With the London skyline serving as the backdrop, Viking Ocean Cruises christened their second ocean cruise ship in Greenwich, England on Thursday night May 5, 2016.
Viking’s Sr. Vice President Karine Hagen, served as Viking Sea’s ceremonial godmother. In keeping with maritime tradition, she offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing on Viking Sea. Greenwich was chosen as the christening city due to the city being one of the world’s most historic maritime ports and home to several iconic institutions.
Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises, gave the following statement: “Today is a proud day for our Viking family. London is one of my favorite cities, and Greenwich is a significant port for Viking. We look forward to bringing more guests here this spring and in future years. Our ships are built for exploration; they are vessels that help our guests spend more time immersed in and surrounded by their destination. With the arrival of our second ship – and with four more sister ships on the way – we are focused on introducing travelers to the Viking way of destination-centered cruising, a unique style that was inspired by our success on the rivers.”
The vessel is the second Venice class cruise ship from Viking Ocean Cruises after the wildly popular Viking Star debuted just 12 months ago.
Viking Sea continues with the success of Viking’s first cruise ship in offering a small ship experience without the nickel and diming. What makes Viking unique is that instead of focusing on onboard revenue like most cruise lines do, their focus is on overall passenger experience.
In an effort to “going back to what made cruising great”, Viking doesn’t believe in taking you to a destination and then charging you again to see it. There is one shore excursion included in every port of call. Internet, drinks during meals, room service (menu has items like New York Strip streak and other hot dishes), specialty coffees, the ship’s incredible thermal suite, and laundry rooms all come at no extra charge.
Viking Sea is a 47,800 gross ton cruise ship that carries 930 passengers. Cruise Fever is currently on our second night on the ship and will continue to evaluate and review Viking Sea as the week goes on. You can follow along for updates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat (CruiseFever), and here on our website.
