Viking Neptune is named in Los Angeles
It was a banner day Sunday, January 8th 2023. when Viking not only named its latest ship, it celebrated an extraordinary 25th Anniversary.
It is hard to believe that in the relatively short space of 25 years, Viking has firmly established its leadership position in so many areas of cruise ship travel. In Los Angeles, Thorsten Hagen, Viking’s indefatigable Founder and Chairman, proudly pointed to its achievements, 89 ships now bear the Viking Logo. They visit all 7 continents, 88 countries, 418 ports, cross 5 oceans, navigate 18 rivers and all 5 Great Lakes. They have carried 3,000,000 guests and employ over 10,000 people from 84 countries. But quantity is not the only thing that separates Viking. It consistently ranks as the #1 Ocean Cruise line and the #1 River Cruise line among readers of both Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler! And its latest offerings aboard its Expedition Ships are bound to follow suit. One of my fellow journalists and recent Antarctic passenger declared Viking Octantis was the first ship she has ever wanted to live on.
NICOLE STOTT, THORSTEN HAGEN AND KARINA HAGEN
VIKING NEPTUNE FEATURES A NUMBER OF FIRSTS
All Viking Ocean ships are (almost) identical. The line believes it has perfected its design and its extraordinarily devoted passengers—some 50 percent are repeat guests—feel right at home the minute they board any of these sisters. However, there is one very important new difference: Viking Neptune is uniquely equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system, making it the cruise industry’s first ship to test the use of hydrogen power for on board operations. Viking is using the small system as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel could be used at a larger scale in the future. The brand-new vessel also has the distinction of undertaking a 138-day World Cruise as its maiden voyage. The stop in Los Angeles was preceded by a 18-day cruise that began December 23rd in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Its 465 cabins will be home to 808 passengers for the voyage. They were aboard to watch as their ship was named by Nicole Stott, who has the distinction of being both an Astronaut and an Aquanaut.
Viking Ocean Ship
NICOLE STOTT, GODMOTHER OF VIKING NEPTUNE.
It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate godmother. Neptune is named both for the furthest planet from the sun –it’s number 8!—and for the ancient god of the seas, King Neptune himself. And Los Angeles was a particularly auspicious to name it. “Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we name our newest ocean ship in Los Angeles, the home of Viking’s U.S. office for more than 20 years,” Torstein Hagen reminded us. “Our newest Viking godmother” he continued “ has connections to space and the sea. We are grateful for her many contributions to the scientific community and are proud to have her as part of the Viking family.”
Launch Team Viking Neptune
A veteran NASA astronaut, Nicole Stott’s experience includes two spaceflights and 104 days spent living and working in space on the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). She has performed one space walk and was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free-flying HTV cargo vehicle, the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission on a Space Shuttle, and a member of the final flight crew of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133. Nicole is also a NASA aquanaut who lived and worked on the Aquarius Undersea Habitat for 18 days. Not one to rest on her laurels, Nicole Stott is both a writer and an artist. She painted the first watercolor painting in space. She then co-founded the Space for Art Foundation. This organization unites a planetary community of children through the awe and wonder of space and the power of art. Those of us in attendance in Los Angeles were delighted that Nicole Stott’s book “Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet –And Our Mission to Protect It” (Seal Press 2021) was gifted to us all.
Viking Ocean
NICOLE STOTT WIELDS A CEREMONIAL BROAD AXE TO CHRISTEN NEPTUNE.
Following the blessing of the ship by Pastor Asmund Offernes of Norwegian’s Seaman’s Church in San Pedro, the port for Los Angeles, the ceremonial and historic broad axe was handed to Nicole Stott. The axe was presented to Nicole by Sissel Kyrkjebo, one of the world’s leading sopranos and a legend in her native Norway. Sissel had used the broad axe in her role as godmother of Viking Jupiter which was also named in Los Angeles in January 2020. The axe is used to cut a ribbon that allows a bottle of Norwegian Aquavit to break on the ship’s hull.
SISSEL AND STOTT
PASTOR ASMUND OFFERNES
Before completing her task, Nicole Stott said “ It is an honor and privilege to be the godmother of the new Viking Neptune. As someone who has been blessed to explore space, the ocean, and some of the otherworldly places on our planet, I understand the importance of broadening one’s horizons through travel. I am very excited for all those who journey around the world on this elegant vessel,” said Nicole Stott. And then, most appropriately for a World Cruise, Sissel ended the presentation with a wonderful rendition of “What a Wonderful World”.
For more information on all things Viking, go to www.viking.com
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