On 2nd of May, an opening ceremony of summer cruise season took place in the largest Russian specialized Passenger port of St. Petersburg, says press center of the port.
The first cruise ship to call Saint Petersburg was Viking Sky, which was greeted with the accompaniment of a military orchestra by the Governor of St. Petersburg Georgy Poltavchenko and members of the city government. By striking the watch bell the Governor marked the opening of a cruise season of 2017, which is going to be a record one in the history of the Port.
According to the tradition, there was a solemn ceremony of exchanging plaques on the occasion of the Viking Sky first call to Passenger Port of St. Petersburg. For the honorable guests of the event, the captain of the ship, accompanied by crew members, conducted a sightseeing tour of the vessel.
Cruise ship Viking Sky operated by Viking Ocean Cruises - is the newest luxury cruise ship, equipped with the latest technology. The cruise ship was built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy and launched on 23rd of March, 2016. Passenger capacity is 930 people, and the crew is more than 500 people. On 14 decks, passengers can find entertainment for every taste: swimming pools, fitness and spa centers, theater, restaurants and bars. The interior of the ship is made in Scandinavian style.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of “Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg “Marine Façade” PLC, profile committees, FGBU “AMP of the Baltic Sea”, the state control bodies, LLC "INFLOT Worldwide Rus" and authorized tour operator the MIR travel company.
Recall that this year the Passenger port of St. Petersburg expects a substantial increase of cruise vessels calls (243 ships) in 2017 with more than 540 thousand passengers onboard (19% increase) which is the record number within the history of the Port.
In 2017, 9 cruise ships will make their maiden calls to Passenger Port of Saint Petersburg, including the largest cruise vessel that has ever visited the Port - MSC Fantasia, MSC Cruises, 333 m length and capacity of carrying more than 4000 passengers on board.
On 23rd of June, a brand new cruise ship Mein Schiff 6, TUI Cruises, which is only two months after launching is expected to call Saint Petersburg during its first Baltic Sea cruise.