Viking has officially taken delivery of Viking Octantis, the first of two new purpose-built expedition ships.

The delivery ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Vard shipyard in Søviknes, Norway.

Viking Octantis hosts 378 guests and will now set sail toward South America to welcome guests in January 2022 for Viking’s first voyages to Antarctica.

Viking Octantis will be officially named in 2022 in New York City by her ceremonial godmother, Liv Arnesen, the famed explorer and educator.

The ship then makes her way to the Great Lakes, for a series of voyages during spring and summer.

A second, identical sister ship, Viking Polaris, joins the fleet in August for journeys to the Arctic and Antarctica.

“Today is a proud day for the entire Viking family as we welcome our first expedition ship to the fleet and usher in a new era of exploration.

“Our guests have asked us to build on our award-winning river and ocean voyages to take them further, and that is just what we have done,” said Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking.

“Leveraging our long history of destination-focused travel, enrichment and innovative ship design, we are now perfecting expedition voyages and offering curious travellers the opportunity to visit some of the world’s most pristine destinations in the most responsible way possible.

“With the arrival of Viking Octantis, Viking is now exploring all seven continents, and we look forward to welcoming her first guests on board in the coming weeks.”