By
Rebecca Gibson |
Viking Ocean Cruises took delivery of its third ship, Viking Sky, at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy on 26 January.
Viking Sky will embark on her maiden Mediterranean voyage from Civitavecchia in Rome, Italy on 25 February. After sailing spring itineraries throughout the western and eastern Mediterranean, Viking Sky will be officially christened under Norway’s midnight sun on 22 June in Tromsø – a nod to Viking’s Norwegian heritage.
Following the christening, Viking Sky will offer itineraries in Scandinavia and the Baltic before crossing the Atlantic in September to sail in the Americas and the Caribbean.
“In the past two years, we have been encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response our first two ocean ships have generated among our guests and travel industry partners,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “Today we mark an important milestone in welcoming the third ship to our fleet. By the end of 2017 – our 20th year in business – we will also welcome our fourth ship, doubling our fleet in less than a year.”
Viking Sky is the third of six ocean ships on order at Fincantieri. The first two – Viking Star and Viking Sea – have already launched and will be joined by Viking Sun in November 2017. The ship will spend her maiden season sailing the company’s first-ever World Cruise, which spans 141 days, five continents, 35 countries and 66 ports. Viking Spirit will join the fleet in 2018 and will sail itineraries in Australia, Asia and Alaska. A sixth, yet-to-be-named ship will be delivered in 2019 and will mark Viking as the largest small-ship ocean cruise line.
All six 930-guest feature Scandinavian-inspired interiors, five stateroom categories, a pool with retractable dome, a glass-backed infinity pool cantilevered off the stern, a two-deck Explorers’ Lounge at the bow, the Wintergarden, and a spa with a sauna and a traditional ‘snow grotto’.
Engineered to a small scale, the 47,800gt ships will be able to directly access most ports, providing an easy and efficient embarkation and debarkation process. They all feature energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimised streamlined hulls and bows for maximum fuel efficiency. In addition, onboard solar panels and equipment that minimises exhaust pollution will enable the vessels to meet strict environmental regulations.