Viking Cruises News

Viking Cruises will compensate hundreds of passengers on its Orion cruise ship after cruisers were forced to stay on board and miss multiple stops because officials blocked port access due to marine growth on the ship's hull.The 930-guest capacity Viking Orion docked in Sydney on Wednesday, the final stop on what is normally a 15-day, 9-stop cruise of New Zealand and Australia.But plans went awry, local media reported, after New Zealand officials asked the ship to leave the country's waters part way through its cruise after finding small amounts of biofoul - plants, algae and small animals - that grow on ship hulls.Steaming directly to the southern Australian port of Adelaide and bypassing planned stops in Tasmania and New Zealand's south island…

Cruise operators Royal Caribbean Group and Viking Cruises canceled sailings to Russia on Wednesday, joining their rivals and many Western brands in suspending operations in the country after its invasion of Ukraine.Celebrity Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean, said it was removing Russian port city St. Petersburg from upcoming itineraries, adding that it would visit other Scandinavian ports in its place.Silversea Cruises also said it would re-route summer voyages scheduled to stop in Russia and Ukraine, while Royal Caribbean International said it had canceled its visits to St.

The year just ended, 2021, might be described as being about “trying to get back to normal”, across the entire transportation spectrum, two years into the pandemic. During this time, the decarbonization and electrification waves have swept across maritime passenger transport. The passenger side of the business is dependent on multiple funding sources; increasingly, this money will be driven by environmental and social considerations.The long-awaited funding of “infrastructure”-related projects…

Shipbuilder VARD announced it has delivered Viking Octantis, the first of two new expedition cruise vessels built for Viking Cruises.The vessel is 205 meters long with a 23.5 meter beam and is ice-strengthened Polar Class 6 for expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. It features a straight bow, longer hull and state-of-the-art fin stabilizers that allows it to glide over the waves, with u-tank stabilizers to decrease rolling when the ship is stationary, VARD said.

Port Milwaukee said it is seeking proposals from prospective tenants for development at its South Shore Cruise Dock.This waterfront five-acre site, located immediately east of the Lake Express High Speed Ferry terminal, is available for development of recreational, entertainment, tourism, cultural, passenger vessel and public access uses. Development could begin as early as September 1, 2022, with execution of a new long-term lease, the port said.The port said it is looking for proposals that incorporate new…

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm NETSCo said it is collaborating with Viking Cruises in preparation for the company's new Mississippi River cruises, launching in 2022 from New Orleans to St. Paul.According to NETSCo, the first phase of the project required vetting the ship design. This included taking into account varying water levels (which can change as much as 50 feet) and determining if the physical size and height of the ship would fit through locks, bridges and other obstacles throughout the entire 2…

Shipping and trade groups are calling on the European Union to advance the development of ammonia and green hydrogen as the best marine fuel options to enable the industry to accelerate decarbonization.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, global shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s CO2 emissions.To reach goals for shipping set by the United Nations, industry leaders say the first net-zero ships must enter the global fleet by 2030, with vessels powered by green hydrogen and its derivative compound ammonia among the options.The coalition of groups…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said Thursday it has laid the keel for small ocean cruise ship Viking Mars, the eighth in a series for the shipowner Viking Cruises. The vessel is due for delivery in 2022.As its sister ships, the newbuild will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.The Viking units are all built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “Safe return to port”.

Several major cruise operators have voluntarily suspended operations in response to the developing coronavirus pandemic. For most, the reason given has been "an abundance of caution".On Wednesday, Viking became the first major cruise line to temporarily suspend operations, canceling all river and ocean cruises scheduled to embark between March 12 to April 30. It said it expected to resume sailings on May 1.Princess Cruises, the operator of two coronavirus-stricken ships -- Diamond…

The Norwegean global maritime industry group Wilh. Wilhelmsen Holding ASA and Denmark-based supply chain manager NorSea join forces to develop liquid hydrogen supply chain for maritime applications in Norway.The environmentally friendly liquid hydrogen can be offered to commercial shipping in large scale supply within first quarter 2024, claimed the companies.Together with major industry players such as Equinor, Viking Cruises, Air Liquide, and more, this is a huge and important step towards a sustainable future, and it aligns perfectly with Wilhelmsen’s long-term strategy supporting the UN sustainable development goals.The project was recently awarded a grant of NOK 33.5 million (USD 3.7 million) from the governmental PILOT-E scheme…

Hungarian prosecutors are expected to charge the captain of a cruise ship that struck and sank a small tourist vessel on the River Danube, killing 28 mostly Korean tourists, after police finished their investigation, officials said on Tuesday.The tourist boat Mermaid, with 35 people on board, sank in seconds in May after the river cruiser hit it from behind under a bridge in the Hungarian capital during heavy rain, in the worst disaster on the Danube in more than half a century.Lawyers for the Ukrainian cruiser captain, identified by police as 64-year-old C. Yuriy from Odessa, who has been in custody since he was arrested after the incident, have said he is devastated but did nothing wrong.

Norway-based shipbuilder Vard Group AS has awarded TMC Compressors of the Seas (TMC) to supply the marine compressed air system for two cruise ships the Norwegian shipbuilder is constructing for Viking Cruises.TMC’s scope of work is to deliver a complete marine compressed air system that consists of instrument air compressors and air dryers, to each of the two newbuild cruise ships. TMC has not disclosed the value of its contract.“As the international cruise sector increasingly emphasizes reduced energy consumption and lower emissions to air, our compressed air systems are becoming progressively more popular amongst cruise operators and shipbuilders.

Hungarian police said on Tuesday they had found no evidence of alcohol or drug abuse by the captain of a cruise ship that struck and sank a small tourist vessel last month, killing 28 mostly Korean people on board.The Mermaid boat sank in seconds on May 29 after the Viking Sigyn cruise liner hit it from behind under a bridge in the Hungarian capital during heavy rain, the worst disaster on the river in more than half a century."We launched the investigation as soon as we got on board (the Sigyn)," Budapest police spokesman Soma Csecsi told a news conference. "As a first step we took samples from the captain. He had not consumed alcohol…

The engines of a luxury cruise ship that narrowly escaped disaster during a storm off Norway on Saturday failed because of relatively low levels of lubricating oil in the engines, the Norwegian Maritime Authority said on Wednesday.The Viking Sky, with almost 1,400 passengers and crew aboard, sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted in rough waters in the Norwegian Sea to within 100 metres of land.

A luxury cruise ship that had set sail with almost 1,400 passengers and crew aboard arrived at a port in Norway on Sunday after narrowly escaping disaster when its engines failed during a storm.The Viking Sky sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted in rough waters in the Norwegian Sea to within 100 metres of land.Rescue services airlifted 479 people, hoisting them one-by- one on to helicopters, before the weather subsided on Sunday and a tow could begin. Many of them were senior citizens.A total of 1,373 people had started the voyage and about 900 people were still on board as the ship arrived at the port of Molde on Norway's west coast."It was very nearly a disaster.

Rescue services had airlifted 479 people to safety from a luxury cruise liner with engine trouble off the coast of Norway by Sunday morning and began towing the vessel to a nearby port.The Viking Sky, with 1,373 passengers and crew on board, sent out a mayday signal on Saturday as it drifted towards land in the Norwegian Sea.The airlift of passengers, many of them elderly, from the Viking Cruises ship by helicopter was halted on Sunday morning as two tugboats started steering the vessel towards the nearest port.Founder and chairman of Viking Cruises, Norwegian billionaire Torstein Hagen, said he hoped the vessel would arrive at the port of Molde on Norway's west coast by Sunday afternoon."They've had a bit of a shocking experience…

The steel cutting ceremony of the seventh ship which Fincantieri is building for Viking took place  at the shipyard in Ancona, Italy.The new unit, whose delivery is scheduled in 2021, will be placed in the small cruise ship segment. As its sister ships, she will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.The first of the series, “Viking Star”, has been built at the shipyard in Marghera and delivered in 2015. The other units, “Viking Sea”…

In the context of the agreement announced in March 2018 for the construction of 6 ships, Fincantieri and Viking signed the contracts for the first 2 units, which will be delivered respectively in 2024 and 2025.In partnership with the shipowner, Fincantieri will develop an advanced project based on the successful characteristics of the previous ships, upgraded and revisited in line with the latest available technologies. Viking’s current ocean fleet includes ships having exclusively all-veranda staterooms, a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons with accommodation for 930 passengers in 465 cabins.Fincantieri started its partnership with Viking in 2012.

Viking Jupiter, the 47,800gt cruise ship built at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy for Viking Cruises, has been delivered with a Thordon Bearings’ seawater-lubricated propeller shaft system. It is the sixth Viking cruise ship to be fitted out with the COMPAC bearing arrangement.Two 930 passenger-capacity sisterships, Viking Tellus and Viking Venus, currently undergoing construction at Fincantieri and slated for delivery in 2021, have also been specified with the pollution-free Thordon system.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri said it has floated out the sixth ocean cruise ship in a series for owner Viking Cruises.The new vessel, Viking Jupiter, which is under construction at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, will now undergo interior outfitting before its scheduled delivery in 2019.As its sister ships, Viking Jupiter will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers, placing the vessel in the small cruise ship segment.The float out ceremony included the traditional coin ceremony…

Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard has delivered Viking Jupiter, the sixth in a series of 930-passenger ships for Viking Cruises.The delivery ceremony took place this morning when the ship was presented at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona, Italy.On February 16, Viking Jupiter will be the first in Viking's fleet to sail the Journey to Antiquities itinerary, a new itinerary sailing between Athens and Rome offering guests the chance to experience the Mediterranean during the quiet season.During its maiden season, Viking Jupiter will sail itineraries throughout the Mediterranean and then Scandinavia. The ship will officially be named in Oslo…

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has delivered the fifth cruise ship in a series of oceangoing newbuilds for ship owner Viking Cruises. The new vessel, Viking Orion, was delivered today from the builder’s shipyard in Ancona.Viking Orion, as its four preceding sister ships, fits into the small cruise ship segment, with a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons. It has 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.Viking's ocean ships are all equipped high-efficiency engines, hydro…

With a range of dignitaries in attendance, Simwave will officially open its 5,000-square-meter maritime training center in Barendrecht on April 19. The three hundred guests will take a look behind the scenes at the new location, which houses more than 50 simulators. The center has already been in use for some time now. The 'site acceptance test' was successfully completed on January 29th, in collaboration with the supplier of the simulators, the Norwegian company Kongsberg Digital.