Viking celebrated the christening of its new ocean-going vessel, the Viking Vesta®, with a traditional ceremony in Split, Croatia. The Viking Vesta's godmother was Norwegian journalist Lene Tangevald-Jensen. The Viking Vesta will now continue its inaugural season sailing the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
“As we celebrate 10 years of ocean voyages in 2025, we are delighted to welcome the new Viking Vesta to our award-winning fleet of elegant sister ships,” said Torstein Hagen, Viking’s president and CEO. “We are also very grateful to Lene for accepting to be godmother. In addition to her personal and professional accomplishments, Lene embodies values that are very important to me and to Viking: she is kind, honest, hardworking, and, of course, curious. I am proud to count her as a friend and a valued member of the extended Viking family.”
Following christening tradition, during the ceremony Lene used a Viking axe to cut a ribbon, releasing a bottle of Norwegian aquavit, which shattered against the ship's hull. Guests also enjoyed performances by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world's most renowned crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter®, as well as Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran Apold.
Lene Tangevald-Jensen is known for her commitment to journalism and philanthropy, as well as her deep curiosity about people's lives. After completing the International Baccalaureate and earning a master's degree in business, she worked in the private sector investing in stocks and real estate. For 30 years, she has written for Kapital and Finansavisen, two of Norway's leading financial publications, conducting over 500 interviews, including one with US President Jimmy Carter. She has also contributed to =OSLO, a street magazine that gives a voice to those left behind by the social safety net.
Lene believes in the power of giving back: performing small, meaningful acts that can create new beginnings for those in need. Through her work with the LEON Trust, she supports the education of children in Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. She also collaborates with the Make-A-Wish Foundation Norway and is the founder of TBS Gallery, an art space in Oslo dedicated to the sculptor Tore Bjørn Skjølsvik.
As a close friend and neighbor of Viking's president and CEO, Torstein Hagen, Lene has become a beloved part of the extended Viking family. In December 2022, she and her partner joined an expedition to Antarctica aboard the Viking Polaris®, where she filmed a documentary capturing the beauty of the White Continent—a journey that reaffirmed her belief in embracing the unknown.
The Viking Vesta is the newest addition to Viking's award-winning ocean-going sister ship fleet. Classified as a small ship, like the rest of Viking's ocean-going fleet, it has a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons, 499 cabins, and capacity for 998 passengers. All cabins feature verandas, elegant Scandinavian design, bright public spaces, and multiple al fresco dining options.
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