Cruise line Viking has announced its newest ocean ship – the 930-guest Viking Neptune® – has been “floated out,” at the Fincanteri Shipyard in Ancona. This is a major construction milestone marking the first time the ship has touched water.
The traditional float out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard and is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. The float out of Viking Neptune began at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time on 13 January when a member of the Viking team cut a cord that allowed water to begin flowing into the ship’s building dock. Following the two day process that will set Viking Neptune afloat, she will be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.
“It is always a special day when a new ship meets water for the first time, and we look forward to welcoming guests on board the Viking Neptune this fall. Together with Fincantieri we have built the world’s most elegant vessels, which truly allow our guests to explore the world in comfort,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We are marking several milestones in 2022, including our 25th anniversary and the 10th year since starting our ocean project. With the arrival of the Viking Neptune and her identical sister ship, the Viking Mars, this year—along with the debut of our two new expedition ships and new river ships—we are proud to firmly establish Viking as the leading small ship travel company.”
“Viking Neptune” is the eighth of its class. It was designed by experienced naval architects and engineers, including an interior design team from London-based SMC Design, and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios, who gave the ship a modern design of Scandinavian elegance. In addition to the all-veranda staterooms, the ship also has luxurious suites with sweeping views. Onboard facilities include two pools, one an infinity pool at the sternand a spa designed according to the wellness philosophy of the Scandinavian tradition, with a sauna and a snow grotto.
Viking ships are all built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “safe return to port”. They also feature energy-efficient engines, optimized hydrodynamics and hull thereby reducing consumption, as well as systems which minimize pollution produced by exhaust gases, meeting the strictest environmental regulations.
Set to debut in November 2022, the Viking Neptune will spend her maiden season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean before embarking on the company’s 2023-2024 Viking World Cruise, a journey from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138 days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities.
To make a booking or for more information call 0800 458 69 00 or go to the Viking Website
If you don’t know the Viking brand at all you might like to watch our (pre -covid) video ships tour of the lovely Viking Jupiter