Viking has officially taken delivery of its newest cruise ship, the 930-passenger Viking Neptune. The Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy, signed over the cruise ship during a ceremony at the yard.
She is the twelfth new ship for the company just this year, including two ocean-going ships, eight river cruise ships, and two expedition cruise ships.
Although the vessel is identical in size and design to the other ocean-going vessels in the Viking fleet, she is the first to have a state-of-the-art hydrogen fuel cell onboard. The system is the first of its kind onboard cruise ships and serves as a testing facility to be expanded further.
Viking Neptune Joins Viking Fleet
Viking has taken delivery of its most technologically advanced cruise ship to date. The Viking Neptune was handed over at the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy, today, November 10. The vessel has been fitted out with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the first-ever cruise ship in history to test the use of hydrogen power for onboard operations.
“We are especially proud to welcome this newest sister ship to our ocean fleet, as it also marks a significant advancement in testing hydrogen as a future fuel for our vessels,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.
“We look forward to welcoming guests on board the Viking Neptune next week. She is the 15th new ship we have added to our overall fleet this year, another significant milestone as we continue the celebration of our 25th anniversary.”
Viking will use the small-scale hydrogen system for testing purposes, potentially leading to use at a much larger scale for future new builds.
Viking Neptune is the newest ship in Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet, which includes seven identical sister ships, Star, Sea, Sky, Orion, Jupiter, Venus, and Viking Mars. The new ship continues the line’s tried and true exclusivity at just 47,842 gross tons and a capacity of 930 guests.
Besides the hydrogen fuel cell, Viking Neptune is identical to her seven award-winning sisters. All rooms have balconies, with the ship fitted out with high-class Scandinavian designs and a large variety of all-fresco dining options.
Inaugural Season in the Mediterranean
Viking Neptune will sail on her inaugural cruise on November 17 in the Mediterranean. The seven-night cruise will sail from Istanbul, Turkey, and visit Cannakkale and Kusadasi in Turkey, followed by Rhodes and Iraklion, Greece. The cruise will conclude in Pireaus, Greece.
The cruise ship will sail the Mediterranean through December 8. Viking Neptune will sail across the Atlantic Ocean to Fort Lauderdale from Barcelona. From Port Everglades, she will sail a World Cruise, a journey from Fort Lauderdale to London that spans 138-days, 28 countries, and 57 ports, with overnight stays in 11 cities.
Viking Neptune is the 12th ship launched by Viking in 2022, its 25th anniversary year. Viking Expeditions launched in January with Viking Octantis, followed by her sister ship, Viking Polaris, in September. Viking also launched eight new river ships for service on the Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi rivers and another ocean-going cruise ship, Viking Mars.
