Viking has taken delivery of its newest ocean ship, Viking Neptune.
The delivery ceremony took place this morning at the Fincantieri shipyard in Ancona, Italy. While nearly identical to the line’s other ocean vessels, Neptune is equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the cruise industry’s first ship to test the use of hydrogen power for onboard operations.
The line is using the system as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel could be used at a larger scale in future newbuilds.
“We are especially proud to welcome this newest sister ship to our ocean fleet, as it also marks a significant advancement in testing hydrogen as a future fuel for our vessels,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We look forward to welcoming guests on board the Viking Neptune next week. She is the 15th new ship we have added to our overall fleet this year, another significant milestone as we continue the celebration of our 25th anniversary.”
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Viking Neptune will spend her inaugural season operating Mediterranean itineraries before embarking on the line’s 2022-2023 Viking World Cruise, which will be 138 days and visit 28 countries.
The delivery of Neptune comes as Viking continues its 25th anniversary. Its expedition cruising arm, Viking Expeditions, launched in January with the debut of Viking Octantis, followed by the launch of Viking Polaris in September.
Earlier this year, the company also welcomed eight new Viking Longships in Europe, new purpose-built vessels on the Nile, Mekong, and Mississippi Rivers, and another new ocean ship — Viking Mars.
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