Viking® today named its newest identical ocean ship, the Viking Mars®, during a private ceremony in Valletta, Malta. As part of the event, the ship’s ceremonial godmother Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the Countess of Carnarvon, offered a blessing of good fortune and safe sailing for the ship - a naval tradition that dates back thousands of years.

Viking has seen its newest ship for the Nile River - the 82-guest Viking Osiris - floated out, marking a major construction milestone and the first time the ship has touched water.

The 930-guest ship will spend her maiden season sailing three new itineraries in Scandinavian and Nordic countries, including two 15-day journeys, sailing to Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

The announcement was made in a video by Viking chairman Torstein Hagen. Addressing guests, he said the safety of 10,000 staff and half a million annual passengers was the top priority.

Viking Ocean Cruises has seen its third ship - the 930-passenger Viking Sky - “floated out,” marking a major construction milestone and the first time that the new ship touches water. The traditional ceremony took place today at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard just one day before the company will take delivery of its second ship, Viking Sea, which will officially debut to guests next month.

Viking Cruises has released a new online video documenting the recent successful sea trials of its first ship – the 930-passenger Viking Star – set to debut in April. The trials, which took place in the Aegean Sea in mid-December, represented the vessel’s first voyage in open water. During nearly a week of intense diagnostics, maritime experts executed more than 80 different tests designed to evaluate everything from Viking Star’s engine and propulsion performance to her navigation systems and cabin acoustics.