The Viking Vela, a Norwegian-flagged liner, has made its inaugural visit to Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour, marking Viking’s first-ever call to the city. Aberdeen is set to welcome 16 calls from Viking during the 2025 cruise season.
Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK said: “We’re delighted to have added Aberdeen as a new port of call on some of our British Isles and Scandinavian itineraries.
“As Scotland’s third-largest city, it has so much to offer, especially with its strong coastal culture and rich history. Our culturally curious guests will enjoy learning about the city’s maritime heritage and its interesting architecture – as well as experiencing the local art scene and exploring many of the historic sites nearby when they visit.”
This year, the Port of Aberdeen will also welcome The Ritz-Carlton Ilma, a luxurious superyacht which will make her way into South Harbour less than a year after her debut in September 2024, marking Ritz-Carlton’s maiden voyage to
the city.
Bob Sanguinetti, CEO of Port of Aberdeen said: “The expansion of Port of Aberdeen, coupled with CruiseAberdeenshire’s incredible efforts to market the city and Shire, is delivering outstanding results as we welcome 64 cruise calls in 2025.
“This landmark season demonstrates Aberdeen is growing as a premier destination for international cruise lines, which brings tremendous economic benefits to the region. We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of guests to the port this year.”
Aberdeen will also host Cruise Britain’s annual two-day summer event in June, bringing around 60 cruise executives and industry experts from some of the world’s biggest cruise lines to the city, which will include a conference aboard one of Viking’s cruise ships.
