Gallery: New Viking Named with a Bang

Viking Ocean Cruises, part of Viking Cruises, has christened its second ocean-going cruise ship, Viking Sea, on the Thames River in Greenwich. An interesting fact about the Viking Sea is that it is the largest ship ever launched in London, the company says.

“Today is a proud day for our Viking family. London is one of my favorite cities, and Greenwich is a significant port for Viking,” Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises says.

The 47,800-ton cruise ship can accommodate 930 passengers and it is the second of six ocean cruise ships currently planned for the company’s fleet.

Viking Sea will set sail today for Bergen, and from there it will continue on to Oslo, Copenhagen, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Helsinki and Stockholm on a 15-day itinerary.

The ship started its maiden voyage on April 3, setting sail in the Mediterranean. Over the last month, Viking Sea stopped in what will be regular ports, including Athens, Santorini, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Venice, Rome and Barcelona.

The company christened its first ship, Viking Star, in May 2015, marking the opening of Viking Cruises’ small ship cruising division, Viking Ocean Cruises.

The third and fourth ships, Viking Sky and Viking Sun are under construction and will be delivered in early 2017 and late 2017, respectively.

The delivery of the two remaining yet-to-be-named ships is scheduled for 2018 and 2020, according to the company.

Image Courtesy: Viking Cruises