Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the first of three ships for Viking Ocean Cruises at its Marghera shipyard in Venice.
With a gross tonnage of about 47,800t, the Viking Star will have 465 cabins and be able to accommodate 930 passengers.
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Belonging to the small cruise ship segment, the vessel has been designed by SMC Design of London, while its interior was managed by Rottet Studio in Los Angeles.
Viking Star is expected to start its operation in April this year and will sail routes in Scandinavia, the Baltic, and western and eastern Mediterranean.
Features of the vessel include energy-efficient hybrid engines, hydro-dynamically optimised streamlined hulls and bows for maximum fuel-efficiency, onboard solar panels and equipment to lower exhaust pollution, while meeting environmental regulations.
Fincantieri launched Viking Star in June last year after the vessel completed sea trials in the Adriatic Sea in December 2014.
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By GlobalDataDuring the trials, maritime experts carried out more than 80 different tests to evaluate the vessels’ engine, propulsion performance, navigation systems and cabin acoustics.
Viking Ocean Cruises’ second and third ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, are under construction at Fincantieri and delivery is expected to be in early and mid-2016 respectively.
In addition, Viking River Cruises has launched a total of 12 new river vessels, including ten of its Viking Longships and two custom vessels.
All of the Viking Longships will be deployed on the company’s itineraries in Europe, including Grand European Tour, Romantic Danube and Rhine Getaway. The two other ships will be deployed in the Elbe River.
Image: Viking Star will sail routes in Scandinavia, the Baltic, and the Mediterranean. Photo: courtesy of Viking Cruises.
