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Fincantieri's Ancona floats out Viking Venus

CRUISE Viking Venus.jpg
Viking Venus touched the water for the first time today at Fincantieri's Ancona yard
Viking Venus, the seventh ocean cruise ship Fincantieri is building for Viking, was floated out today at the Ancona shipyard.

Interior fittings will now begin, leading to the delivery, scheduled in early 2021. Maiden season sailings are planned in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen thanked everyone at the Ancona yard for their hard work and dedication.

He added: 'As the world continues its path to recovery from COVID-19, we remain focused on the future, and with strong bookings for 2021 and the enthusiasm of our guests, we are optimistic about what is to come.'

The 47,000gt Viking Venus can accommodate 930 passengers. The ship has energy-efficient engines and optimized hydrodynamics and hull to reduce fuel consumption.

20 ships for Viking

After starting its partnership with Viking in 2012 with an order for two ships, Fincantieri has stretched the business to 20 units, including a pair of expedition ships at its Vard subsidiary and options. According to the builder, this is a record stretch of cruise orders for a single brand.

Viking Star was delivered by the Marghera yard in 2015, followed by Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, Viking Orion and Viking Jupiter, all handed over by Ancona from 2016 through 2019.

A further 10 units, including options, are scheduled between 2021 and 2027.