expedition ships

Viking Takes Delivery Of First Expedition Ship

Viking has taken delivery of Viking Octantis, the company’s first of two new purpose-built expedition ships.

The delivery ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway. Viking Octantis hosts 378 guests and is setting sail toward South America to welcome guests in January 2022 for Viking’s first voyages to Antarctica.

Viking Octantis will be officially named in April 2022 in New York City by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the famed explorer and educator.

The ship will then make her way to the Great Lakes, for a series of voyages during spring and summer. A second, identical sister ship, Viking Polaris, joins the fleet in August 2022 for journeys to the Arctic and Antarctica.

“Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we welcome our first expedition ship to the fleet and usher in a new era of exploration. Our guests have asked us to build on our award-winning river and ocean voyages to take them further, and that is just what we have done,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.

“Leveraging our long history of destination-focused travel, enrichment and innovative ship design, we are now perfecting expedition voyages and offering curious travellers the opportunity to visit the world’s most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible.

“With the arrival of Viking Octantis, Viking is now exploring all seven continents, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board in the coming weeks.”

Viking’s new expedition ships were designed by Richard Riviere, Founding Principal of internationally acclaimed interior design firm Rottet Studio of Los Angeles, who also designed Viking’s award-winning Longships and ocean ships. SMC Design of London contributed with their expertise in the maritime sector.

The new Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms.

The new ships are purpose-built for expeditions, at an ideal size for safety, comfort and onboard amenities in remote destinations.

An integrated bow creates a longer waterline for the ships; state-of-the-art fin stabilizers allow the ships to glide over the waves for the calmest possible journey; ice-strengthened Polar Class hulls provide the safest way to explore, and U-tank stabilizers significantly decrease rolling by up to 50 percent when the ships are stationary.

The new ships feature the company’s signature Scandinavian design, with public areas that are favourites on Viking’s ocean ships, as well as new spaces created specifically for expeditions.

For more information, please visit www.viking.com.

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