Viking recently named its newest ocean ship, Viking Vela, during a traditional ceremony in Trieste, Italy. This event also celebrated Viking’s partnership with Fincantieri, one of the world’s largest shipbuilding groups. Ivana Elice, Vice President and Project Manager at Fincantieri, served as the ceremonial godmother, overseeing Viking’s ocean ships’ design and engineering for 12 years.
Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking, praised the partnership with Fincantieri, highlighting the elegance and quality of their fleet. During the ceremony, Ivana was presented with a historic Viking broad axe and then broke a bottle of Norwegian aquavit on the ship’s hull. The event featured performances by crossover soprano Sissel Kyrkjebø and Italian singer Alessandro Safina.
Ivana Elice has a distinguished career in naval and mechanical engineering and has played a significant role in the expansion of Viking’s ocean fleet. Viking Vela, a small ship with a gross tonnage of 54,300 and 499 staterooms, will sail itineraries in the Mediterranean before moving to Northern Europe.
Viking is also working on a partial hybrid propulsion system for future ships, aiming for zero-emission operations in sensitive environments like the Norwegian Fjords. The Viking Vela has been designed to incorporate these new technologies as they become available.
Viking recently received numerous accolades, including Best Luxury Ocean Cruise Operator at the Times and The Sunday Times Travel Awards 2024 and top ratings in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for oceans, rivers, and expeditions. The company also won several awards at the Cruise Critic Editors’ Picks Awards.
