VIK

Viking Holdings announced on Friday that its Viking Astrea hydrogen-powered cruise ship has been floated out at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy. The milestone moves the vessel into water for the first time for final construction and interior outfitting. Delivery is planned for May 2027, followed by the ship's first Mediterranean and Northern Europe season.

The Astrea is intended to be Viking’s second hydrogen-powered cruise ship capable of zero-emission operation. It will use a hybrid propulsion system built partly around liquefied hydrogen and fuel cells, with up to six megawatts of output. The cruise line operator said this could let the vessel operate in environmentally sensitive areas without exhaust emissions during that mode. Sister ship, Viking Libra, is scheduled for delivery in November and is the first such hydrogen-capable cruise ship.

Hydrogen ships generally store hydrogen onboard, either as compressed gas or cryogenic liquid hydrogen. In a fuel cell system, hydrogen combines electrochemically with oxygen from the air, producing electricity to run electric motors and ship systems. "Hydrogen-powered" does not necessarily mean every mile is run exclusively on hydrogen but that the hydrogen fuel cells are part of a broader propulsion arrangement, potentially alongside other onboard power sources.

Viking is the only major cruise operator currently confirmed to be bringing hydrogen-powered cruise ships into service