Viking Cruises christens Viking Sky in Tromsø, Norway
Viking Cruises® has announced that its third ship, Viking Sky®, was officially christened during a public celebration in Tromsø, Norway, the company said in its press release. Located above the Arctic Circle on Norway’s northwest coast, Tromsø is a popular destination for viewing the northern lights – and a key port of call on Viking’s popular Into the Midnight Sun itinerary, which sails between Bergen and London, allowing guests to explore the northernmost reaches of Scandinavia. Viking’s ocean ships are classified as “small ships” by Cruise Critic, and the 930-guest, 47,800-ton Viking Sky navigated into the Tromsø harbor this morning, where she received a warm welcome with coordinated water cannons from Norwegian redningsskøyten boats, music from local bands and flag-waving Tromsø residents.
About Viking Cruises
Viking Cruises was founded by Chairman Torstein Hagen in 1997 with the purchase of four ships in Russia. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2017, Viking is the leader in river and small ship ocean cruising, offering destination-focused itineraries designed for experienced travelers who have an interest in geography, culture and history. In its first year of operation, Viking Ocean Cruises was rated the #1 ocean cruise line in Travel + Leisure’s 2016 “World’s Best” Awards, which came on the heels of being rated the highest of all cruise lines in the 2015 “World’s Best” Awards. Viking currently operates a fleet of 62 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. By 2022 the company will operate eight 930-guest ocean cruise ships and will be the largest small ship ocean cruise line. In addition to the Travel + Leisure honors, Viking has also been honored multiple times on Condé Nast Traveler’s “Gold List” as well as recognized by Cruise Critic as “Best Overall” Small-Mid size ship in the 2017 Cruisers’ Choice Awards, “Best River Cruise Line” and “Best River Itineraries,” with the entire Viking Longships® fleet being named “Best New River Ships” in the website’s Editors’ Picks Awards.
