With a dominant position in the European river cruise market, a fleet of ocean-going cruise ships, two expedition ships, a joint venture in China and a Mississippi river operation, the company continues to expand in the cruise industry, with more riverboats and ocean-going ships on order.
If Viking were to list, it would join the other public cruise companies, including Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Lindblad Expeditions. Of those four, Lindblad was the last go to public in 2015.
According to Bloomberg, the IPO could raise over $500 million and Viking is said to be working with Bank of America, UBS, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan on the listing.
According to a report from China Daily, the new vessel will be 17.4 meters longer than the 2023-built sister ship.
Currently under construction at China State Shipbuilding Company’s Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Yard in Shanghai, the cruise ship is scheduled to enter service in 2025.
At 141,000 gross tons, the newbuild will be roughly five percent larger than the 135,500-ton Adora Magic City, the report added.
Citing shipyard sources, China Daily also said that the new vessel will feature an optimized interior layout, in addition to enhanced facilities.
“China State Shipbuilding Company will continuously make efforts to enhance the second cruise ship’s design, craftsmanship, construction and facilities to achieve higher quality, greater efficiency and lower cost,” the report concluded.
With its construction started in August 2022, the second China-made cruise ship currently has 75 percent of its design workload finished, while 58 percent of the production design was completed.
Both the 2025 newbuild and the Adora Magic City feature a basic project based on Carnival Corporation’s Vista class.
Built to serve the Chinese domestic market, the vessels offer a series of customized features, including an expanded shopping area and a series of alterantive restaurants.
After five years in the making, the Adora Magic City kicked off a series of short cruises to the Far East departing from Shanghai in January.
Also built at the Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Yard, the 4,200-guest ship became the first large cruise ship ever constructed in China.
In addition to the two newbuilds, Adora Cruises also operates the former Costa Mediterranea. Now named Mediterranea, the 2003-built ship is offering a series of short cruises departing from Tianjin.
Royal Caribbean has revealed new details on the dining lineup to be available onboard the Utopia of the Seas when the ship launches in summer 2024.
The cruise line’s first Oasis Class ship will debut with short three-night and four-night weekday getaways to The Bahamas, with each cruise visiting the company’s private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.
Highlights of Utopia’s dining offerings include:
Royal Railway – Utopia Station: This new dining experience combines adventure, food and tech to travel – by train. The journey starts with pre-dinner drinks at the station platform where guests board the dining car for a culinary adventure, transporting them to any place and time, from America’s Wild West to remote destinations across the globe, all without leaving the ship.
The Spare Tire: Guests can refuel with quick bites to keep the party going at this new poolside food truck, serving pulled pork sandwiches, cheeseburger flatbread, daily rotating desserts and more.
Izumi and Izumi in the Park: Joining the Royal Caribbean staple in its new Central Park location is a pickup window that serves up sushi, Japanese-inspired street food and sweets. Next door is a reimagined Izumi restaurant, with a new omakase-inspired private dining experience paired with sake cocktails, more teppanyaki tables, al fresco dining and more.
In addition to these new dining experiences, the Utopia will also offer Royal Caribbean staples, including Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar; The Mason Jar Southern Restaurant & Bar; Hooked Seafood; Chops Grille, and more.
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