Cruise line Viking has announced that its newest ocean ship, the 998-guest Viking Vela, has floated out, marking an important construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.
Viking Vela‘s traditional float out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy on November 30. A cruise ship’s float out marks the point when the ship moves into its final stage of construction.
Viking Vela’s float out ceremony
At approximately 11 AM local time, the Viking team snipped a rope that signaled water to flow into the ship’s building dock. Following a two-day floatation process, the Viking Vela will be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for her final construction and interior build-out.
“Together with Fincantieri, we have built the world’s most elegant ocean vessels, and it is always a proud day when our newest ship meets water for the first time,” said Viking’s chairman Torstein Hagen.
“Our small, elegant ocean ships are ranked #1 by both Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler. We are different than other lines because of all that we do, but Viking also stands apart for all that we do not do. No children. No casinos. No nickel and diming. We look forward to welcoming the Viking Vela to our award-winning fleet next year and introducing even more curious travelers to the Viking way of exploration,” Hagen told guests during the ceremony.
About Viking Vela
Considered a small ship by cruise standards, the Viking Vela has a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons, with 499 staterooms that can accommodate 998 cruisers at maximum capacity.
Debuting in December 2024, Viking Vela will spend her inaugural season cruising in the Mediterranean as well as in Northern Europe.
She will join Viking’s ocean fleet of sister ships, which includes Viking Star, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Orion, Viking Jupiter, Viking Venus, Viking Mars, Viking Neptune, and Viking Saturn.
More news about Viking
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- Viking Announces New Treasures of the Rhine Itinerary and Extra Christmas Market Dates
- Viking Announces 2024-2025 World Cruise Itineraries on Viking Sky
- Viking Neptune Named by NASA Astronaut Nicole Stott
Have you sailed with Viking on an ocean cruise? Are you excited about cruising on the upcoming Viking Vela when she debuts next year? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
