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]
 Viking Orion in Osaka, Japan. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Norway | |
| Name | Viking Orion |
| Operator | Viking Ocean Cruises |
| Port of registry | Bergen, Norway |
| Builder | Fincantieri |
| Yard number | 6253 |
| Christened | 2018-06-14 |
| Completed | 2018 |
| Maiden voyage | 2018-06-14 |
| In service | 2018–present |
| Identification | |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 228.2 m (748 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 28.8 m (94 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 6.45 m (21 ft 2 in) |
| Decks | 14 |
| Ice class | 1C |
| Propulsion | Propulsion Electric Motors 2 x 7250 kW |
| Speed |
|
| Capacity | 930 passengers in 465 cabins 265 crew cabins Max persons on board 1,443 |
| Crew | 550 |
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.