Viking celebrated its Twenty fifth birthday yesterday, September 30, with a historic gathering of three several types of cruise ships. An ocean ship, the corporate’s latest expedition ship, and a Viking river longship met in Amsterdam to sail in convoy to Ijmuiden, the Netherlands.
It was the primary time that the three cruise ship lessons met, which made for a spectacular sight because the three sailed down the North Sea Canal. The celebrations coincided with the naming of the cruise line’s two expedition vessels, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris.
All Courses of Viking Ships within the Identical Place for the First Time
Based in 1997, Viking, previously Viking Cruises, has rapidly developed itself into a world participant within the cruise business. Operational in three several types of cruises, ocean, river, and expedition, the corporate has seen fast development within the 25 years it has been operational.
Viking’s Twenty fifth-anniversary celebration in Amsterdam is the newest occasion throughout a yr by which the corporate has additionally welcomed to its fleet eight new Viking Longships, new purpose-built vessels on the Mekong, Nile, and Mississippi rivers, and two new expedition ships. By the top of 2022, two new, an identical ocean ships may have additionally joined Viking’s fleet.
To mark the event of its Twenty fifth birthday, the corporate organized a historic gathering of all three ship lessons. The latest ocean vessel, Viking Mars, a 47,842 gross tons cruise ship, Viking Mani, a 2015-built Viking longship river cruise vessel, and Viking Polaris, the second and latest expedition vessel, all met in Amsterdam.
It was the proper event to additionally have fun the naming ceremony for Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, which was handed over by the shipyard simply three days in the past. Viking Octantis is at present crusing within the Nice Lakes, so the naming was finished by means of a distant ceremony.
“Right this moment is historic for Viking—to have fun our Twenty fifth anniversary, to have all lessons of our ships crusing collectively for the primary time, and to call our phenomenal new expedition vessels,” mentioned Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “I’m very happy with what we have now achieved in our first 25 years. And in our view, we’re simply getting began. The place will we go subsequent? Onwards.”
Two Explorers Develop into Godmother to New Expedition Ships
The brand new Polar Class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris are purpose-built for expeditions, at a great measurement for security and luxury in distant locations reminiscent of Antarctica. Because the ships shall be spending a big period of time in far-away locations, the selection was made to pick out two veteran explorers as Godmother.
Liv Arnesen, Godmother of the Viking Octantis, led the primary unsupported girls’s crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap in 1992. Ann Bancroft, Godmother of the Viking Polaris, turned the primary girl to ski to each poles in 1993 efficiently.
Each godmothers of the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris had been in attendance in Amsterdam and provided a blessing of fine fortune and secure crusing for the brand new ships. Arnesen provided her blessing remotely by way of video to the Viking Octantis within the Nice Lakes.
“It’s an honor to be the godmother of the brand new Viking Octantis. I’ve spent vital time in Antarctica and lately had the privilege to return on one of many ship’s first voyages. The area is a particular vacation spot for scientists and adventurers, and crusing with Viking is the proper method to get there,” mentioned Liv Arnesen.
In step with the naming custom, Arnesen and Bancroft assisted in breaking a bottle of Norwegian aquavit on every of the ship’s hulls.
“Rising up within the Minnesota area, the Nice Lakes are the place I spent my early years changing into an explorer. I’m proud to be the godmother of an expedition vessel just like the Viking Polaris that may enable visitors to go to, not solely the Nice Lakes but additionally Antarctica, two areas that performed a pivotal position in my life,” in accordance with Ann Bancroft.
Following the ceremony, Viking Mars, Viking Mani, and Viking Polaris sailed in convoy by means of the North Sea Canal from the Dutch capital metropolis of Amsterdam to the port of Ijmuiden. From Amsterdam, Viking Mars will proceed her cruise round Western Europe,
Viking Polaris is at present making her method to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, from the place visitors will embark on the primary of a sequence of cruises to Antarctica. Viking Mani will stay in Europe, crusing from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, and again.
