Viking Star christened in homeport of Bergen

Viking Ocean Cruises has christened its 930-passenger ship Viking Star in a ceremony in its homeport of Bergen, Norway. 

The ship, which is the first ocean-going vessel in Viking’s history, set sail on its maiden voyage from Istanbul on April 11 and has made stops at Athens, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Venice, among others. Last week, it sailed down the Thames before heading to Scandinavia.

The ceremony occurred in conjunction with a Bergen-wide celebration for Norwegian Constitution Day and featured parades, parties and a public concert in the harbour attended by approximately 20,000 local residents and visitors.

The mayor of the Norwegian city, Trude Drevland, served as ceremonial godmother and offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship.

READ: Cruise Adviser’s first impressions of Viking Star

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises, said: “We believe the arrival of Viking Star signals a new era in destination-focused cruising, and I could not be more proud that she will call my favourite city in the world ‘home’

“This is a ship that was built for exploration and designed with our Scandinavian heritage in mind, and our guests will experience it from the moment they step onboard.”