Tag Archives: Viking Octantis

Viking Octantis Floats Out Ahead of 2022 Debut

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Viking has announced its first expedition ship – the 378-guest Viking Octantis – was “floated out” at VARD, marking a major construction milestone and the first time that the new ship touches water.

Scheduled to debut in early 2022, the Viking Octantis will spend her maiden season sailing voyages to Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes.

A second, identical expedition ship, Viking Polaris, is set to debut in summer 2022 and will sail journeys to Antarctica and the Arctic. 

“Working with Fincantieri over the last eight years, we have built the world’s most beautiful ocean ships. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Fincantieri’s VARD and celebrate this important milestone in the construction of our first expedition vessel,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.

“In creating ‘the thinking person’s expedition,’ we are perfecting polar expedition cruising, and we will usher in a new era of comfortable exploration in the heart of North America. Viking Octantis and her sister ship, Viking Polaris, will allow our guests to explore further – to the ends of the earth as well as closer to home. I would like to thank our partners at VARD and everyone working at the yard for the hard work and dedication on the building of Viking Octantis; we look forward to welcoming her to our fleet in early 2022.”

The float out is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. The float-out ceremony of the Viking Octantis took place on December 22; she was then moved to a nearby outfitting dock for further construction and interior build-out. After final outfitting, Viking Octantis will be delivered at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Søviknes, Norway.

Viking extends suspension of cruises until end of year

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Viking extends suspension of cruises until end of year

The first cruise line to cancel cruises in March due to the Covid-19 crisis has now extended its suspension of operations until the end of the year.

All Viking Cruises departures will be suspended until December 31.

“If itinerary changes are required, impacted guests and their travel agents are notified directly by Viking guest services,” the company said.

Affected passengers are being offered a 125% future cruise voucher or a refund which needs to be applied for by August 24.

Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen said: “We are committed to maintaining the safest and healthiest fleet in the industry.

“We are fortunate to have a fleet of small, Norwegian-registered ocean ships with only 930 guests, and Switzerland-registered river ships with only 190 guests.

“We believe that our smaller ships – which feature spacious public areas and staterooms – provide a much safer environment than mega liners.

“We have always had the highest standards for health and cleanliness – and we are currently finalising additional protocols to make Viking safer, in co-operation with leading international experts. We will be sharing more information about this very soon.”

The line is continuing with the planned fleet expansion of its fleet next year with the launch of its seventh ocean ship, Viking Venus, as well as a new vessel on the Mekong, Viking Saigon.

New expedition vessels, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris are due for delivery in 2022 to operate in Antarctica, the Arctic and North America’s Great Lakes.

Eighth ocean ship, Viking Mars, is also due to be introduced in 2022 alongside Viking Mississippi, Viking’s first ship on a US river.

Hagen said in a message to customers: “On March 11, when we became the first cruise line to temporarily suspend operations at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I would not have imagined that in August we would still not be sailing and that I would be writing this letter to you.

“Every day I am encouraged by the scientific advancements toward Covid-19 therapeutics and a vaccine.

“But as you well know, recent events have shown us that the recovery from this pandemic will be sporadic, and the ability to travel freely across borders remains some time away.

“As keen as we may be to get back to exploring, for now, international travel must wait.

“Just last week, on August 5, we celebrated our 23rd anniversary.

“Viking is a very different company today from when we started in 1997 with four river ships. But one thing has not changed in the last two decades. Since Viking’s very first day, our commitment to the safety and welfare of all those onboard our vessels and to our mission – to deliver experiences that focus on the destination, allowing you to explore the world in comfort – has never wavered.

“I have said before that we will only sail again when it is safe to do so. We are a private, closely-held company, which means we do not have to rush the decision to return to service.”

Viking charting a new course with Great Lakes expeditions

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Image result for welland canal locks
Welland Canal locks between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Viking’s pair of expedition ships will operate winter cruises in Antarctica. But in the offseason, one of the vessels will head to a slightly more unusual destination for an expedition ship: the Great Lakes.

The two ships have ice-rated hulls for polar operations, but their beam and length were calculated specifically to fit through the Welland Canal locks between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, which provide access to the western portion of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

In introducing the expedition line from the stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said, “We do our research, and we know our guests also like to be cruising near to home.”

The unveiling of the Great Lakes itineraries brought exclamations and applause from the audience.

“I think this new cruising area, the Great Lakes, should be a very interesting place,” Hagen said, adding that he thought it had been “underserved.”

The cruises to the lakes on the Viking Octantis will start in the summer of 2022 and sail between Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Milwaukee and between Milwaukee and Toronto. Depending on the itinerary, the ship will visit Georgian Bay in Lake Huron; Mackinac Island, Detroit and Traverse City, Mich.; and Duluth, Minn.

The voyages would mix visits to urban destinations with wildlife sightings, kayaking and hiking.

As with Arctic and Antarctic cruises, scientists will be on board; the Octantis, like its sister ship, the Polaris, has dedicated lab space. On the Great Lakes cruises, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will conduct research on the region’s weather, climate and ecosystem and will serve as guest lecturers.