Back to News Menu                               Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional                                         July 2014

The Float-Out ceremony for the 930-passenger Viking Star – set to debut in early 2015 took place on Monday, June 23 at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard outside Venice, Italy, marked a major construction milestone – the first time the ship touched water – and kicks off the final stage of outfitting and interior build-out.

Viking also announced that Trude Drevland, the mayor of Bergen, Norway, will be godmother to Viking Star and will officially "name" the ship during a christening ceremony on May 17, 2015 – Norwegian Constitution Day. "Trude," as she is known throughout Norway, was on-hand at the shipyard to assist with the float-out ceremony, helping weld coins to the ship – a good luck practice that dates back to Roman times – and cutting a cord to allow water to begin flowing into the ship's building dock.
 

Drevland is quoted as saying, "I am so privileged to be godmother to the new Viking Star," said . "She will be the soul of Scandinavia, with some touches of Bergen. I will love it!"

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises and a native of Norway stated that "For our first ocean ship it was very important to have a godmother who personifies our company's Scandinavian heritage and the Viking spirit, so it is an absolute honor to have Trude as godmother to Viking Star,"  Hagen also stated, " that  Bergen, with its colorful harbor and stunning scenery, has always been one of my favorite cities, and we are delighted for our guests to experience it firsthand starting next spring."
 

Trude Drevland, Mayor of Bergen – Norway's second largest city, is one of the city's most charismatic and recognizable citizens. She is known for her many civic engagements and support of the arts, having served as a member of the City Council and as Deputy Mayor from 2007 until she was elected Mayor in 2011. For five years, she served as General Secretary of the Norwegian Band Federation, the biggest volunteer music organization in Norway, and she was the Leader of Business Development for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 2002 to 2003.

Born in Northern Norway, Drevland began her career as a nurse, eventually rising to various roles in healthcare administration, before entering public service. Leading up to the arrival of Viking Star in Bergen, Drevland has also showcased her city in some of Viking's online videos, which explore the cultural treasures of the Baltic region.

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