By
Alex Smith |
Viking has taken delivery of Viking Mira, its latest ocean cruise ship, at a ceremony held at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona, Italy.
The vessel offers 499 staterooms and accommodates 998 guests, matching the rest of Viking's ocean fleet. Its inaugural season will cover itineraries across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
“The arrival of a new ship allows us to offer guests even more opportunities to explore the world,” said Leah Talactac, president and CEO of Viking. “We look forward to welcoming guests on board the Viking Mira during her inaugural season and for many years ahead.”
The delivery is the latest in a significant fleet expansion programme for the cruise line. Viking's next ocean vessel, Viking Libra, is also under construction at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard. Described by the company as the world's first hydrogen-powered cruise ship capable of zero-emission operation, it is scheduled for delivery in November 2026 and will use a propulsion system combining liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells. A further hydrogen-powered vessel, Viking Astrea, is due in 2027. Mira has been built to allow retrofitting of these propulsion technologies in future.
Viking's orderbook includes 24 additional river ships by 2028, nine ocean ships by 2031 and two expedition ships by 2031, which would bring the fleet to 114 river vessels and 26 ocean and expedition ships.