Viking is one of the most renowned names in river cruising. The line is now looking to ocean cruise, with plans to launch as many as 11 new ships by 2027.
Viking River Cruises has, for many years, been one of the most recognisable names within the river cruising industry. Their huge fleet currently consists of more than 56 vessels, all of which traverse some of the most beautiful water passages in the world across regions including Europe, Russia and Asia. In 2013, Viking made the decision to expand into the ocean-cruise sector on the market, offering contemporary vessels with warm and comforting Scandinavian interiors.
Since the launch of the fleet’s first ocean-bound vessel, Viking Star, in 2015, the line has never looked back. Guests have travelled to some of the most amazing destinations in the world and enjoyed contemporary features including an infinity pool, a warm and inviting sauna and a contrastingly icy cold - yet refreshing - Snow Grotto. There has also been an emphasis placed upon space-per-passenger, with each ship accommodating no more than 1,000 passengers.
Viking Star was followed by three new ships, with Viking Sea launching in 2016, and Viking Sky and Viking Sun all launching both launching in 2017. These will be joined by the fifth and sixth additions to the fleet, Viking Orion and Viking Jupiter, in 2018 and 2019 respectively. It was then confirmed in April last year that the fleet would be bolstered by two new additions set to launch in 2021 and 2022 respectively, with the option to add a further two vessels.
In addition to all of this, news broke last week that the line has agreed a deal with the Fincantieri Shipyard to build an additional six new ocean ships. These ships will be delivered between 2024 and 2027 and could potentially see the fleet rise to a total of 16 vessels. This means that, between 2021 and 2027, a total of ten brand new ships will be added to the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet.
Viking Chairman, Torstein Hagen, said the vast order of ships is down to the positive feedback received from both passengers and the industry as a whole. “As we continue to expand our brand, we look forward to bringing guests to more destinations around the world and introducing them to the Viking way of exploration.”
Combining the 56-vessel river fleet with the possible total of 16 ocean-bound vessels, the total number of ships sailing under the Viking fleet could be as high as 72. This would be more than the majority of other cruise lines around the world and send out a clear message of intent.
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