Viking Ocean Cruises christens its first ship in Bergen

Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - 09:10 by ce-press

On May 17 Viking Ocean Cruises chose Bergen to host the christening of its first ship, 930-passenger Viking Star. The ship’s arrival marked the first time in 10 years that a Norwegian-flagged cruiseship is homeporting Norway’s second largest city.

Mayor Trude Drevland, served as Godmother and a concert by performers all having connections with Bergen took place with Viking Star as the backdrop. This all took place on Norwegian Constitution Day when 20,000 local residents and visitors were enjoying a double celebration.

Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking Cruises, commented: “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

Related cruise lines

Viking Ocean Cruises

Related port

Bergen

The city of Bergen was founded on an old Viking settlement in the year 1070, and has a proud history and many interesting cultural monuments. Today Bergen has more than 260,000 inhabitants. The city is famous for its exciting mixture of old and new architecture, its charm and atmosphere. Bergen is surrounded by one of the world's most spectacular tourist attractions - the Norwegian Fjords, which is included on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Bryggen in Bergen is also listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, and the city is a designated World Heritage City. Bergen is a popular cruise destination and the leading cruise port in Norway with around 330 cruise ship calls bringing more than 450,000 cruise passengers per year.