Viking has officially welcomed its newest ocean ship, Viking Vela, to its fleet following a delivery ceremony in Fincantieri’s shipyard in Ancona, Italy

Vela, which boasts 499 staterooms that can host 998 guests, will spend its inaugural season sailing itineraries in the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe.

While the ship uses traditional propulsion technology, it has been designed to be hydrogen-ready with Viking continuing its work into partial hybrid propulsion systems for future ocean ships.

Torstein Hagen, chairman and CEO of Viking, said: “We are proud to welcome the newest sister ship to our award-winning ocean fleet.

“Together with Fincantieri we have built the world’s most elegant small ocean ships. With the arrival of our newest vessel, we look forward to introducing even more curious travellers to the Viking way of exploration.”

The delivery of Viking Vela follows a string of recent accolades for the line, including Favourite River Cruise Line at the Wave Awards last month.