Viking Cruise Ship Orion In Bermuda’s Waters

[Updated] The Viking cruise ship Orion has entered Bermuda’s waters and will be anchored in Grassy Bay in the west end of the island, local officials have confirmed.

The cruise ship was originally supposed to be in Bermuda’s waters on Friday, however we understand the ship delayed travel slightly to err on the side of caution due to the weather, with the first named storm of the season having formed.

Screenshot from an online tracker showing the Orion in the west end of Bermuda’s waters

Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Minister of Transport Lawrence Scott said the Orion will remain at anchor to complete its 14 day quarantine period.

The Minister said, “Viking will arrive with a crew of 460 and intends to sail with a reduced capacity of 50% on their first cruise. We want to assure the public that the Covid testing protocol onboard Viking is the most superior compared to any other cruise line. The Company has spent millions of dollars outfitting each ship to mitigate Covid-19.

“I am also pleased to announce that the Orion will arrive in Hamilton on the 27th of May and the crew is intending to stay on board to ready the ship for their first ‘Bermuda Escape’ 8-day cruise on 15 June. The ship will visit all three Bermuda ports in Hamilton, Dockyard, and St George’s.

Map via the Viking website showing the cruise route. The first cruise starts on June 15

“It is intended that the Bermuda Escape Homeporting itinerary will conclude on 3 August. We are hopeful that the success of this summer’s program will lead to an extension of the Viking’s Bermuda Escape itinerary in addition to Bermuda becoming a more regular port of call for years to come,” Minister Scott said.

The company previously said that the cruises are “available exclusively for vaccinated guests,” and the itinerary shows the ‘Bermuda Escape’ 8-day cruise will visit all three Bermuda ports in Hamilton, Dockyard and St George’s.

Itinerary via the Viking website showing the ‘Bermuda Escape’ cruise 

Update 12.15pm:  In what marks the first time in over one year we have posted an image of a cruise ship in Bermuda’s waters, the Orion can be seen below in the west end.

Update 6.00pm: “Today’s arrival of Viking Cruises  ‘Orion’ signals the beginning of home-porting for Bermuda,” Acting Minister of Transport  Walter Roban said.

“The sight of a cruise ship returning to our shores brings with it the promise of much needed economic activity. Many sectors depend on business from cruise passengers and crew and through the successful realization of homeporting for Bermuda, the Government has taken another important step to get Bermudians back to work.”

“The Viking Orion will stay at anchor to complete ship quarantine until Thursday, 27 May. It will then relocate to Hamilton to prepare for its first Bermuda Escape cruise.

Minister Roban added, “It was good news to hear that Viking had arrived in Bermuda waters. We were all a bit concerned with the weather conditions, but the ship has made it safely to our shores, and we look forward to welcoming the first passengers on the island.

“We are pleased that Homeporting in Bermuda is officially underway, with a number of other ships planning to make calls to the island later this year. This is an exciting time for Bermuda, and we anticipate that Homeporting will provide a boost to our local tourism economy.”

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