• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
Viking and Fincantieri brass were on hand for the Ancona launch of Viking Astrea, scheduled for 2027 delivery.
The 998-passenger, 54,300gt ship is the second Viking newbuild — following this year's Viking Libra — to be powered for significant stints by liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. Small-scale (100 kW) hydrogen fuel cell testing was first carried out on 2022's Viking Neptune.
Gilberto Tobaldi, director of Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard, and Ghislain Lemarie, VP ship development and construction for Viking, delivered remarks. Godmother for the launch was Francesca Baldinelli, who works in the shipyard's production control department.
Fincantieri has been building ships for Viking since 2012, and firm orders stretch through 2032 with options for others into 2034.
More than 20 vessels for various owners have been delivered from the Ancona yard since 2009. Today approximately 3,700 workers are involved at a facility that spans 360,000 square meters with production capacity for 60,000gt, lifting systems capable of handling loads of up to 500 tons and hull construction capacity of approximately 1,200 tons.
Further investments are planned to expand production capacity. Details were outlined in Seatrade Cruise Review's June 2026 cover story, "Cruise building boom: Why Fincantieri is the leader of the pack," available to read online or download.
