Viking’s First Expedition Ship Marks Construction Milestone Published 3 months ago Viking Octantis, was officially floated out last week at Fincantieri’s VARD shipyard in Norway. (Photo courtesy of Viking) Scheduled to debut in early 2022, the 278-passenger vessel will spend her maiden season sailing in Antarctica and North America’s Great Lakes. A second identical ship, called Viking Polaris, is set to debut in summer 2022 and sail in Antarctica and the Arctic. “Working with Fincantieri over the last eight years, we have built the world’s most beautiful ocean ships. We are pleased to continue our partnership with Fincantieri’s VARD and celebrate this important milestone in the construction of our first expedition vessel,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.