By
Rebecca Gibson |
Viking Ocean Cruises will christen its two additional ocean ships Viking Sea and Viking Sky when they debut in 2016.
Bringing the total number of cruise ships in its new fleet to three, the two ships will join the 930-passenger Viking Star, which is currently under construction and due to debut in early 2015.
Engineered to a small scale, the all-veranda 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.
Featuring modern Scandinavian designs, the new ocean ships offer five stateroom categories – all with private verandas, king-size beds, large showers and LCD TVs – as well as 14 Explorer Suites, which have wrap-around private verandas. They also have a pool with a retractable dome roof; a glass-backed infinity pool, cantilevered off the ship’s stern; two-deck Explorers’ Lounge at the bow; the Wintergarden; and a spa with a sauna and a traditional ‘snow grotto’ where snowflakes descend from the ceiling through chilled air.
Each vessel offers multiple dining venues including The Restaurant and the World Café, which serve a variety of global cuisines and regional specialties, as well as The Chef’s Table, Italian Grill and The Kitchen Table. Passengers can enjoy a range of entertainment in the three-deck atrium, enrichment lectures in the Theater, an onboard cookery school and the Viking Piano Lounge.
“The introduction of Viking Star next year will represent a distinct change in ocean cruising – an alternative to the mega-liners dominating the world’s ports,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises. “It is our view that in the race to build enormous ships, some cruise lines have lost sight of the destinations to which they sail. Based on the incredible response we have received, it is clear that our guests want a new experience to truly explore their destinations.”
Viking first announced plans to expand into the ocean cruise segment last May, marking the travel industry’s first new ocean cruise line in nearly a decade. Leveraging extensive feedback and input from Viking River Cruises’ passengers, the ocean cruise itineraries have been designed to provide guests with maximum time in port, often with late evenings or overnights.
Viking Star, Viking Sky and Viking Sea will all sail in Scandinavia and the Baltic, as well as the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
Passengers travelling on the 15-day ‘Viking Homelands’ will sail to various northern European cities including overnights in Stockholm and St Petersburg, as well as days trips to Tallinn, Estonia, and Gdańsk, Poland.
Meanwhile, the line’s eight-day ‘Mediterranean Getaway’, allowing passengers to visit Sardinia, Pompeii, Carthage, Rome, Naples and Sicily, Italy; Tunisia; Mallorca, Valencia and Barcelona in Spain.
In addition, Viking will launch two new itineraries exploring the British Isles for 2016. The 15-day ‘Into the Midnight Sun’ cruise from Bergen, Norway, to London, UK, will enable guests to sail to the Arctic Circle, the Norwegian Fjords and Nordkapp, as well as the Shetland and Orkney Islands and Edinburgh in Scotland.
The 29-day ‘Baltic Jewels & the Midnight Sun’ cruise combines the ‘Viking Homelands’ and ‘Into the Midnight Sun’ voyages to enable passengers to visit 21 ports in ten countries. This includes Norway’s fjords and overnight stays in Stockholm, Sweden; St Petersburg, Russia; and Bergen, Norway.
Viking is also rapidly expanding its river product lines and last month announced it will launch 12 new river vessels in 2015, bringing the company’s total river fleet to 64 vessels.