VIKING’S newest ocean ship Viking Neptune has been named in Los Angeles by American engineer and retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott. The new 930-guest Neptune was named during the 2022-2023 Viking World Cruise, before she departed for Honolulu. Stott used a historic Viking broad axe during the ceremony to cut...
VIKING’S newest ocean ship Viking Neptune has been named in Los Angeles by American engineer and retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott.
The new 930-guest Neptune was named during the 2022-2023 Viking World Cruise, before she departed for Honolulu.
Stott used a historic Viking broad axe during the ceremony to cut a ribbon, that allowed a bottle of Norwegian aquavit to break on Neptune’s hull.
Prior to the ribbon cutting, the axe was presented to Stott by Norwegian soprano Sissel Kyrkjebo, the godmother of Viking Jupiter, who used it when naming her ship in Jan 2020 (CW 17 Jan 2020).
Guests of the occasion also enjoyed performances from Sissel and violinist Tor Jaran Apold.
Although identical to Viking’s other ocean ships, Neptune is uniquely equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the cruise industry’s first ship to test the use of hydrogen power for on board operations.
Viking is using the system as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel could be used at a larger scale in future newbuilds.
The naming of Neptune comes at a time of record sales for Viking, with the launch of the cruise line’s new 25th Anniversary Sale on 01 Jan, resulting in the highest number of bookings in one week in its history.
Pictured at the ceremony are Chair Torstein Hagen; Viking Orion godmother Anna Fisher; Stott; Neptune Captain Erik Saabye; renowned longship builder Geir Rovik; NASA astronauts Richard Linehan & Ron Garan; and Viking EVP Karine Hagen.
