by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Mon December 9, 2024
Viking has officially named its newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela.
The company hosted a traditional naming ceremony for the 998-guest vessel in Trieste, Italy. That location is significant, as it’s the headquarters for shipbuilder Fincantieri, which Viking wanted to honor with the event.
To serve the ship’s ceremonial godmother, Viking selected Ivana Elice, vice president and project manager of the Fincantieri Cruise Business Unit, Elice has overseen the design and engineering of Viking’s ocean ships for more than a decade.
“We are proud to welcome the Viking Vela to our growing, award-winning fleet. With Fincantieri as our partner, we believe we have built the world’s most elegant fleet of small ocean ships,” says Torstein Hagen, chairman and chief executive officer of Viking. “We thank Ivana Elice for being godmother of the Viking Vela. In her role at Fincantieri, she has cared for our ocean ships during their construction just as a godmother would, and we are very appreciative of her contributions as a member of the extended Viking family.”
Viking Vela is the newest sister ship to join Viking’s ocean fleet. The vessel features 499 all veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and several al fresco dining options.
Viking Vela is also designed so that it can incorporate the newest sustainability technologies as they become available. For instance, Viking is working to develop a partial hybrid propulsion system based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells, which could allow for zero-emissions sailing in sensitive environments in the future.
The ship will sail her inaugural season in the Mediterranean before heading to Northern Europe.
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