Viking Cruises welcomes new 998-guest ship to fleet

Viking Cruises has taken delivery of a new cruise ship built by Italian shipyard Fincantieri.

Viking Vesta belongs to a new series of vessels that Viking will place in the small cruise ship segment. Viking Vela, the series' lead ship, was delivered by Fincantieri in 2024.

The newbuild has a length of 239 metres (784 feet), a beam of 30.8 metres (101 feet), a draught of 6.4 metres (21 feet), a gross tonnage of approximately 54,300, and 499 cabins in six classes across six decks to accommodate a total of 998 guests. Each guest cabin comes with its own private balcony.

The other onboard facilities encompassing 14 decks include a casual dining restaurant, a cafe, a bar, a music lounge, an indoor/outdoor lounge and dining area, a library, a spa, a cinema, a gym, a fitness centre, a salon, a sports area, and two pools.

The propulsion arrangement can deliver a speed of 20 knots. The arrangement also includes exhaust gas aftertreatment systems to help reduce SOx emissions.

Viking Vela is the fourteenth ship to be delivered to Viking by the Fincantieri Group. This number also includes two expedition cruise vessels built by Fincantieri’s Norwegian subsidiary Vard.

Despite belonging to different series, the ships in the Viking fleet were designed to have nearly identical layouts.