Viking christened its newest cruise ship, the Viking Vela, today in a traditional ceremony in Trieste, Italy. The event also served to celebrate Viking's long-standing partnership with Fincantieri. With a rich maritime history, Trieste is considered the terminus of the Maritime Silk Road and is currently Italy's most important commercial port.
The ceremonial godmother of the Viking Vela was Ivana Elice, vice president and project manager of Fincantieri's Cruise Business Unit, who has overseen the design and engineering of Viking's cruise ships for 12 years.
“We are proud to welcome Viking Vela to our growing and award-winning fleet. With Fincantieri as our partner, we believe we have built the most elegant fleet of small cruise ships in the world,” said Torstein Hagen, Viking’s president and CEO. “We thank Ivana Elice for being the godmother of Viking Vela. In her role at Fincantieri, she has looked after our ships during their construction just as a godmother would, and we are very grateful for her contributions as a member of the extended Viking family.”
Following christening tradition, during the ceremony Ivana received a historic Viking axe presented by Ann Ziff, president of the Metropolitan Opera and godmother of the Viking Saturn. This same axe was previously used at the christening of the Viking Saturn in June 2023. After the axe was presented, Ivana pressed a button that broke a bottle of Norwegian aquavit against the ship's hull. Guests also enjoyed performances by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world's leading crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter, and by Italian singer Alessandro Safina, who paid tribute to the cultures of Norway and Italy through music.
Ivana Elice, Godmother of Viking Vela
In 2012, Ivana Elice was appointed by Fincantieri to oversee the construction of Viking's first ocean-going cruise ship, the Viking Star, and has since played a pivotal role in expanding Viking's sister ship fleet. Ivana joined Fincantieri in 1985 and, since 1993, has held various positions within Fincantieri's Commercial Vessels Division in areas such as hydrodynamics, shipbuilding, production engineering, and more.
The Viking Sail
The Viking Vela is the newest ship in Viking's ocean-cruising fleet. With a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons, the Viking Vela features 499 staterooms accommodating up to 998 passengers. Its features include veranda staterooms, a stylish Scandinavian-inspired design, bright public spaces, and numerous al fresco dining options.
The Viking Vela will spend its inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean during the "quiet season" before continuing on to northern Europe.
Viking is working on a partial hybrid propulsion system for its future ocean-going vessels, based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. This system could allow the company to operate with zero emissions in the Norwegian fjords and other sensitive environments. The Viking Vela's design already incorporates the ability to adapt to these new technologies as they become available.
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