Viking® (NYSE: VIK) has announced it has taken delivery of the company’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela®. The delivery ceremony occurred this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy. Classified as a small ship, as are all Viking ocean ships, the Viking Vela has 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests. 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.
Viking Vela Joins A Growing Ocean Fleet
“We are proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “Together with 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 travelers to the Viking way of exploration.”
Viking is working on a project for a partial hybrid propulsion system for future ocean ships based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. This system 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.
Award-Winning Accolades
The delivery of the Viking Vela follows a string of recent accolades for the company. For the second consecutive year, Viking was rated #1 for Oceans, #1 for Rivers, and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards.
This achievement marked the first time a travel company won these three categories back-to-back years. Viking was also named Best Luxury Line, Best Line for Couples, and Best Line in the Mediterranean in U.S. News & 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.
Get To Know Viking
Viking (NYSE: VIK) was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans, and lakes worldwide. Designed for curious travelers interested in science, history, culture, and cuisine, Chairman and CEO Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences For The Thinking Person™. Viking has over 450 awards, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans, and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 and 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated “World’s Best” for rivers, oceans, and expeditions by Travel + Leisure. No other travel company has simultaneously received the same honors from both publications.
For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit www.viking.com. For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit www.viking.tv.
