What Happened to Viking Sky Cruise Ship?

By Robert Palmer

On March 23, 2019, the Viking Sky cruise ship was en route from the Norwegian port of Tromso to its final destination of Stavanger when a terrifying chain of events occurred that put both passengers and crew in serious danger.

The ship had been experiencing engine trouble since it left port hours earlier, and as it began to approach Hustadvika Bay, the engines completely failed. With no way to steer the vessel, it quickly began drifting towards the rocky coastline of Norway’s west coast.

Faced with an imminent disaster, crew members managed to get a distress signal out and alert local emergency services to their plight. The Norwegian Coast Guard responded quickly and dispatched helicopters to evacuate passengers from the ship. In total, 479 people were rescued in what proved to be a grueling ordeal that lasted more than 24 hours.

By some miracle, no one on board was injured during the incident. But there was still damage done to the Viking Sky – both above and below deck – that left it unable to be used for any further voyages.

The ship was then towed into nearby Molde harbor where repairs could be made. Ship engineers estimated that it would take anywhere from three weeks up to two months for them to make all necessary repairs before the vessel could set sail again.

Once repairs were complete, Viking Ocean Cruises decided that rather than sending out another voyage with the Viking Sky they would instead opt for another vessel in their fleet – The Viking Sun – which had been out of service at that time.

Today, thanks to the quick thinking of crew members and emergency responders alike, all passengers are safe and sound; but unfortunately this means that Viking Sky is now retired from active duty service.

Conclusion:
The Viking Sky Cruise Ship experienced a major malfunction while en route from Tromsoe to Stavanger which resulted in a daring rescue mission by local emergency services. As a result of this incident and subsequent repairs needed afterwards, Viking Ocean Cruises decided not send it out on any further voyages but rather opt for another vessel in their fleet – The Viking Sun – which had been out of service at that time.