TIM eMagazine Vol.3 Issue 1
Representatives of Viking and VARD
From left: Ghislain Lemarié, Vice President New Ship Design & Ship Construction (Viking),Torstein Hagen, Chairman (Viking), Magne Håberg,
EVP Sales and Marketing (VARD), and Rune Rødset, Senior Vice President (VARD).
VARD signs
Letter Of
Intent with
Viking
W
e are pleased to announce that
we have signed a Letter of Intent
(“LOI”) for the design and construc-
tion of two cruise vessels for Viking.
The potential contract value for
two vessels is expected to be
approximately NOK 4.5 billion and
the LOI also includes an option for
two more vessels. The parties have a common intention to
enter into final contract by mid-2018.
The vessels are developed by Vard Design in Norway,
in close cooperation with the customer. High industry
demand for the most environmentally friendly and safe
operations is a key driver in the concept development
process. Viking will be developing a series of advanced
cruise vessels, designed to be among the most environ-
mentally friendly ships.
Delivery of the vessels are scheduled from VARD in
Norway, in 2Q 2021 and 2Q 2022 respectively. The hulls
will be built by VARD in Romania.
Mr. Roy Reite, CEO and Executive Director of VARD,
commented “It is our pleasure to work with Viking to
develop a new series of cruise vessels. The company is
well known for its expansion in River Cruises and Ocean
Cruises, and they are now looking to Norway for the
design and construction of its new cruise fleet. We are
honoured to be chosen as their partner in this exciting
project, and look forward to continuing the excellent
cooperation with the Viking team.”
Viking was founded in Switzerland in 1997; Norwegian
Torstein Hagen is Chairman. With operational headquarters
in Basel, Viking provides destination-focused itineraries
designed for experienced travelers whom have an interest
in geography, culture and history. The company currently
operates a fleet of more than 60 vessels. Through rapid
expansion, the company has grown to be the world’s
leading river cruise line, and with the launch of its new
ocean fleet, the company has also become a leader in
small ship ocean cruising. www.vikingcruises.com
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