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(soft piano music) - Originally founded by the Greeks in the sixth century B.C., beautiful Split, gracing the shores of the Adriatic Sea has been coveted by the Roman, Venetian, Napoleonic and other powerful empires over the centuries.

And on June 29th, 2025, Viking added its own piece of history to majestic Split with the naming of the Viking Vesta, the 12th sister ship to join Viking's elegant award-winning fleet of small ocean vessels.

With the Viking Vesta nestled into this legendary port, the ceremony unfolded under blue skies on the bow of the ship as Norwegian violinist Tor Jaran Apold delivered a masterful performance of the Norwegian classic, "Eg veit i himmerik ei borg." (violin music) (violin music continues) (crowd applauds) - Ladies and gentlemen, Toran Jarjan on violin, accompanied by Torgeir Kinne Solsvik on the keyboards.

It's an honor and a privilege for me to welcome you as your master of ceremonies to the naming ceremony of the latest edition of Viking's ever growing fleet of ocean ships, the spectacularly stunningly beautiful Viking Vesta.

I should point out to you that Vesta is neither a star nor a planet.

Vesta is an asteroid, the brightest asteroid visible from earth, and the relevance of that will become even clearer when you meet her godmother. - [Narrator] The godmother for the Viking Vesta, Lene Tangevald-Jensen.

Lene is an esteemed journalist who for 30 years has written for "Kapital & Finansavisen", conducting more than 500 interviews for Norway's leading financial publications.

But perhaps most importantly, Lene is a deeply curious soul whose approach to life can be summarized in this single thought.

Growth happens when we dare to try even when failure looms. - [Alastair] Please give a huge welcome to the lady herself, the brightest asteroid in the Viking sky, Lene. - Wow, it's a little too much.

Just gimme a moment.

Well, there is Viking family.

There is all of you here today.

There is you Karine and there is Torstein.

To be chosen as a godmother moves me very deeply.

In Viking times, there was a word for giving something that meant everything that came from the heart.

That word was called a blot.

A blot was not given easily.

It meant I trust you, I honor you, I give all I have to you.

And today I feel like I am the one receiving these blots.

I will cry now coming home because every time, and I'm not the only one, every time we step on a Viking ship, no matter where it is, we all feel home.

Not only the guests, but I've asked the crew, do you feel home?

And they say, yes.

You know, we come from this place there.

Then we fly over here and then we come to a bigger home with a bigger family.

True.

And how is this possible?

This is because it's authentic and very few people are, and few companies are authentic.

And it starts with you, Torstein you always talking about four values in life.

It's hard work, to be kind, to be thankful, and to be honest.

All these four values flow through all the company.

You feel it.

I will also add one more, which is respect.

Respect makes people stand taller even when nobody's watching you.

Respect is the silent force of great leadership.

So for me to get this recognition and to be seen is something I would like to share with everyone. (crowd applauds) And I also will say one thing, talking about being seen and being feeling safe.

There is one person here that always sees everyone when they fall.

This one here, when I am falling over the cliff where I start, Karine drags me straight back again.

And I know you do this with many other Vikings.

To see where we are here now has always been my first home.

I used to swim every day in cold and in warm, always with my dad.

So what did I learn?

I learned it's very important to live in the moment, being in the present because you never know if you have the moment.

The other thing which is important, which I learned is always, always, always have fun. (upbeat violin music) (rhythmic clapping) (crowd cheers) Well, I always say never give up.

Wonder about the world and wonders are true.

Let me leave you just with my father's words. "If storms ever should come to you behind the clouds, the heaven is always blue." Let's go. (crowd clapping) - Bravo, Lene.

Bravo.

Thank you so much.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not sure how am I gonna follow.

Allow me to introduce to our Viking friend and boat builder, Geir Rovik.

The ax he's holding is a Viking battle ax, which was also a symbol of power and success in the Viking age.

The ax is also held by a lion on the Norwegian coat of arms.

Geir would you hand the ax to our godmother, Lene? - Thank you very much, but I like to share.

So even though I am the godmother, where are you Jean and Tim?

Because you are a family and if you're nervous, you need to share the nervousness.

If you're happy, you share the happiness as if you're sad, you share the sadness, right? - Yes, definitely, yes. - Yes, definitely.

Okay, so this is Torstein and this is Tim.

And they are my, I can't say brother, I wish I was that young, but they are the God sons. - Lene, are you ready to name your ship?

I am ready to name my ship.

I name you.

I name you Viking Vesta.

And may God bless you and all who sails on you and have fun. - [Narrator] Geir shared a few pointers on Viking ax technique, then it was time to deliver the cut. - Okay, so you see him?

So I go first.

Ready? 1, 2, 3. (bottle crashing) - Hooray. - Bravo, bravo.

That's fine.

That's good luck. - [Narrator] And just like that Viking Vesta, our 12th ocean vessel was named. - I don't think we've ever had an any ceremony like this.

Spectacular. - [Narrator] And of course, no Viking ocean's naming would be complete without the Norwegian national anthem performed by Sissel Kyrkjebo, one of the world's leading crossover sopranos, good friend and godmother of the Viking Jupiter. (soft violin and keyboard music) (Sissel sings in Norwegian) (crowd applauds) - Okay, may I introduce someone who needs no introduction?

She's the wind beneath our wings.

She's the beating heart of Viking, Karine Hagen. - It might be on now.

Yes, thank you.

And thank you Sissel, for always making us so proud of our country.

Of course, today we are here to thank or I am here to thank Lene with such gusto together with your two godsons, I dunno where they went.

But thank you very much for doing us the honor.

It means a lot to us as a company and it means a lot to my father and therefore also to me.

So thank you.

And we have a little gift.

There we go.

Thank you.

So with this gift, you are hereby part of the Viking God sisterhood. - Thank you. (crowd applauds) Thank you. - And I'm gonna give you these flowers, which so beautifully match your bunad.

However, I think I might just have to hold onto them because I think Geir also has a thanks. - Since we are on Viking, we follow the Viking tradition and it's described from ibn Fadlan from 922. "Then I met the Norwegian Vikings at Volga." If you really appreciate your woman as we appreciate you today, one of the most fantastic godmother I ever seen.

We are very thankful.

So therefore, I hang this pearl bead on your neck.

It's Norwegian copy of glass pearls.

And you do it because your wife or your woman was valuable and you are one of them.

Thank you.

But it's also give some rights to give gifts. (crowd cheers) - Narrator] The naming ceremony for the Viking Vesta concluded with Sissel sharing a favorite song of the godmother about the planet we all call home. ♪ I see trees of green ♪ ♪ Red roses too ♪ ♪ I see them bloom for me and for you ♪ ♪ And I think to myself ♪ ♪ What a wonderful world ♪ ♪ The colors of the rainbow ♪ ♪ So pretty and the sky ♪ ♪ Are also on the faces of people passing by ♪ ♪ I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do ♪ ♪ They're really saying ♪ ♪ I love you ♪ ♪ I hear babies cry ♪ ♪ I watch them grow ♪ ♪ They'll learn much more ♪ ♪ Than I'll ever know ♪ ♪ And I think to myself ♪ ♪ What a wonderful world ♪ ♪ Yes I think to myself ♪ ♪ What a wonderful world ♪ (crowd applauds) - [Narrator] The naming of the Viking Vesta was an inspiring celebration we'll long remember.

We are very grateful to Lene for serving as godmother. - Woo! - [Narrator] And delighted she's now officially a cherished part of our extended Viking family.

As the Viking Vesta takes her place in our award-winning ocean fleet, we are all so proud.

This elegant ship is ready to welcome guests to explore the world in Viking comfort. (upbeat music)