Viking Sea, the second ship of Viking’s growing ocean fleet, recently joined the Viking family following a christening ceremony on the Thames River in Greenwich, near central London.
The new ship, sister to the revolutionary Viking Star, was christened by Karine Hagen, Viking’s senior vice president and daughter of Torstein Hagen. In keeping with Viking’s Norwegian heritage, the line opted to christen Viking Sea with a bottle of Gammel Opland aquavit, which hails from the same town in Norway where Torstein’s mother and Karine’s grandmother, Ragnhild, was born.
“Today is a proud day for our Viking family. London is one of my favorite cities, and Greenwich is a significant port for Viking. We look forward to bringing more guests here this spring and in future years,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises. “Our ships are built for exploration; they are vessels that help our guests spend more time immersed in and surrounded by their destination. With the arrival of our second ship – and with four more sister ships on the way – we are focused on introducing travelers to the Viking way of destination-centered cruising, a unique style that was inspired by our success on the rivers.”
Viking Sea is the second of a total of six planned ships for the ocean fleet, joining alongside Viking Star, which debuted in early 2015. Viking Sea features a number of amenities found aboard her earlier ocean sister, including the Acquavit Terrace, a revolutionary al fresco dining space; The Wintergarden, a Scandinavian style solarium featuring a daily afternoon tea ceremony; an infinity pool stretching over the ship’s stern; spacious staterooms, all which feature private verandas and a number of thoughtful touches; and complimentary wifi for all guests. Additional spaces include the LivNordic Spa, Mamsen’s gorumet deli, and the panoramic Explorer’s Lounge.
Viking Sea will spend the remainder of the summer sailing through Scandinavia and the Baltic, calling in a number of ports throughout Northern Europe. In addition, Viking Sea will offer a brand new itinerary, “Into the Midnight Sun”, offering Viking guests the chance to reach some of Scandinavia’s northernmost regions and cross into the Arctic Circle.
