Viking Cruises on September 30 marked the company's 25th anniversary with a celebration in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
For the first time ever, to commemorate the milestone, 3 classes of Viking Cruises' ships - a river, ocean, and the line's newest expedition vessel, Viking Polaris - met in Amsterdam and sailed in a convoy to IJmuiden (Netherlands). Participating in the convoy with Viking Polaris were Viking Longship, Viking Mani, and the ocean ship, Viking Mars.
During the special Amsterdam event was also named Viking Polaris and the sistership Viking Octantis, which is currently on an inaugural Great Lakes USA season. Both vessels will spend the Austral summer in Antarctica, prior to sailing north to the Great Lakes for a series of spring and summer voyages.
Renowned explorers/educators Liv Arnesen and Ann Bancroft, the godmothers of Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, respectively, were in attendance in Amsterdam. Both offered a blessing of good fortune/safe sailing for the newbuilds, with Arnesen offering her blessing remotely via video to Viking Octantis in the Great Lakes. Arnesen and Bancroft also assisted in breaking a bottle of Norwegian aquavit on the ships' hulls.
During the official ceremony, guests enjoyed performances from Sissel Kyrkjebo, one of the world's leading crossover sopranos (and the godmother of Viking Jupiter) and violinist Tor Jaran Apold. Guests on all 3 Viking ships in Amsterdam joined in the christening ceremony, as well as witnessed the historic convoy, from their outdoor viewing areas.
Viking's 25th-anniversary celebration is the most recent event during a milestone year. In 2022, the company also welcomed to its fleet 8 new Viking Longships/riverboats in Europe plus new ships on the rivers Nile (), Mekong (), and Mississippi ().
By the end of the year, two new, ocean ships () will have also joined the fleet.