Viking Cruises takes delivery of new Viking Mars cruise ship

Viking Cruises has taken delivery of its eighth new cruise ship, Viking Mars, during a ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona where she was built.

The ship is identical to the other vessels in the Viking fleet, with a passenger capacity of 930 across 465 staterooms.

At 47,800-gross tons, she’s a mid-size cruise ship, but offers a range of amenities for passengers, from her 5 restaurants and 5 cafes and bars to her three pools, spa, theatre, three lounges and cinema.

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Viking Mars was designed by the interior design team of Los Angeles-based Rottet Studios and London-based SMC Design, who gave the ship a modern design inspired by a Scandinavian aesthetic.

All the ships in the Viking ocean-going fleet are characterized by sophisticated yet functional elegance. In addition to the all-veranda staterooms, the ship also has spacious suites with sweeping views, an infinity pool off the stern, abundant options for al fresco dining, and a spa designed according to the wellness philosophy of the Scandinavian tradition, with a sauna and a snow grotto.

The Mars will sail inaugural itineraries in the Mediterranean, Scandinavia and Northern Europe. The ship will reposition at the end of the year for Australia and New Zealand.

Her repositioning voyage from Athens to Singapore in November, a 35-night grand voyage, will bring the ship via the Middle East, with calls in Port Said, Safaga, and Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt, as well as Aqaba in Jordan and Salalah and Muscat in Oman.

She’ll call in the Middle East again at the same ports in reverse order in April, 2023, when she repositions back to Europe after her Asia and Australia season.

The new ship is part of a big year for Viking, which also launched service in the expedition market earlier this year with the new Viking Octantis.

A second expedition ship, the Polaris, follows soon, as does the Viking Mississippi, for service on the Mississippi River. Another ocean ship, the Viking Neptune, is also set to be delivered later this year.

All are being built by Fincantieri. Fincantieri’s partnership with Viking started in 2012 when the river cruise line entered the ocean segment for the first time with an order for two ocean-going cruise ships.

According to Fincantieri, this is the largest number of cruise ships built by a shipbuilder for one sole shipowner. It also made Viking the cruise line with the most cruise ships on order in the world, before that title was claimed in 2019 by MSC Cruises.