Viking Cruises has announced that its second hydrogen-powered cruise ship, the Viking Astrea, was floated out at Fincantieri's Ancona Shipyard, marking the first time the vessel touched water.
Scheduled for delivery in May 2027, the ship will spend her inaugural season sailing routes across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
The shipyard ceremony commenced after a ceremonial cord was cut to signal water to flow into the building dock, initiating a two-day process to set the vessel afloat.
Following this procedure, the ship will be moved to an adjacent outfitting dock for interior build-out and final construction.
Featuring 499 staterooms to accommodate 998 guests, the small-class cruise ship has a gross tonnage of approximately 54,300.
She is powered by a hybrid propulsion system based partially on liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells capable of producing up to six megawatts of power.
The propulsion technology was provided by Fincantieri subsidiary Isotta Fraschini Motori, which specialises in advanced fuel cell systems.
According to Viking, its first hydrogen-powered cruise vessel, the Viking Libra, remains scheduled for delivery in November 2026.