"Marvellous" new luxury cruise ship Viking Vela makes historic visit to Portsmouth port on first UK voyage

Viking Vela, the latest boutique vessel to be built for Viking Cruises, sailed into Portsmouth International Port this morning (January 9). The 54,300 tonne cruise ship, which officially joined the fleet in December 2024 in Los Angeles, carried just over 900 passengers on a glorious voyage to British Isles.

A traditional plaque exchange ceremony was held to mark the Ocean-class vessel’s arrival, with The News being invited on a guided tour. Captain Rune Loekling, who has been sailing with Viking for 10 years, said he was delighted to visit the city and show off what the new ship has to offer.

He told The News: “The ship is fantastic. It’s a more mature version of the already existing and very successful Star-class ships we have. We launched this ship just one month ago, and we’re going to launch 13 more ships in the next seven years. We focus on exploration and comfort. Our guests are mainly from the United States, with a few from the UK and Australia. This particular cruise, we have 12 different nations on board and 900 guests.

“Most of our guests are repeat customers, and have been sailing on other ships in the fleet. They’re excited. We’ve done some modifications in the dining areas and venues on board, but it's the same with a few differences. It’s a marvellous ship,” he added. “Almost 240 metres long compared to the other ships. I’ve been to Portsmouth numerous times. The plaque exchange is always exciting because that’s a good tradition, it’s fantastic.”

Tourists stepped ashore for guided tours of the city, with volunteers from Shaping Portsmouth helping them acclimatise. Viking Vela promises to take guests on voyages in sumptuous comfort. She is complete with her own winter garden, swimming pool, speciality restaurants, cafes, bars, restaurants, the Nordic Spa, private dining suites, gym, two cinemas, luxury cabins and more.

Andrew Williamson, the port’s head of cruise and ferry, said he was stunned by Viking Vela’s beauty. “Luxury is evident everywhere. With the growth of the Viking brand, it’s great to see that they’ve evolved the ship over the years, and the fact that this is the first call here in the UK is very special to us. Viking is the perfect fit for the type of brand we’re trying to attract here in Portsmouth. They’ve been a loyal supporter for a good number of years. The future definitely looks bright.”

Each cruise call generates approximately £1.5m for the council-owned port through fees and spending throughout the city. Ian Diaper, deputy director of the port, said the team are incredibly proud of its relationship with Viking, which has stretched back several years.

“It’s an incredible honour for us as a port to host any new vessel,” he added. “Portsmouth is attractive to these brands due to the wealth of local attractions. The port lends itself to a cruise environment with the Royal Navy on our doorstep. It is very accessible to the public, Spice Island can be very busy when a cruise ship departs. The cruise lines love that, it’s a good fit for their model. It’s about delivering on the day operationally. If we get it right on the day, cruise lines will come back. Minimum fuss, quick flow of passengers, and that’s what we’re becoming really good at.”

The port announced a record number of cruise calls this year, with 94 ships old and new calling at Portsmouth. Mr Diaper said: “It’s a city owned port, so in effect, the people of Portsmouth own the port. This year we’ve generated not far short of £10m profit, which goes back into the city. This allows the city to support those often underfunded areas such as adult education and social care. The success of the port will resonate with people, and it has been a success story over the past five to ten years.”