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Viking announced its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vesta®, was “floated out,” marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water. Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vesta has a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons, with 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests. The ship is scheduled to debut in July 2025 and will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.
“It is always a good day when a new ship meets water for the first time,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Over the last decade, we have built the world’s most elegant small ocean ships together with Fincantieri. As we prepare to welcome the Viking Vesta next summer, as well as her identical sister ship, the Viking Vela, this autumn, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to the Viking way of exploration.”
The traditional float out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. The float out of the Viking Vesta began on 4 July at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time when the Viking team cut a cord that signalled water to flow into the ship’s building dock. Following a two-day process that will set the Viking Vesta afloat, she will then be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.
With a clear focus on creating experiences for The Thinking Person, Viking does not try to be all things to all people. This approach has resonated with guests, and in 2023, Viking was rated #1 for Oceans, as well as #1 for Rivers and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveller in the most recent Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking was also named Best Boutique Ocean Cruise Line by readers of The Telegraph in the 2023 Telegraph Travel Awards and Best Premium or Luxury Ocean Cruise Line by Silver Travel Advisor.
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