Viking Octantis, the first of Viking’s two new purpose-built expedition ships, was handed over in a ceremony at at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, yesterday (22 December).
The ship, which hosts 378 guests, will now set sail toward South America to welcome guests in January for Viking’s first voyages to Antarctica.
She will then return in April to New York to be officially named by her ceremonial godmother, the explorer and educator Liv Arnesen, before heading to the Great Lakes for a series of spring and summer voyages.
“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,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking.”
Viking chairman Torstein Hagen at the Fincantieri shipyard in Søvikne for the delivery of Viking Octantis, top of page
“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 some of the world’s most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible.”
Identical sister ship, Viking Polaris, joins the fleet in August 2022 for journeys to the Arctic and Antarctica.