VIKING has celebrated its partnership with shipbuilder Fincantieri, in the naming of its newest ocean vessel Viking Vela.
The 998-guest ship was named in Fincantieri’s hometown of Trieste, with the shipbuilder’s VP & Project Manager, Cruise Business Unit, Ivana Elice, serving as the ceremonial godmother, having overseen the design and engineering of Viking’s ocean ships for 12 years.
Elice was presented with a historic Viking broad axe by Metropolitan Opera Chair Ann Ziff, who also served as the godmother of Viking Saturn.
The same axe was previously used in the naming of Saturn in Jun 2023 (CW 08 Jun 2023).
After the presentation, Elice pressed a button that allowed a bottle of Norwegian aquavit to break on the ship’s hull.
The naming also saw guests enjoy performances by Sissel Kyrkjebo, one of the world’s leading crossover sopranos, and godmother of Viking Jupiter, as well as acclaimed Italian singer Alessandro Safina.
“We are proud to welcome the Viking Vela to our growing, award-winning fleet,” Chair & Chief Executive Officer Torstein Hagen declared.
“With Fincantieri as our partner, we believe we have built the world’s most elegant fleet of small ocean ships.
“We thank Ivana Elice for being the godmother of the Viking Vela…in her role at Fincantieri, she has cared for our ocean ships during their construction just as a godmother would, and we are very appreciative of her contributions as a member of the extended Viking family.”
Vela, which was delivered to the cruise line last week (CW 04 Dec), will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries during the offseason in the Mediterranean Sea, before continuing on to Northern Europe.
The ship features 499 staterooms, all of which have verandas; as well as elegant Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces, and abundant al fresco dining options.
It has been a strong few months for Viking, which last month reported an increase of 11.4% in total revenue for the third quarter of 2024, or US$171.9 million compared to the same period last year (CW 20 Nov). MS
Pictured are Karen and Torstein Hagen with Elice and Ziff.