Viking Ocean Cruises has taken delivery of the new Viking Venus, the latest cruise ship to join its rapidly expanding fleet.

The new Viking Venus was delivered by the Italian shipyard Fincantieri and will now be repositioned to the UK for new naming ceremony, Viking Ocean Cruises announced.

Viking Venus joins Viking Ocean Cruises fleet

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The delivery ceremony took place when Viking Venus was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy, with Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking describing it as an important milestone for the cruise line.

“We are especially proud to welcome our newest ship to the fleet this year. Many of us have stayed close to home for months, so this is an important milestone as we begin to get back out into the world again,” said Hagen in a press release.

Viking Venus was presented to the cruise line by shipyard Fincantieri

“We look forward to celebrating the naming of Viking Venus by her esteemed godmother, Anne Diamond—and to welcoming our UK guests back on board next month,” he added.

Viking Venus will be named in the UK on May 17th, 2021, by her ceremonial godmother, Anne Diamond, the esteemed British journalist and broadcaster, before sailing spring and summer departures of Viking’s “England’s Scenic Shores” itinerary.

Those cruises form part of a collection of new itineraries for Viking in England, Bermuda and Iceland beginning in May, 2021.

All of Viking’s new Welcome Back voyages are available exclusively for vaccinated guests, in accordance with local entry rules in many of the destinations to which Viking ships will be sailing.

The Explorer’s Lounge aboard Viking

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The cruise line has also implemented the Viking Health & Safety Program, which is designed to protect guests and crew while the COVID-19 vaccine rollout moves forward.

Viking Venus is the newest ship in Viking’s award-winning ocean fleet of eight identical sister ships, with a record 12 still on order of the 16 from last year.

The cruise ships have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, with 465 staterooms that can host 930 guests; the ships feature all veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, airy public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options.

Main dining room aboard Viking

Viking Venus, like her sister ships, will feature seven dining options – the main dining room and buffet restaurant, as well as three specialty restaurants (Mamsen’s, the Chef’s Table, the Kitchen Table and Manfredi’s Italian), including the pool grill.

The ship also feature a huge spa occupying almost a quarter of an entire deck, a massive theatre, and four lounges (including the hugely popular Wintergarden adjacent the pool and double-level Explorer’s Lounge at the bow).

The Wintergarden

When it comes to bars and cafes, there’s the Viking Bar on the lower level of the atrium next to the Viking Living Room, Torshavn aft of the theatre and the Explorer’s Lounge.

The Viking Living Room

Viking Neptune is the next to be delivered, in 2022, while the keel has been laid for Viking Mars, which is due in 2023. The rest of the cruise line’s order book has not yet been named.

Viking Ocean Cruises in Iceland and Bermuda

Viking will homeport in Hamilton for its roundtrip Bermuda cruises, and in Reykjavik for its Iceland cruises.

Viking’s Bermuda and Iceland cruises are scheduled to begin in June, 2021, with Viking Orion sailing one-week roundtrip cruises from Hamilton, while Viking Sky will sail one-week roundtrip itineraries from Reykjavik.

Viking Ocean Cruises in the UK

Viking Ocean Cruises is going to be sailing from the UK this summer, with three special sailings along the coast of England on the new Viking Venus.

The new eight-day ocean itinerary, called ‘England’s Scenic Shores’, will sail roundtrip from Portsmouth, with departures on May 22nd, May 29th and June 5th, 2021.