Ports. Ships. People

The cruise industry keeps building new ships to grace the leisure cruise market.  The process marking the delivery of a newly constructed ship from the shipbuilder to the owner is usually marked with a naming ceremony.

Naming ceremonies are popular events that are huge celebrations with speeches, streamers, fancy clothes, and VIP’s.

A popular tradition that is most iconic is the champagne bottle smash on the hull.  Imagine the ship dressed in all her flags, streamers lightly blowing in the wind and a woman ready to cut the ribbon holding back a giant champagne bottle. The champagne bottle is released and swings suspended in the air smashing the hull thus christening the vessel.

In a perfect naming ceremony the sun is out, the sky is clear, the weather is not to hot. The speeches are brief and significant, there is shade, the ship is ready, the champagne bottle breaks on the first try and the music is upbeat and celebratory.

Naming ceremonies are great fun. After the naming ceremony the ship is ready for her maiden voyage and then her inaugural season.

If you have any facts about the naming ceremony, feel free to leave a comment. I wonder when the first recorded naming ceremony was. And I wonder which country has hosted the most named vessels.