Viking has taken delivery of the Viking Polaris®, the company’s second purpose-built expedition ship.
The delivery ceremony took place on 27 September at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, where Viking’s first expedition ship, the Viking Octantis®, was delivered in December 2021.
The Viking Polaris immediately set sail toward Amsterdam, where she will be named on 30 September by her ceremonial godmother, Ann Bancroft, one of the world’s preeminent polar explorers.
The Viking Octantis will also be named on 30 September by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the world-renowned Norwegian explorer, lecturer, author and educator.
From Amsterdam, the Viking Polaris will make her way to South America, and both ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before travelling north to the Great Lakes for a series of voyages.
“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,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.
“The great explorer, Ann Bancroft, has honoured us by serving as godmother to the Viking Polaris, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board later this week.”
The new Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms.
The vessels are purpose-built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety and comfort in remote destinations.
With more indoor and outdoor viewing areas than other expedition vessels, guests are as close as possible to the most magnificent scenery on earth.
Viking Polaris’ inaugural voyage will be an epic journey from Amsterdam to Antarctica over the course of 36 days.
View the full itinerary here: https://www.vikingcruises.co.
View an interview with Ann and the godmother of Viking Octantis, Liv Arnesen, on Viking.TV here.
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