Viking vessel will be christened in Portsmouth on 17 May and begin cruises around England
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Viking’s new ocean cruise ship Viking Venus has arrived in the UK for the first time ahead of her christening, which will take place on 17 May with her godmother, British broadcaster and journalist Anne Diamond.
The 930-guest ship, which was delivered by Fincantieri in April, called at Portsmouth International Port with Viking’s chairman Torstein Hagen onboard.
“We are delighted to be here,” he said. “The UK government is leading the way with its sensible approach to the safe return of cruising and has helped us all put hope back on the horizon. Viking was the first cruise line to suspend operations in March 2020 and, after 14 months of keeping our ships in warm lay-up, we are looking forward to ushering in this new era.”
Viking Venus will welcome her first guests on 22 May when she embarks on a series of ‘England’s Scenic Shores’ roundtrips from Portsmouth with fully vaccinated UK residents. Offered as part of Viking’s Welcome Back collection, the itineraries will take guests to Liverpool, the Isles of Scilly, Falmouth and Portland. This summer, Viking Venus will reposition to the Mediterranean and homeport in Valletta, Malta alongside her sister ship Viking Sea. Both vessels will sail cruises to destinations around the Mediterranean, which will be available for UK guests, subject to the UK Government’s rules on international travel.
“As a proud seafaring nation, it is fitting that the UK is where Viking will restart operations globally and, with its rich naval and shipbuilding history dating back more than 800 years, we are thrilled that Portsmouth is Viking Venus’s maiden port of call, especially as it is the place Viking Venus will call home for the next two months,” said Wendy Atkin-Smith, managing director of Viking UK.
Viking will celebrate the launch of Viking Venus by hosting a show following the ship’s journey on Viking.TV, its digital enrichment channel, at 7pm GMT on 17 May. This will be followed by a week of exclusive programming, including Anne Diamond’s weekly livestream on 20 May. Access is free and open to all.