Viking to Launch New Oceangoing Cruise Ship, Viking Saturn, In 2023

(11:20 a.m. EDT) -- Viking will launch another oceangoing cruise ship in early 2023, the line revealed Wednesday.

The 930-passenger Viking Saturn will join the fleet in early 2023. It will be a sister-ship to the pioneering oceangoing fleet Viking first debuted in 2015 with the launch of Viking Star, and will offer the key features Viking passengers have come to expect, like the ship's two-level forward-facing observation lounge; the cozy Wintergarden tea and pool area; and Viking's commitment to educational, cerebral onboard programming that includes live music, lectures, and a ship that functions as a sort of floating library in and of itself.

When Viking Saturn launches in 2023, the ship will offer three new itineraries in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, including voyages from Reykjavik, Iceland to New York (via Greenland and Atlantic Canada); sailings from Reykjavik to Bergen, Norway that call on distant Arctic Svalbard; and a massive 29-day "Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Beyond" itinerary that sails from Bergen to New York or reverse.

According to Viking chairman Torstein Hagen, the renewed Icelandic focus for Viking Saturn comes on the heels of Viking's "Welcome Back" cruises in that country this past summer.

“The thousands of guests who sailed our Welcome Back voyage in Iceland this past summer enjoyed the experience so much they provided record-level ratings,” Hagen said in a statement. “These new itineraries are ideal for curious travellers and trace routes of the early Viking explorers to Iceland and other North Atlantic destinations known for their natural beauty. We look forward to welcoming Viking Saturn to our fleet and to offering guests even more ways to explore this unique part of the world in comfort.”

Prior to the 2023 debut of Viking Saturn, Viking will have one of its most ambitious years on record in 2022 with the debut of its first Mississippi river cruise product and the launch of two brand-new expedition vessels, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris.