48,000 tonne cruise ship passes through Thames Barrier on maiden voyage

A 48,000-ton cruise ship made its way into London today on the River Thames.

The mammoth Viking Star was seen passing through the Thames Barrier yesterday (Tuesday).

It is Viking Cruises' first ship that is set to take to the ocean and is it is thought to contain 465 cabins each with their own veranda and the ship has the potential to take more than 900 passengers on board, the Evening Standard reports.

According to Viking Cruises the ship is designed to have easy access to most ports, making it easy for passengers to embark and disembark.

The ship is due to be officially launched on May 17 in Bergen, Norway to coincide with the country's Constitution Day Celebrations.

The cruise liner will then through Scandinavia and the Baltic before heading to Western and Eastern Mediterranean, the Daily Mail reports.

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises said: "We have always believed that cruising should be about connecting you to your destination – not just taking you to places on a map. It is our view that in the race to build bigger ships, many cruise lines have lost sight of the destinations to which they sail.

"With our new ocean cruises, we have created a new kind of vessel that is smaller in size and smarter in design, offering an alternative to today's mega liners. Along with our privileged-access excursions and onboard enrichment, we have made the destination the true focus of our new ocean cruises."

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