Fincantieri: “Viking Sun” Launched in Ancona shipyard

 Trieste, December 15, 2016 – “Viking Sun”, the fourth of six cruise ships Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered from Fincantieri, has been launched today at the shipyard in Ancona. Interior fittings will now begin, leading the vessel to its delivery, scheduled in autumn 2017.

The launching was introduced by the traditional and well-wishing “coin ceremony”, consisting, according to an ancient maritime tradition, in welding a silver dollar on the last deck of the ship. Godmother of the ceremony was Yi Lou, Vice President of China Merchant Bank Financial Leasing.

The ceremony was attended for the shipowner by Torstein Hagen, founder and Chairman of Viking Ocean Cruises, while Fincantieri was represented among others by Giovanni Stecconi, director of the shipyard.

“Viking Sun”, as its sister ships, will be positioned in the small cruise ship segment. In fact, with a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tons, it will have 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers, with a total capacity of over 1,400 people, including the crew.

The ship has been designed by experienced naval architects and engineers, including an interior design team of London-based SMC Design, and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios. “Viking Sun” will be built according to the latest navigation regulations and equipped with the most modern safety systems, including the “Safe return to port”. Furthermore, it will feature the most advanced technologies for reducing the environmental impact and for energy saving.

The first of the series, “Viking Star”, has been built at the shipyard in Marghera and delivered in spring 2015, the second, “Viking Sea”, took the sea from the shipyard in Ancona this year in March, the same shipyard where the third unit, “Viking Sky”, will enter into service at the beginning of 2017.

Fincantieri has built 75 cruise ships from 1990 to today, while other 26 are currently being designed or built in the Group’s yards.