By
Amber Hickman |
Viking named its newest ship, Viking Neptune, on 10 January 2023 in a ceremony held in Los Angeles, USA, with the help of godmother Nicole Stott, a retired NASA astronaut and aquanaut.
“It is an honour and privilege to be the godmother of the new Viking Neptune,” said Stott. “As someone who has been blessed to explore space, the ocean, and some of the otherworldly places on our planet, I understand the importance of broadening one’s horizons through travel. I am very excited for all those who journey around the world on this elegant vessel.”
Viking Neptune was christened during its maiden voyage, the 2022-2023 ‘Viking World Cruise’, which departed Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in December and will conclude in London, UK, after visiting 28 countries and 57 ports over 138 days. The vessel departed for Honolulu, Hawaii, following the naming ceremony.
The vessel is part of Viking’s ocean fleet and is sister to Viking Star, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Orion, Viking Jupiter, Viking Venus and Viking Mars. Another ship, Viking Saturn, is expected to be welcomed to the fleet in April 2023.
Viking Neptune is the first ship in the fleet to be equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system to test how hydrogen power can be used for onboard operations and determine if it can be used on a larger scale in future builds.