ISTANBUL, Turkey — Eager for a glimpse of Viking Sea -- the second ocean ship from river giant Viking? USA TODAY this week is getting early access to the 930-passenger vessel ahead its christening next month in Greenwich, England, and we're posting photos in the carousel above and at our Twitter page and Facebook page.
Click HERE to see the photos above in larger format.
Scheduled to be christened on May 5, Viking Sea is a sister to Viking Star, which debuted almost exactly a year ago.
Like Viking Star, Viking Sea is less than a third the size of the latest megaships from the likes of Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, and it was designed to mix on-board elegance with a focus on destinations that executives say has been lost across much of the cruise industry in recent years.
As with the Viking Star, the Viking Sea's itineraries also feature more time in ports than at many other lines, and in a relatively rare twist, shore excursions that are included in the price. Also included are beer and wine with lunch and dinner; and even WiFi access -- something that can cost up to 75 cents a minute at other lines.
As can be seen in the photos above, the Viking Sea has a stylish, modern design, and cabins are large for a cruise ship, with the smallest of five cabin categories having 270 square feet of space. In addition, every cabin has a balcony. Fourteen two-room suites on the ship range from 757 to 1,448 square feet and offer sweeping views from wrap-around private balconies.
The Viking Sea's inaugural season features eight- to 50-day sailings around the Baltic and Mediterranean starting at $2,499 per person.
Viking's move into ocean cruising comes as the company increasingly dominates the world of river cruising. The line last month christened seven new river ships, which join more than 20 other new vessels added over the last two years. The company now has 56 river ships operating on European rivers. For a deck-by-deck look at one of Viking's newest river vessels, click through the carousel below.
