Zhao Shang Yi Dun

Zhao Shang Yi Dun is the Chinese-registered name of the cruise ship formerly known as MV Viking Sun. The vessel was constructed for Viking Ocean Cruises as the fourth ship in a series of 930-passenger cruise ships built by Fincantieri. It was delivered on 25 September 2017 at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy. The ship initially operated within Viking Ocean Cruises’ international cruise business under the name Viking Sun. Its design and operating role were associated with the company’s relatively small-capacity ocean-cruise model, which emphasizes destination-focused itineraries rather than the very large resort-style format used by many mainstream cruise operators. The ship’s documented passenger capacity is approximately 930 people. A significant change occurred in April 2021, when ownership was transferred to Viking Sun Ltd., a Bermuda-registered company. The vessel was subsequently assigned to China Merchants Viking Cruises, a joint venture between Viking Ocean Cruises and China Merchants Shekou Cruises. It was transferred to Chinese registration, received Qianhai in Shenzhen as its port of registry, and was renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun. The Chinese name is associated with China Merchants’ involvement in the vessel’s post-2021 operation. The available reference material identifies the ship and its ownership and operating arrangements but does not provide a detailed record of its individual itineraries, onboard facilities, commercial performance, later ownership changes, or current sailing schedule. Accordingly, Zhao Shang Yi Dun is best understood as a vessel identity rather than a conventional consumer brand with a broad independent product portfolio. Its principal offering is cruise transportation and hospitality delivered aboard a single ship, operating through the commercial structures of Viking Ocean Cruises and China Merchants Viking Cruises.

The vessel now known as Zhao Shang Yi Dun was built as Viking Sun for Viking Ocean Cruises. It formed the fourth ship in a series of 930-passenger ocean-cruise vessels constructed by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for Viking’s operator. Construction was completed at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard, where the ship was delivered on 25 September 2017. Its original identity was therefore closely tied to Viking Ocean Cruises’ expansion of its ocean-cruise fleet. The ship was designed for a passenger complement of approximately 930 people, placing it in a smaller-capacity segment than the largest mass-market cruise ships. The reference material does not provide a complete technical specification or a detailed account of the ship’s inaugural itinerary, but identifies it as a cruise vessel operated by Viking Ocean Cruises. The ownership and operating structure changed in April 2021. Ownership was transferred to Viking Sun Ltd. of Bermuda, after which the ship became associated with China Merchants Viking Cruises. That enterprise is described in the reference material as a joint venture between Viking Ocean Cruises and China Merchants Shekou Cruises. The arrangement connected Viking’s cruise expertise and vessel platform with China Merchants’ Chinese cruise-market interests. Following the transfer, the ship entered Chinese registration. Its port of registry became Qianhai, Shenzhen, and its name changed from Viking Sun to Zhao Shang Yi Dun. The renaming marked the vessel’s transition from an exclusively Viking-branded identity to an operation connected with the China Merchants cruise structure, while retaining its relationship with Viking Ocean Cruises through the joint venture. Publicly available material supplied for this entry is limited. It confirms the ship’s construction, delivery, passenger capacity, ownership transfer, registration change, renaming, and operating relationship, but does not establish a comprehensive chronology of voyages, refits, onboard facilities, route launches, financial results, or later corporate changes. No separate executive roster or confirmed scandal history is documented in the supplied sources.

1. 2021Transfer to Chinese registration and renaming

   In April 2021, ownership moved to Viking Sun Ltd. of Bermuda. The ship was assigned to China Merchants Viking Cruises, registered in China with Qianhai, Shenzhen, as its port, and renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun.

   Source
2. 2017Delivery at Fincantieri Ancona

   The cruise ship was delivered to Viking Ocean Cruises at Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard in Italy on 25 September 2017.

   Source

A small-capacity ocean cruise vessel operated within the Viking and China Merchants cruise businesses, serving as a ship-based platform for destination-oriented travel and onboard hospitality.

• Zhao Shang Yi DunCruise ship2017

  A cruise vessel with capacity for approximately 930 passengers. Originally delivered as Viking Sun for Viking Ocean Cruises, it later entered Chinese registration and operated under the name Zhao Shang Yi Dun through the China Merchants Viking Cruises joint venture.

• 2021Transfer into the China Merchants Viking Cruises structureStrategy

  The ship’s ownership and registration arrangements were changed in April 2021, linking the vessel with China Merchants Viking Cruises, a joint venture involving Viking Ocean Cruises and China Merchants Shekou Cruises.

  What changed. Ownership was transferred to Viking Sun Ltd. of Bermuda. The ship was placed under Chinese registration, assigned Qianhai, Shenzhen, as its port of registry, and renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun.

  Aftermath. The vessel acquired a Chinese operating identity while remaining connected to the Viking cruise business through the joint-venture structure.

  Source

• 2021Viking Sun ownership transferred and vessel renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun

  In April 2021, ownership of the ship was transferred to Viking Sun Ltd. of Bermuda. It was assigned to China Merchants Viking Cruises, transferred to Chinese registration, given Qianhai, Shenzhen, as its port of registry, and renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun.

  M&ALeadership changeOther
  Source

1. MV Viking Sun