Viking today announced its sixth ship – the 930-guest Viking Jupiter floated out.
Scheduled for delivery in early 2019, the arrival of Viking Jupiter will officially make Viking the largest small ship ocean cruise line in the industry, only four years after launching its ocean business. Named in honor of the planet Jupiter, the ship will spend her maiden season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
“It is always a proud moment when a new ship touches water for the first time and is one step closer to welcoming guests onboard,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.
“As a Norwegian native, I am also particularly proud to announce today Sissel Kyrkjebø, my mother’s favorite singer and a longtime Viking partner, will be honored as godmother to Viking Jupiter and will preside over the ship’s naming ceremony in Oslo, Norway in June 2019.”
Viking Jupiter’s float out began at approximately 11:30 a.m.local time at the Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard and in keeping with maritime tradition, a madrina – a special woman of honor – assisted with the ceremony, first welding commemorative coins under the ship mast.
Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø, who is widely considered one of the world’s top crossover sopranos and who has long been a cultural partner to Viking, served as Viking Jupiter’s madrina or godmother.
Following a two-day process that will set Viking Jupiter afloat, the ship will then be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior build-out.