Viking named its latest ocean ship, Viking Vela, throughout a ceremony in Trieste, Italy on Thursday.
The naming ceremony additionally served as a celebration of Viking’s longtime partnership with Fincantieri, which is likely one of the world’s largest shipbuilding teams and relies in Trieste. With its wealthy maritime historical past, Trieste is taken into account the endpoint to the maritime Silk Road and is now Italy’s most necessary business port.
Serving as ceremonial godmother of Vela was Ivana Elice, Vice President and Project Manager of the Fincantieri Cruise Business Unit, who has overseen the design and engineering of Viking’s ocean ships for 12 years.
“We are proud to welcome the Viking Vela to our growing, award-winning fleet. With Fincantieri as our partner, we believe we have built the world’s most elegant fleet of small ocean ships,” mentioned Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of the cruise line. “We thank Ivana Elice for being godmother of the Viking Vela. In her role at Fincantieri, she has cared for our ocean ships during their construction just as a godmother would, and we are very appreciative of her contributions as a member of the extended Viking family.”
(Photo by way of Viking on Facebook)
The Naming Ceremony
In conserving with the naming custom, through the ceremony Ivana was offered with a historic Viking broad axe by Ann Ziff, a philanthropist, Chairman of the Metropolitan Opera, and godmother of Viking Saturn. The similar axe was beforehand used within the naming of Saturn in June 2023.
After the axe presentation, Ivana pressed a button that allowed a bottle of Norwegian aquavit to interrupt on the ship’s hull. Guests additionally loved performances by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of many world’s main crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter, and acclaimed Italian singer Alessandro Safina, who paid tribute to the cultures of each Norway and Italy in tune.
(Photo by way of Viking on Facebook)
Ivana Elice
Ivana Elice, Vice President and Project Manager of the Fincantieri Cruise Business Unit, has loved a distinguished profession in naval and mechanical engineering, serving to help the growth of the Viking ocean fleet for the previous 12 years. In 2012, Ms. Elice was appointed by Fincantieri to supervise the construct of Viking’s first ocean ship, Viking Star, and he or she has continued to function useful help for the growth of Viking’s fleet of sister ships.
Ivana joined Fincantieri in 1985 after graduating from the University of Genoa with a grasp’s diploma in naval structure and mechanical engineering. Her preliminary position as a noise and vibration specialist inside the firm’s Naval Vessel Division concerned aiding with the design of floor ships and submarines. Since 1993, she has held a number of positions inside Fincantieri’s Merchant Division within the areas of hydrodynamics, ship building, manufacturing engineering, and extra.
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