A Look at the Inaugural Season of Viking Vela – Cruise Industry News

Currently in the final stages of construction at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the new Viking Vela is scheduled to enter service for Viking in December.

Cruise Industry News takes a closer look at the inaugural cruise season of the 998-guest vessel, which will become the luxury company’s 10th oceangoing cruise ship.

Maiden Voyage
Date: December 12, 2024
Length: 7 nights
Homeports: Civitavecchia (Italy) to Barcelona (Spain)
Itinerary: Livorno (Italy); Villefranche, Marseille and Sete (France)

After being delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Viking Vela is set to offer a maiden cruise in the Western Mediterranean.

Following Viking’s “Iconic Western Mediterranean” itinerary, the seven-night voyage features visits to destinations in Italy, Spain and France, including Marseille and Sete. Passengers will also have opportunities to visit Florence from Livorno and Nice from Villefranche.

Malta, Morocco and the Mediterranean
Date: December 19, 2024
Length: 15 nights
Homeport: Barcelona (Spain)
Itinerary: Ajaccio and Marseille (France); Civitavecchia (Italy); Valletta (Malta); Tunis (Tunisia); Algiers (Algeria); Tangier (Morocco); and Cádiz (Spain)

Before repositioning to the North Sea, the Viking Vela is also scheduled to offer a new itinerary in the Western Mediterranean that sails to destinations in Europe and North Africa.

Sailing roundtrip from Barcelona, the 15-night itinerary is highlighted by stops in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, as well as visits to Ajaccio, Cádiz and Valletta. According to Viking, the cruise traces the routes of centuries-old mariners and allows passengers to discover ancient cities and UNESCO Heritage Sites.

Iberian Explorer
Date: January 3, 2025
Length: 7 nights
Homeport: Barcelona (Spain) to Tilbury (England)
Itinerary: Portsmouth (England); Cartagena, Málaga and Vigo (Spain)

Wrapping up its inaugural season in the Mediterranean, the Viking Vela offers a repositioning cruise to Tilbury, a port near England’s capital city of London.

The seven-night itinerary circumnavigates the Iberian Peninsula while visiting different ports in Spain, including Cartagena, Málaga and Vigo. In addition to transiting the Strait of Gibraltar, the open-jaw cruise also features a visit to Portsmouth before arriving at its final destination.

In Search of Northern Lights
Dates: Six departures between January and March 2025
Length: 12 nights
Homeports: Tilbury (England) to Bergen (Norway)
Itinerary: IJmuiden (Netherlands); Alta, Narvik and Tromsø (Norway)

During most of the 2024-25 winter, the Viking Vila is scheduled to offer the 12-night “In Search of the Northern Lights” itinerary.

According to Viking, the itinerary allows guests to witness snow-covered landscapes and steep fjords while seeking out the aurora borealis. Created to immerse passengers in the Norwegian Arctic, the open-jaw cruise features visits to Alta, Narvik and Tromso, as well as IJmuiden in the Netherlands.

British Isles Explorer
Date: Eight departures between March and September 2025
Length: 14 nights
Homeports: Tilbury (England) to Bergen (Norway)
Itinerary: Dover and Liverpool (England); Dublin (Ireland); Belfast (Northern Ireland); Lerwick (Shetland Islands); Holyhead (Wales); Ullapool, Kirkwall, Edinburgh and Invergordon (Scotland)

The Viking Vela is also scheduled to offer a series of 14-night cruises to the British Isles during its maiden season.

Sailing from Tilbury to Bergen, the regular itinerary covers destinations in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland