Viking Neptune named in Los Angeles festivities
The LA area has been home to Viking’s US office for more than 20 years.
“The Neptune Viking is a ship named both for the most distant planet in our solar system and for the god of the sea, and our newest Viking godmother, Nicole Stott, as a NASA astronaut and aquanaut, also has connections to space and the sea We are grateful for her many contributions to the scientific community and are proud to have her as part of the Viking family,” said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen.
VIKING
From left, Torstein Hagen, Viking Orion godmother/former NASA astronaut Anna Fisher, Viking Neptune godmother Nicole Stott, Viking Neptune captain Erik Saabye and, right, Viking EVP and Viking Sea godmother Karine Hagen
Viking Neptune arrived in Los Angeles early on the morning of January 8 and departed for Honolulu after the naming ceremony. The ship is sailing on the 2022-23 Viking World Cruise, an epic journey from Fort Lauderdale to London spanning 138 days, 28 countries and 57 ports, with overnight stops in 11 cities.
Expanding horizons through travel
“As someone who has been blessed to explore space, the ocean and some of the otherworldly places on our planet, I understand the importance of expanding one’s horizons through travel,” Stott said. “I am so excited for everyone who travels the world on this elegant ship.”
In keeping with Viking naming tradition, during the ceremony Stott used a historic Viking broad ax to cut a ribbon that sent a bottle of Norwegian aquavit crashing into the ship’s hull. Sissel Kyrkjebø, a world-renowned soprano and Viking Jupiter’s godmother, handed Stott the ax the singer used when naming her ship in Beverly Hills in January 2020.
Kyrkjebø and Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran Apold performed at the celebrations.
Nicole Stott
Stott’s experience includes two space flights and 104 days living and working in space on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. She has performed a spacewalk and was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free-flying HTV cargo vehicle, the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission in a spacecraft, and a member of the final flight. crew of Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133. She is also a NASA aquanaut who lived and worked in the Underwater Aquatic Habitat for 18 days.
Stott is the author of Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet—and Our Mission to Protect It. Also an artist, she painted the first watercolor in space and is co-founder of the Space for Art Foundation, which unites children through the awe and wonder of space exploration and the healing power of art.
Pilot hydrogen fuel system
Although identical to Viking’s other 930-passenger ocean liners, the Viking Neptune is equipped with a small hydrogen fuel system to test the use of hydrogen power for onboard operations. Viking is using the small system as a test to determine how hydrogen fuel can be used on a larger scale in future newbuilds.
25th anniversary sales spark record bookings
Viking said the naming ceremony coincided with a week of record bookings after the company launched its 25th anniversary sale on January 1. Through January 31, the sale offers savings, a reduced $25 deposit and up to free international airfare on river, ocean and expedition trips.
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