Opera Holland Park, TED and more.
“We are very proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “We are also grateful that Ann Ziff has honoured us by serving as godmother of the Viking Saturn. Having travelled with us for years, Ann is a loyal Viking guest, and she shares our commitment to the arts and cultural enrichment. Her contributions to the Metropolitan Opera, one of our long-time cultural partners, as well as many other important causes are truly impressive.”
Following the naming ceremony, the vessel will spend its inaugural summer sailing Viking’s new ‘Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada’ and ‘Iceland & Norway’s Arctic Explorer’ itineraries.
Read more about Viking Saturn’s maiden season here.
The arrival of Viking Saturn coincides with Viking’s 25th anniversary and is the 18th ship to join the line’s fleet since 2020.