Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered yet more ships from Fincantieri, according to a press release issued by the Italian shipyard.
The two new cruise ships are due for delivery in 2024 and 2025 and will feature the “latest available technologies”, although the release didn’t say what those technologies would be, or any other details about the new ships.
The new ships will be near-identical to those in the existing fleet, Viking said in a statement
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In a statement, Viking Ocean Cruises confirmed the new order and said that the new ships would be similar to those in its existing fleet.
“We can confirm the content of Fincantieri’s press release and that Viking has signed a contract for two additional ocean ships, which will be sister ships to the existing fleet,” the statement said.
“We have not announced any further details beyond those that are included in Fincantieri’s press release…” it added.
Viking Ocean Cruises’ order book with Fincantieri has the last of its 47,000-gross ton, 900 passenger mainstream ships being delivered up until 2027.
The new order is in addition to 14 other cruise ships that Viking has on its order book (12 with Fincantieri and 2 with VARD), taking its total to 16.
The two cruise ships being built by VARD will be Polaris-class expeditionary ships, with a duel-fuel capability (LNG and marine diesel) and an on-board fleet of submarines, kayaks, and zodiacs.
Viking entered the ocean cruise sector in 2015 and has expanded rapidly
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Viking Ocean Cruises is the ocean arm of Viking Cruises, which also includes the popular river cruise line, Viking River Cruises. In addition to the forthcoming ocean ships, the company is in the process of launching seven new river ships in 2019.
The company entered the ocean cruise sector in 2015 with Viking Star and has expanded rapidly. There are now six identical luxury cruise liners in its fleet, all carrying 900 passengers and with a gross tonnage of 47,842.
This latest order with Fincantieri puts Viking Ocean Cruises well ahead of any other cruise line in terms of cruise ship order books, it’s nearest rival for the top spot is MSC Cruises, which has 14 ships due for delivery between now and 2027.
Viking Ocean Cruises, during the recent Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum in Dubai, indicated to Cruise Arabia & Africa that it’s rapidly growing fleet would soon give it the flexibility to deploy to some of the world’s emergent cruise destinations, such as South African and the Middle East.
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