Viking Takes Delivery of Second Expedition Cruise Ship
by Dori Saltzman
Viking Polaris at the VARD shipyard. Photo: Viking
Viking took delivery of its second expedition cruise ship, Viking Polaris, at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Norway yesterday, September 27. Following the handover ceremony, the ship set sail for Amsterdam, where it will be named on September 30 by godmother, explorer Ann Bancroft.
The line’s first expedition cruise ship, Viking Octantis, was delivered in December 2021 but will also be named on September 30, by godmother Liv Arnesen, a Norwegian explorer, lecturer and author.
“Today is a proud day for the Viking family as we welcome the Viking Polaris to our fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking. “These are phenomenal ships, and we are very pleased with the positive reception from guests during the first season of our new expeditions.”
From Amsterdam, the 378-guest Viking Polaris will make its way to South America. Both expedition ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before traveling north to the Great Lakes for a series of voyages during spring and summer.
(Find out why Viking Cruises’ first expedition ship is so much more than just a cruise ship.)
