The keel laying ceremony has been held for the sixth of eight Viking ocean cruise ships being built at Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard.
The first building block of the ship is 11 metres long, 28.8 metres wide and weighs 380 tonnes.
The ship, whose delivery is scheduled in 2019, will have a gross tonnage of about 47,800 tonnes and 473 cabins with accommodation for 946 passengers.
Its total capacity will be for more than 1,400 people, including crew.
The series is equipped with the safe return to port feature, energy-efficient engines and an exhaust gas cleaning system.
The last two vessels will be ready in 2021 and 2022.
