The U.S. company Viking has ordered Fincantieri to Construction of two expedition cruise ships and the two companies also signed an agreement for an option on two ships oceanic ones. The Italian shipbuilding company has announced that the agreements have a total value of more than two billion euro.

The two expedition cruise ships, with deliveries scheduled for 2030 and in 2031, they will be twins of Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, both made by Vard, a Norwegian subsidiary of Fincantieri, and delivered in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The new units will be delivered by the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo and will support Viking's expansion into the dedicated market exploration in polar areas and more remote regions.

Each expedition ship will be able to accommodate 378 guests in 189 cabins and will be certified "Polar Class 6" for operate safely in the polar regions. Designed to sail in remote areas and along the St. Lawrence River, will offer superior manoeuvrability and stability even in rough sea conditions. Key features include the vertical bow, while the reinforced hulls for the will ensure safe navigation in extreme environments. The U-tank stabilizers will significantly reduce the roll of the ship even at reduced speed. The ships are designed by the the same architects and engineers who signed the ocean-going fleet by Viking, combining the elegance of Scandinavian design, public collections and areas added specifically for the particular Expedition type of trip.

The two options for ocean cruise ships, both with Delivery scheduled for 2034, will be included in the upper segment premium and will follow the same design philosophy and standards technicians of the units already built by Fincantieri or currently under construction in the group's Italian shipyards. With a gross tonnage of about 54,300 tons and a capacity of 998 passengers in 499 cabins, will comply with the latest environmental and navigation regulations and will be equipped with state-of-the-art security.

The Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Fincantieri, Pierroberto Folgiero, highlighted that "the decision of building these units in Palermo further strengthens the role of the shipyard as a production hub fully integrated into the Italian industrial system, confirming the path of structural growth undertaken in recent years".