PHOTO: This rendering shows the new Viking Star. (Courtesy of Viking Ocean Cruises)
Viking Ocean Cruises officially has its first cruise ship.
The 47,800-ton, 930-passenger Viking Star was delivered to Viking Chairman and Founder Torstein Hagen at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera, Italy, on March 28. The new ocean-going cruise line is a sister to Hagen's Viking River Cruises.
Two more sister ships - Viking Sea and Viking Sky - are under construction at Fincantieri and scheduled for delivery in 2016.
Viking Star will board its first revenue guests on April 11 and depart Istanbul, sailing through the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic to Bergen, Norway, where it will be christened on May 17 by Bergen Mayor Trude Drevland, on Norwegian Constitution Day. It will sail in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean, and the Baltic.
The Viking Star has 465 veranda staterooms measuring a minimum of 270 square feet. The 14 two-room Explorer Suites range in size from 757 to 1,163 square feet, and have wraparound private verandas.
Public areas include the Wintergarden, which will serve afternoon tea, and the two-deck Explorers' Lounge with double-height windows.
In keeping with Viking's Nordic heritage, The Spa will feature a "snow grotto" with snowflakes falling through chilled air, which guests follow up with time in the sauna.
The ship will have an extensive enrichment program with port talks and lectures on history, art, and culture. The ship also will show first-run films and destination-driven movies.
Viking Star has two swimming pools, one a stunning infinity pool cantilevered off the ship's stern. In the evening, the deck space around the infinity pool will transform into the Aquavit Terrace for dining al fresco. The Main Pool has a retractable roof.
The Viking Star will have several restaurants, including a main dining room, the World Café, The Chef's Table, an Italian grill and The Kitchen Table.
Cruise fares include shore excursions, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi access, 24-hour room service, port charges, taxes and more.
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