Viking Ocean Cruises celebrated the delivery of its newest ocean cruise ship, Viking Vela, at Fincantieri's shipyard in Ancona, Italy. With a capacity to accommodate 998 passengers in its 499 staterooms, the 54,300-tonne Viking Vela will embark on its inaugural season cruising the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The vessel marks the beginning of a new series of cruise ships built by Fincantieri for Viking, further solidifying the partnership that has already seen 13 ships delivered to Viking. Viking's commitment to environmental sustainability is evident in Viking Vela, with its high-efficiency engines to reduce pollution and the potential for future retrofitting to utilize hydrogen as a fuel. The company is also exploring a partial hybrid propulsion system project based on liquid hydrogen and fuel cells to enable emission-free cruising in sensitive regions such as the Norwegian Fjords. Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen expressed pride in the addition of Viking Vela to the fleet and emphasized the company's dedication to offering unique exploration experiences to travelers.