Viking has taken delivery of Viking Polaris, its second purpose-built expedition ship, which will be christened Sept. 30 in Amsterdam.
The ship was delivered by Fincantieri's VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway, where Viking's first expedition ship, Viking Octantis, was delivered in December 2021.
Viking Polaris immediately sailed toward Amsterdam, where it will be named on Sept. 30 by Ann Bancroft, a preeminent polar explorer. Currently sailing in the Great Lakes, the Viking Octantis also will be named on Sept. 30 by its ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the Norwegian explorer, lecturer, author and educator.
From Amsterdam, the Viking Polaris will head to South America, and both ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before traveling north to the Great Lakes for voyages during spring and summer.
The new polar-class Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris host 378 guests in 189 staterooms. The vessels have many indoor and outdoor viewing areas as well as the Aula, a panoramic auditorium used for lectures and such; Finse Terrace, an outdoor lounge area; the Hangar, an in-ship marina for embarking Special Operations Boats and other equipment; and the Science Lab, designed to support research activities.
The ship offers several dining options, including The Restaurant, which requires reservations and offers regional cuisine and always-available classics; the casual World Café with an open kitchen and grill; Manfredi's for Italian cuisine; and Mamsen's, named for the Hagen family matriarch, which serves Scandinavian-inspired fare.
The Nordic Spa offers an indoor heated pool set and a wood-sided hot tub that is open to the outside.
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