Italy’s shipbuilder Fincantieri launched the construction of the fourth of six cruise ships for Viking Ocean Cruises at its Ancona shipyard with a keel laying ceremony held today.
The new cruise vessel, named Viking Sun, is scheduled for delivery in 2017.
The first building block of the ship, about 11 meters long, 28.8 wide and weighing about 280 tons, is part of the central section of the ship.
Viking Sun, which will be placed in the small cruise ship segment, will feature a weight of about 47,800 tons. The vessel will be able to accommodate 930 passengers in 465 cabins.
Including the crew, the ship’s total capacity will be over 1,400 people.
The keel laying follows Fincantieri’s delivery of the second Viking ship, the Viking Sea, to the cruise company in March.
The company’s third ship of the class, the Viking Sky, scheduled for delivery in February 2017, was launched on March 23 in Ancona.
In November 2015, Viking Ocean Cruises signed an agreement with Fincantieri for the construction of two more cruise ships, which are expected to join their owner in mid-2018 and at the end of 2020.