Set to Debut in December 2024, the 998-guest Viking Vela ‘floated out’ at the Fincantieri shipyard, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.
Viking Vela will spend her inaugural season sailing voyages in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.
The traditional float-out ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard and with the ship moving into its final stage of construction.
The float out of Viking Vela began at approximately 11am local time when the Viking team cut a cord that signalled water to flow into the ship’s building dock.
Following a two-day process that will see Viking Vela afloat, she will then be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.
Classified as a small ship, Viking Vela has a gross tonnage of 54,300, with 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests. She will join the ocean fleet of sister ships, which includes Viking Star, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Orion, Viking Jupiter, Viking Venus, Viking Mars, Viking Neptune and Viking Saturn.
