Viking’s Newest Ocean Ship Delivered, Viking Saturn Ready for Summer Sailings
Viking has announced that the company has taken delivery of its newest ocean ship, the Viking Saturn. The delivery ceremony took place this week when its newest ship was presented at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy.
Following its delivery, the Viking Saturn will be officially named in New York City on June 6, 2023. Doing the honors on that day will be the vessel’s ceremonial godmother, Ann Ziff. Ziff is a dedicated philanthropist and Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera which is a longtime Viking cultural partner.
After the naming ceremony, Viking’s newest ship and her guests will spend her inaugural summer sailing on two new Viking itineraries. The first voyage is Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada, which takes place between New York City and Reykjavík. The second voyage is Iceland & Norway’s Arctic Explorer, which takes place between Reykjavík and Bergen.
Viking Announces Newest Ship Saturn
Torstein Hagen is the Chairman of Viking and he said “We are very proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet. We are also grateful that Ann Ziff has honored us by serving as godmother of the Viking Saturn. Having traveled with us for years, Ann is a loyal Viking guest, and she shares our commitment to the arts and cultural enrichment. Her contributions to the Metropolitan Opera, one of our longtime cultural partners, as well as many other important causes are truly impressive.”
Ziff added “I am delighted to serve as godmother of the Viking Saturn. For those who are curious about the world, there is no better way to explore and immerse yourself than from the comfort of a Viking ship.”
Torstein Hagen is the Chairman of Viking
Ann Ziff is Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera and an esteemed philanthropist focused on the arts, education, culture and environmental conservation. She is a member of several boards, including the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Sing for Hope, the World Science Festival, and the Los Angeles Opera.
She is dedicated to ensuring that culture and arts are brought into the lives of children in need. She co-founded Smile Train and served on the board at Maloto, an organization that provides education and housing for abused and abandoned girls in Malawi.
In addition, Ziff’s fine jewelry brand, Tamsen Z, creates one-of-a-kind designs that are inspired by her love of culture, art and music as well as her travels as a loyal Viking guest.
Ann Ziff Is the Godmother of the Viking Saturn
The Metropolitan Opera has been a Viking cultural partner since 2016. On board Viking’s ocean ships, guests are treated to the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning Live in HD series, including an exclusive viewing of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
Viking is committed to supporting enriching cultural programming and its other premier partnerships and sponsorships include Ballet Sun Valley, BBC, Highclere Castle, Los Angeles Philharmonic, PBS’ MASTERPIECE, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Oslo’s Munch Museum, TED and many others.
The Viking Saturn Has Been Delivered
The Viking Saturn is the company’s newest addition to its award-winning ocean fleet of identical sister ships. These ships have been classified by Cruise Critic as “small ships” each with 465 staterooms that host 930 guests, veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options.
Viking is celebrating its 25th anniversary and the year has been full of magnificent firsts. In January 2023, the company had its most successful single month of bookings following years of tremendous growth. In the last three years the cruise line has added 17 new ships to its fleet including eight new Viking Longships on the rivers of Europe, new purpose-built vessels on the Mekong, Nile and Mississippi rivers, four new, identical ocean ships, and two Polar Class expedition vessels.
This year Viking was voted “Best Cruise Line” by Food & Wine readers in the publication’s inaugural Global Tastemakers Awards. In March Viking led Cruise Critic’s Cruisers’ Choice Awards, receiving top honors in six categories including “Best Overall Line,” “Best River Line,” and “Best Dining” for its ocean and expedition voyages.
And, Viking has been named both the #1 Ocean Line and #1 River Line by both Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler, becoming the first cruise line to simultaneously earn #1 in its categories from both publications.
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