跟豪华游轮“维京之星”来一趟历史文化之旅

More than a thousand years since they last sailed up the Thames, the vikings are back in London.But instead of threatening pillage, these Scandinavians are bringing the latest word in cruise ship design to the capital. Viking Cruises' first ever ocean-going cruise ship, Viking Star, sailed through the Thames barrier on 12, May during its maiden voyage.
1000多年后，维京海盗再次回到伦敦泰晤士河。不同于过去带来的掠夺威胁，这些斯堪的纳维亚人这次给伦敦展示了最新的豪华游轮设计。维京游艇的首个远洋航行游轮：维京之星，于5月12日驶过泰晤士港口，这是其处女航线路上的一站。

The nine-deck passenger ship sailed past London landmarks including Canary Wharf, the O2 Arena, and Greenwich's Royal Naval College. It was anchored overnight at Greenwich, before continuing its journey to the Norwegian city of Bergen where it was christened during the country's Constitution Day Celebrations on May 17.
维京之星拥有9层甲板，驶过了伦敦地标，包括金丝雀港口、O2竞技场和格林威治皇家海军学院。海盗之星在格林威治停留一整晚后，继续其行程开往挪威城市卑尔根，在那里参加5月17日举行的国家宪法日庆祝活动，并接受洗礼。

Viking Star marks the travel industry's first entirely new cruise line in a decade and is among the largest to sail up the Thames. After being formally launched, the ship will take passengers on voyages from the brand's homeland in Scandinavia and the Baltic through to the Western and Eastern Mediterranean - mapping the path of Viking traders and warriors who journeyed as far as Istanbul. Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking Cruises, said he aimed to buck the trend for building bigger cruise liners by creating a smaller ship that can easily access its historic destinations.
 
 维京之星标志着旅游行业十年来的首个全新邮轮阶段，并且是在泰晤士航行的最大游轮之一。在正式首航之后，维京之星将会搭载游客从维京游轮公司所在的斯堪的纳维亚出发，穿过波罗的海，抵达西地中海和东地中海，重走曾经到达伊斯坦布尔的维京商人和战士之路。维京游轮主席托尔斯泰·哈根说他想要一反建造大型豪华游轮的潮流，转而建造能轻松抵达历史目的地的小型船舶。

The brand provides more overnight stays in important ports and fewer days at sea, giving passengers more time to enjoy the behind the scenes tours of world class museums it offers. Mr Hagen 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.'
维京之星会安排较少的海上航行时间，在重要港口停留过夜的机会则将多安排一些，好让游客们可以有更多时间享受精彩旅行中的世界级博物馆。哈根先生说：“我们一直认为游轮应该连接你和目的地，而并不是仅仅像走马观花一样将你带到那里。在我们看来，大家都在竞相建造更大的游艇，但是很多邮轮航线已经无法让游客享受到他们航行目的地的美丽风景了。”

What is available on board Viking star?
海盗之星上面提供些什么呢？

Weighing nearly half-a-million tons, the ship accommodates 930 passengers in 465 staterooms – each with its own veranda and king sized bed. So everyone can enjoy the view from a balcony, along with king-size beds, large showers, and LCD TVs. Explorer Suites: Viking Star features 14 Explorer Suites, which are two-room suites ranging from 757 to 1,163 sq. ft. that offer sweeping views from wrap-around private verandas. As well as the main pool with a retractable dome, there is also a glass-backed infinity pool. The Spa embraces the centuries-old tradition of the sauna and even has a 'snow grotto' where snowflakes gently descend from the ceiling.
近50万吨重的海盗之星的465个客舱可接待930名游客。每个舱房都配有超大尺寸的床和阳台，因此每个游客都可以在阳台上充分享受美景，同时还有大床、大浴室和LCD电视可供使用。探险家套房：海盗之星有14间探险家套房，套房拥有2间卧室，面积从757到1163平方英尺不等，环形阳台能为游客提供全景视野。另外，船上还有配有可伸缩穹顶的主泳池和一个玻璃底的大泳池。水疗区设有依照古老传统建造的桑拿间，还有冰雪洞穴，会有雪花慢慢地从顶上飘落下来。

So, enjoy our trip. Meanwhile, Viking Cruises is aiming to launch nine more ocean liners in the next few years, with Viking Sea being released in 2016 and Viking Sky coming in 2017.
那么，好好享受你的旅程吧。另外，维京游轮还打算在未来几年里建造9艘远洋游艇，包括即将在2016年公布的“维京之海”和2017年的“维京之天”。