By
Rebecca Gibson |
Finantieri’s Marghera shipyard held a plate-cutting ceremony to mark the start of the construction of Viking Ocean Cruises’ Viking Star on 6 June.
The ceremony was attended by Torstein Hagen, founder and CEO of Viking, as well as Fincantieri’s Gabriele Cocco, executive senior vice president of merchant vessels, and Attilio Dapelo, the Marghera yard manager.
Fincantieri signed a contract for the 944-passenger Viking Star in 2012, while a second ship is scheduled for delivery in 2016. The yard has also signed a tentative agreement with Viking for the construction of two additional passenger vessels, with an option for two more
London-based SMC Design and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios have designed the vessel’s interior, which will feature a pool with retractable dome, a glass-backed infinity pool cantilevered off the stern and a holistic wellness spa. A range of indoor and outdoor dining venues with global cuisine will also be available. Passengers will be able to enjoy music in the three-deck atrium, the Viking Piano Lounge Explorers’ Lounge and Wintergarden, as well as enrichment lectures in the Star Theatre and onboard cooking sessions.
The 14-deck ship will have five stateroom categories, all with private verandas, and 14 Explorer Suites.
Viking Star is scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2015.