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Viking orders another two, plus two, 47,800gt newbuilds at Fincantieri

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The keel laying ceremony for Viking Spirit, the fifth of eight cruise ships Viking Ocean Cruises has ordered from Fincantieri, took place in Ancona in February 2017
Viking Ocean Cruises and Fincantieri signed a memorandum of agreement for the construction of two additional 47,800gt cruise ships, with an option for another two.

The newbuilds will be sister ships to the six already ordered and will enter the Viking fleet in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

All eight ships accommodate 930 guests in 465 cabins.

 Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises, stated: ‘Our guests and the industry have spoken, and they love the ocean ships that we have built with Fincantieri.’

He added, ‘We set out to bring the destination back to cruising, and the cruising public has responded. These additional ships are needed to meet the demand we are experiencing.’

The first ship to be built by Fincantieri for Viking, Viking Star was delivered at the Marghera yard in spring 2015. The second and the third ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky, were both built in Ancona and delivered in early 2016 and early 2017.

Viking will take delivery of the fourth ship, Viking Sun, in late 2017 and the fifth ship, Viking Spirit, in 2018.

A sixth, yet-to-be-named ship will be delivered in 2019.

Giuseppe Bono, ceo of Fincantieri, stated: ‘The extraordinary moment of the cruise sector is continuing, and with this announcement Fincantieri reaffirms its worldwide leadership in the segment. The series - which began with the Viking Star prototype - reaches eight ships with these additional units, with the possibility to further grow thanks to the expansion plans of this dynamic cruise company.’

Hagen remarked, ‘Once only known for being the leading river cruise line, we are now equally known for upscale, inclusive ocean cruise experiences. As we celebrate our 20th year of operation in 2017, we are pleased to continue innovating and to introduce even more guests to The Viking Way of exploration.’