A delivery ceremony for the vessel – the first of two expedition ships for Viking – at Fincantieri’s Vard shipyard in Soviknes, Norway.

Octantis will carry 378 guests and now set sail toward South America to welcome passengers in January for Viking’s first voyages to Antarctica. 

The ship will later be named in New York in April by Norwegian explorer and educator, Liv Arnesen and sail to the Great Lakes for a series of voyages during spring and summer.

A second, identical sister ship, Viking Polaris, will join the Viking fleet in August 2022 for voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica.

Viking chair Torstein Hagen said: “Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we welcome our first expedition ship to the fleet and usher in a new era of exploration. 

“Our guests have asked us to build on our award-winning river and ocean voyages to take them further, and that is just what we have done. Leveraging our long history of destination-focused travel, enrichment and innovative ship design, we are now perfecting expedition voyages and offering curious travellers the opportunity to visit some of the world’s most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible. 

“With the arrival of Viking Octantis, Viking is now exploring all seven continents, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board in the coming weeks.”