Back to News Menu          Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional                 May 2015

Viking Ocean Cruises officially launched its 930-passenger Viking Star on Sunday in Bergen, Norway. The first new cruise line to debut in over a decade, Viking Ocean Cruises' chairman Torstein Hagen told Cruise Critic that it plans to create at least nine other nearly identical ships.

The ship has been offering passenger sailings since mid-April but Norwegian-born Hagen wanted to officially launch Viking Star in his adopted hometown of Bergen. The ceremony was timed to coincide with Norway's National Constitution Day, its most important national holiday, and included a city-wide concert and celebration. It's estimated that more than 20,000 attended the free event.

The concert, spotlighting world renowned artists and musicians, featured performances by Norwegian soprano Sissel, actor Bjarte Hjelmeland, singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, acclaimed violinist Charlie Siem and comedy duo Ylvis.

Even more uniquely, the christening ceremony was done entirely in Norwegian, and godmother Trude Drevland, Bergen's mayor, offered a lovely blessing of good fortune, along with a successful smashing of a Jeroboam-sized bottle of Veuve Cliquot. Festive fireworks followed.

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