20 March 2025
Dover Cruise will welcome Viking’s newest ocean ship, the Viking Vela for the first visit of its 2025 cruise season on Tuesday 25th March. She will be one of eight inaugural calls this year, with Ponant’s Le Bellot following on 5th May.
Four Viking Ocean cruise ships, the Viking Jupiter, the Viking Saturn, the Viking Sky and the Viking Vela will sail to Dover this year for a total of 19 calls. Calls will be made to both cruise terminals as well as the multi-use berth, which provides direct access to the Dover Waterfront by foot.
After arriving in Dover as a Port of Call next Tuesday, around 1,000 guests will explore the local area and different corners of Kent via pre-booked excursions. Dover will form part of the London to Bergen 14-day cruise taking in the iconic landscapes and heritage of the British Isles.
Peter Wright, Head of Cruise at the Port of Dover said:
“We are delighted to welcome back one of our regular cruise lines, not only for this special inaugural call for the Viking Vela, but also the first of many visits for Viking’s fleet of Ocean ships based in Dover this season.”
“My thanks go to the team at Viking for choosing us to welcome so many of their guests from different cruises and destinations this year. We look forward to celebrating together soon.”
Wendy Atkin-Smith, Managing Director of Viking UK added:
“We’re delighted to be the first cruise line visiting Dover this season especially as this will be the Viking Vela, our newest ocean ship which launched in early December 2024. Our culturally curious guests love to see the home of the world-famous White Cliffs of Dover, visit the little village of Capel-le-Ferne and visit the charming town of Sandwich where they can enjoy a guided tour through the winding streets, gateways, churches and timber-framed houses of the Old Town.”