Viking today announced that it has taken delivery of its second dedicated expedition cruise ship, the Viking Polaris.
The delivery ceremony took place this morning at Fincantieri's VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, where the first Viking Octantis expedition ship was delivered in December 2021. The Viking Polaris immediately set sail for Amsterdam, where she will be called by her ceremonial godmother on September 30. , polar explorer Ann Bancroft.
From Amsterdam, Viking Polaris will head to South America, and both ships will spend the Australian summer in Antarctica before traveling north to the Great Lakes for the spring and summer season.
"Today is a proud day for the Viking family as we welcome 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 Thorstein Hagen, Viking President. "The great explorer, Ann Bancroft, honored us by being godmother to Viking Polaris, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board later this week."
The new Polar-class ships Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris each accommodate 378 guests in 189 cabins. Highlights of both ships include:
- Aula panoramic hall for lectures, daily briefings, documentaries and films
- Finse Terrace outdoor lounge just above sea level with sunken seating and lava 'fire pits'
- State-of-the-art Marina Hangar
- Th Bov, a forward viewing platform and The Shelter, a partially enclosed warm-up area
- A scientific laboratory, where research activities are carried out and guests can learn and participate in research with scientists
- Expedition Central, the center for the expedition team that consults with guests about their expedition activities
- Manfredi's offers Italian cuisine and Mamsen's serves Scandinavian-inspired food
- Nordic spa with indoor heated pool and wooden sided hot tub that is open to the outdoors
- Research lounge with floor to ceiling windows
All cabins have a Nordic balcony — a sunroom that converts into an outdoor viewing platform, as well as glass-enclosed showers, heated bathroom floors and a closet for drying and storing clothing and expedition gear.
