Viking’s second purpose-built expedition ship has now been delivered to Viking on September 27 at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway.
The 30,500-ton Viking Polaris will have several state-of-the-art features, with more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, just like its sister ship Viking Octantis.
Viking Takes Viking Octantis‘ Sister Ship
Viking Octantis‘ Sister Ship, 30,500-ton Viking Polaris, has now been received by Viking as the line’s second purpose-built expedition ship on Tuesday, September 27.
The delivery ceremony took place this morning at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, following suit of its sister ship Viking Octantis, which was delivered in December 2021 at the same location.
After the delivery ceremony, Polar-class Viking Polaris set sail toward Amsterdam to be named, sailing through the Great Lakes.
Read Also: Viking and Fincantieri Sign Deal for Four More Cruise Ships
Following Viking’s take of its new fleet member, Viking Polaris will be named on September 30 in Amsterdam by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, Norwegian explorer, lecturer, author, and educator.
The Chairman of Viking, Torstein Hagen said, “Today is a proud day for the Viking family as we welcome the Viking Polaris to our fleet. These are phenomenal ships, and we are very pleased with the positive reception from guests during the first season of our new expeditions.”
“The great explorer, Ann Bancroft, has honored us by serving as godmother to the Viking Polaris, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board later this week,” Hagen added.
Subsequently, the expedition ship will cruise to South America, before both sister ships spend the Austral summer in Antarctica.
Both Polar-class ships will then sail north to the Great Lakes for a series of expedition voyages for the spring and summer seasons.
Viking’s Polar-Class Ships
Currently, Viking has two Polar-class ships, the Atlantic sailing Viking Octantis and the new Viking Polaris, that host 378 guests in 189 staterooms.
These purpose-built ships for expeditions have detailed features such as The Aula, a panoramic auditorium inspired by the University of Oslo’s famed ceremonial hall, the former venue for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
They also have a state-of-the-art, industry-first in-ship sheltered marina, The Hangar, that provides ease of embarkation and disembarkation of Special Operations Boats.
Currently sailing the Atlantic Ocean, 30,114 gross ton Viking Octantis was built just one year ago, in 2021, and sails under the flag of Norway.
Recently, Viking Octantis sailed through the 27-mile-long Welland Canal, connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and received the honor as the largest passenger vessel ever to have made that transit.
Its sister ship, Viking Polaris has just been completed this year at 30,500 tons, primarily constructed at the Fincantieri Vard Tulcea shipyard in Romania.
Following its time in Romania, Viking Polaris was towed to the Vard Søviknes shipyard in Søvik, Norway for interior outfitting and final completion.
Read Also: Viking Cruises Celebrates 25 Years of Service
The sister ships have an environmentally friendly design that exceeds the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) requirements by nearly 38% and have received one of the industry’s first SILENT-E notations, the highest-level certification for quiet ship propulsion, minimizing underwater noise pollution.
Additionally, they have a first for polar expedition vessels, all staterooms on board Viking expedition ships feature a Nordic Balcony, a sunroom that converts into an al fresco viewing platform with an elbow-level observation shelf.
