The Viking Vela recently completed its first year of service after being delivered to Viking Cruises on December 3, 2024.

Built at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Ancona, Italy, the 998-guest vessel became the 11th to be introduced by the luxury company in ten years.

After leaving its building yard, the Vela kicked off a maiden season in the Western Mediterranean and Northern Europe on December 12, 2024.

For its first cruise, the ship offered a seven-night itinerary that departed from Civitavecchia and included visits to destinations in Spain, Italy and France.

Sailing to Barcelona, the open-jaw cruise was highlighted by overnight calls to Barcelona and Livorno, as well as visits to Marseille, Villefranche and Sète.

After additional sailings in the Mediterranean, the Viking Vela repositioned to Northern Europe in early January to operate the company’s “In Search of the Northern Lights” itinerary.

The 12-night cruise sails to the Netherlands and Norway, offering guests an opportunity to witness the Aurora Borealis.

Continuing its maiden season, the ship offered other itineraries in the region, as well as longer sailings to Iceland and the British Isles.

With a similar schedule for 2026, the Viking Vela started its second year of service in the Mediterranean before repositioning to Northern Europe in early January.

The 54,300-ton ship is now offering a new series of “In Search of the Northern Lights” cruises, which extend through late March.

One of the highlights of the ship’s deployment for the year is a 28-night cruise set to depart from the Norwegian port of Bergen in early July.

Sailing to New York City, the month-long itinerary features visits to destinations in Norway, Svalbard, Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

Following the Viking Vela in late 2024, Viking welcomed an additional ship to its fleet in 2025, the Viking Vesta.

According to Cruise Industry News’ Cruise Ship Orderbook, the company is now getting ready to take delivery of two vessels this year: the Viking Mira and the Viking Libra.