Viking named its newest ocean ship Viking Saturn Monday with a celebration in New York City. As part of the event, the ship’s ceremonial godmother, Ann Ziff, the Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera, a longtime Viking cultural partner, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship – a maritime tradition that dates back thousands of years.

The ship will now continue her inaugural season, sailing two new Viking voyages: “Iconic Iceland, Greenland & Canada,” between New York City and Reykjavik, and “Iceland & Norway’s Arctic Explorer,” between Reykjavik and Bergen.

“It is an honour to be godmother of the new Viking Saturn and celebrate this momentous occasion in New York,” said Ann Ziff. “Viking and the Metropolitan Opera share a common goal in creating enriching experiences throughout the world and there is no doubt the Viking Saturn will do just that for her guests.”

In keeping with the naming tradition, during the ceremony Ziff used the steel sword from the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore to cut a ribbon that allowed a bottle of Norwegian aquavit to break on the ship’s hull.

As part of the ceremony, guests also saw performances from several opera stars including Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world’s leading crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter and Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran Apold.

Viking Saturn

The Viking Saturn is the newest ship in Viking’s ocean fleet of identical sister ships, which also includes the Viking Star, Sea, Sky, Orion, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, and Neptune. Classified as “small ships,” the vessels have a gross tonnage of 47,800 tons, with 465 staterooms that can host 930 guests; the ships feature all veranda staterooms, Scandinavian design, light-filled public spaces and abundant al fresco dining options.

The naming of the Viking Saturn comes as the company continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary and its most successful single month of bookings in January 2023, following recent years of strong growth.

Since 2020, Viking has welcomed 17 new ships to its fleet – including eight new Viking Longships on the rivers of Europe; new purpose-built vessels on the Mekong, Nile, and Mississippi rivers; four new, identical ocean ships; and two Polar Class expedition vessels.

Anniversary sale

Through June 30, Viking is offering a 25th Anniversary Sale, with a $25 deposit, special savings, and up to free international airfare on river, ocean, and expedition voyages.