Viking have proudly announced it has taken delivery of the company’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela.
Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vela has 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests.
Viking Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen said the Viking Vela joins the company’s growing fleet of award-winning ocean ships and will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.
“We are proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet,” he said.
“Together with our partner Fincantieri, we have built the world’s most elegant small ocean ships.”
“With the arrival of our newest vessel, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to the Viking way of exploration.”
He said Viking was working on a project for a partial hybrid propulsion system for future ocean ships based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, which could allow the company to operate at zero-emission in the Norwegian Fjords and other sensitive environments.
While the Viking Vela has a traditional propulsion platform, she is considered hydrogen-ready and can be retrofitted in the future.
The delivery ceremony took place when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy.
The naming of the Viking Vela also served as a celebration of Viking’s longtime partnership with Fincantieri, which is one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups and is based in Trieste.
With its rich maritime history, Trieste is considered the endpoint to the maritime Silk Road and is now Italy’s most important commercial port.
“With Fincantieri as our partner, we believe we have built the world’s most elegant fleet of small ocean ships,”
“We thank Ivana Elice for being the godmother of the Viking Vela. In her role at Fincantieri, she has cared for our ocean ships during their construction just as a godmother would, and we are very appreciative of her contributions as a member of the extended Viking family.”
The Viking Vela is the newest ship in Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of sister ships. Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vela has a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons, with 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests; the ships feature all veranda staterooms, elegant Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options.
The Viking Vela will spend her inaugural season sailing itineraries during the “quiet season” in the Mediterranean before continuing to Northern Europe.
The delivery of the Viking Vela follows a string of recent accolades for the company.
Viking was rated number one Oceans, Rivers and Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards for the second consecutive year.
This achievement marked the first time a travel company won these three categories in back-to-back years.
Viking was also named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples and Best Line in the Mediterranean in US.
News and World Report’s 2025 Best Cruise Lines ranking for the fourth consecutive year. Viking’s ocean ships have been rated and “Recommended” as part of the Forbes Travel Guide 2024 Star Awards, an annual independent evaluation for luxury travel brands.
Additionally, Viking received seven awards at the 2023 Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards—more than any other line—across the luxury, river and expedition categories.
For further information and cruise information please visit website viking.com or phone Reservations (AU) 138 747.
