The 930-passenger ship departed from the London port over the weekend and will visit six continents, 51 countries and 111 ports on its epic trip before returning to the UK capital in May 2020.
Viking said a Guinness World Record adjudicator would be present when Viking Sun returns to London to confirm the successful new record with a certificate presentation.
Torstein Hagen, Viking’s chairman, said: “Our Ultimate World Cruise is the most extensive itinerary available in the industry, nearly double the length of our previous world cruise itineraries. I am pleased to offer such a unique experience for our guests.”
Viking has form when it comes to Guinness World Records – the line beat its own record when it christened 16 new river ships in a single day back in 2014.
Wendy Atkin-Smith, managing director of Viking UK, said: “We only launched ocean cruises in 2015 so to already be attempting the world record for the longest continuous passenger cruise four years later is remarkable.
“Everyone at Viking UK is particularly proud and excited that the cruise is setting sail from Greenwich. We can’t wait to hear all our guests’ stories when they get back.”
The lead-in price for the Ultimate World Cruise started at a £66,990pp, although clients could book one of two shorter segments of the eight-month voyage.
