Viking Orion is a cruise ship operated by Viking Ocean Cruises. The ship was built by Fincantieri at its yard in Ancona, Italy. It was delivered to Viking Cruises on June 7, 2018.[1] The ship was christened by NASA astronaut Anna Fisher in a ceremony at Livorno, Italy.[2] The ship was named after Orion the Hunter, a constellation[3] and has the unique feature of a planetarium.[4]
Operational history
The ship's maiden voyage was a 'shakedown cruise' (not open to the public) which departed from Rome, Italy and ended in Barcelona, Spain.[5] The first commercial voyage departed Barcelona on June 19, 2018.[6]
On January 2, 2023, the ship was asked to leave New Zealand waters due to excess algae and barnacles.[7] The ship was subsequently prohibited from docking in Adelaide, Australia due to the same issues, causing passengers to be stranded onboard.[8] Four port stops were missed. The cruise line hired divers to clean the hull whilst it was in international waters.
References
- ^ "Viking Orion Delivered by Fincantieri - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". cruiseindustrynews. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ Sloan, Gene. "Astronaut christens new Viking Cruises ship, Viking Orion, in elaborate ceremony". USA Today. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ Samantha Mathewson (2018-06-14). "Cruising Constellations: Sailing the Maiden Voyage of 'Viking Orion'". Space.com. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ Marcellin, Frances (2018-10-15). "A tour de force of Viking Orion's maiden voyage". Ship Technology. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ Marcellin, Frances (2018-10-15). "A tour de force of Viking Orion's maiden voyage". Ship Technology. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ Marcellin, Frances (2018-10-15). "A tour de force of Viking Orion's maiden voyage". Ship Technology. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ "Algae-ridden cruise ship asked to leave NZ waters". Otago Daily Times. 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
- ^ "Viking Orion: Cruise passengers stranded after marine growth halts ship". BBC News. 2023-01-01. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
You must be logged in to post a comment.