Viking Polaris

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF VARD, UNLESS MENTIONED OTHERWISE.

Built at Vard Søviknes in Ålesund, Norway, Viking Polaris represents an excellent and innovative way to explore the world’s most remote destinations and is specifcally geared for adventure cruises in polar destinations.

The vessel has a length of 205m and a beam of 23,5m, especially designed and developed for comfortable expeditions in Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. The vessel hosts 378 guests in 189 staterooms.

Vard signed the Letter of Intent (LOI) for the two cruise vessels with Viking in April 2018. The contracts for the vessels became efective in July 2018. Viking Polaris was delivered from Vard Søviknes on 27 September 2022. The foat out ceremony took place in Vard Tulcea in July 2021. The vessel arrived at Vard Søviknes in Norway on 22 January 2022 for further outftting, testing and fnalisation. Her sister ship, Viking Octantis, was delivered from Vard Søviknes on 22 December 2021.

The two expedition cruise ships have been christened simultaneously on 30 September of this year. The Viking Polaris was christened at the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal after which she started her maiden voyage to Antarctica, as the Viking Octantis was christened in Toronto. >>

Gross tonnage Length overall Beam moulded 30,150grt 205m 23.5m

Design draught Max Speed Classifcation society Propulsion

6m 18kn DNV ABB Azipod 2 x 5,500kW Diesel generators MAN engines 4 x 4,800kW Total installed electric power AEM generators 4 x 4,632 kW Passenger cabins 189 Suites 5 Crew cabins 157 Max persons on board 646

Yard Director – Vard Søviknes, Arnt Inge Gjerde.

Photo courtesy Viking Cruises.

“Together with her sister Viking Octantis, Viking Polaris is an amazing and unique ship that represents innovation and development of the cruise segment for both Viking and Vard,” says General Manager for Business Unit Cruise at Vard, Attilio Dapelo. “Both vessels are over 200m long and the largest vessels built by Vard so far and once again confrm Vard’s capabilities to build excellent vessels at the highest standards of cruise ships. I am grateful to everyone involved in the project for being dedicated to their tasks and to the commitment to deliver Viking Polaris on time and with high quality’s levels. A special thanks to Viking for the trust and for the excellent, fruitful, and continuous cooperation all along the designing and building process.”

Viking Polaris is an ice-strengthened Polar Class 6 vessel with a longer hull, straight bow, and state-of-the-art fn stabilisers to provide the calmest

possible journeys in remote regions. The u-tank stabilisers will signifcantly decrease rolling when the ship is stationary. The hull is built at Vard Tulcea in Romania. Vard Tulcea has also partly outftted the ship. “We are proud to deliver the second ice-strengthened expedition vessel to Viking,” says yard director at Vard Søviknes, Arnt Inge Gjerde.

“The vessel is fantastic, and with a very high standard. Considering the sistership efect, and that we brought the synergies from the frst vessel, we are very satisfed with the result. Viking Polaris is equipped with the latest technology and automation systems, all commissioned and tested by Vard in a very close cooperation with Viking. Our inhouse competence in innovative design and technology, executed at our yards through all the steps in the process, is a huge strength which is supported by our owner Fincantieri.”

On 30 September 2022, Viking celebrated its 25th anniversary with a historic celebration in Amsterdam. To commemorate the milestone, for the frst time ever, three classes of Viking ships – a river ship, an ocean ship, and the company’s newest expedition vessel, the Viking Polaris – met in Amsterdam and sailed in a special convoy to IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Participating in the convoy with the Viking Polaris were the Viking Longship, the Viking Mani, and the ocean vessel, the Viking Mars.

During the Amsterdam event, Viking also named the Viking Polaris and her identical sister ship, the Viking Octantis, which is currently sailing her inaugural season in the Great Lakes. Both ships will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, before traveling north to the Great Lakes for a series of voyages during spring and summer.

Photo courtesy Viking Cruises.