Viking marked the company's 25th anniversary with a historic celebration in Amsterdam. For the first time ever, three classes of Viking ships -- a river ship, an ocean ship and the company's newest expedition vessel, the Viking Polaris, met in Amsterdam
Participating in the event with the Polaris were the river vessel Viking Mani and ocean vessel, the Viking Mars. The three ships then sailed in a special convoy to IJmuiden, Netherlands.
During the Amsterdam event, Viking also named the Viking Polaris and her identical sister ship, the Viking Octantis, which is currently sailing her inaugural season in the Great Lakes. Both ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before travelling north to the Great Lakes for a series of voyages during spring and summer 2023.
"Today is historic for Viking -- to celebrate our 25th anniversary, to have all classes of our ships sailing together for the first time, and to name our phenomenal new expedition vessels," said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. "I am very proud of what we have accomplished in our first 25 years. And in our view, we are just getting started. Where do we go next? Onwards."
Renowned polar explorers and educators Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft, the respective ceremonial godmothers of the Viking Octantis and the Viking Polaris, were in attendance in Amsterdam and offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the new ships. Arnesen offered her blessing remotely via video to the Viking Octantis in the Great Lakes.
In keeping with the naming tradition, Arnesen and Bancroft assisted in breaking a bottle of Norwegian aquavit on each of the ship's hulls. During the ceremony, guests enjoyed performances from Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world's leading sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter, and violinist Tor Jaran Apold. Guests on all three Viking ships in Amsterdam were able to join in the naming ceremony, as well as witness the historic convoy, from their ships' outdoor viewing areas.
Viking's 25th anniversary celebration in Amsterdam is the most recent event during a milestone year in which the company has also welcomed to its fleet eight new Viking Longships on the rivers of Europe and new purpose-built vessels on the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi rivers.
By the end of 2022, two new, identical ocean ships will have also joined Viking's fleet.
Viking has published a new video about the company's history and some of the key partners who have contributed to its success, which was shared on board all Viking ships \ as part of the 25th anniversary celebration.
Topics From This Article to Explore
