Aerial Christening For New Cruise Ship Celebrity Equinox – Acrobats Deliver Champagne Bottle To Mark Official Naming
July 31, 2009 by Perspective Magazine | Timeshare & Fractional ReviewsCelebrity Equinox, the only cruise ship to launch in the UK this year, has been officially named and christened by Godmother and Walk the Walk breast cancer charity founder Nina Barough CBE in a ceremony onboard the new ship in Southampton today (29 July 2009).
The christening saw an acrobat somersaulting a pink ribbon to the stage for the Godmother to cut, which set in motion the iconic moment when a champagne bottle was smashed against the side of the ship. However, instead of the bottle breaking against the hull, Celebrity Equinox had her bottle smashed on the funnel above the onboard Lawn Club – a real grass lawn on the top deck of the ship.
Celebrity Equinox Godmother Nina Barough commented:
“Being a Godmother of a ship is something I thought was reserved for the Queen – this is such an honour I feel totally overwhelmed. The ship, Celebrity Equinox, is phenomenal and I never thought that I would ever be able to say I was Godmother to something so huge and impressive. I’m excited to see where this journey will take me and hope to continue the partnership with Celebrity Cruises – it is a very proud and wonderful moment for me and for Walk the Walk.”
Marking the official christening of the ship, the pink ribbon was cut by Godmother Nina Barough, releasing the champagne bottle. Barough, who was selected by the cruise line Celebrity Cruises for her devotion to raising awareness of breast cancer and tremendous success in raising funds for the cause – over £52-million to-date – was joined on stage to celebrate the naming of the new ship by Richard D. Fain, chairman and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, and Dan Hanrahan, president, Celebrity Cruises.
A custom-made champagne bottle, created especially for the occasion by the Corning Museum of Glass, broke on the ship in celebration. The Corning Museum of Glass has a dedicated glass blowing demonstration area onboard Celebrity Equinox as just one of the features on the new ship.
The 122,000 GRT new cruise ship has enjoyed almost two weeks of launch celebrations in the city, and will welcome its first paying guests on 31 July 2009.
Welcoming Celebrity Equinox officially to the fleet, Richard D. Fain, Chairman of Celebrity Cruises and Chairman and CEO of parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., delivered the ceremony address. Fain praised the ship’s Godmother Nina Barough CBE (Commander of the British Empire), and founder of the breast cancer charity “Walk the Walk.”
“Her story, her outspoken devotion to breast cancer causes, and her day-to-day life is a compelling example of the need to take our health and well-being seriously,” said Fain. “And all this paints a lovely picture of why we are so honoured to have her as our Godmother.”
Also whilst on stage at the event, Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Dan Hanrahan continued to praise Nina Baraugh’s achievements, “As with our Godmother of Celebrity Solstice, we knew that for Celebrity Equinox, too, nothing less than someone genuinely devoted to the cause would do. And Nina exemplifies that exceptionally. Her tireless efforts have benefited countless women battling breast cancer, and her personal triumph over it has inspired thousands of women, men and families in the UK and beyond.”
The new ship, aimed at experienced cruisers who want to try a new cruise experience, features a real grass lawn onboard larger than eight tennis courts for boules, bocca, putting and outdoor concerts. Plus, a glass blowing museum and demonstration area take the format of cruise lectures to a new level. Guests can enjoy a 24-carat gold facial in the onboard spa, ensure their cocktail stays cool with iced serving areas in the onboard Martini Bar and dine in one of ten different restaurants.
Onboard accommodation includes a unique class of staterooms, AquaClass, dedicated to spa fans that allow guests access to extras such as a dedicated healthy-eating restaurant, Blu and a spa concierge. 85 per cent of all accommodation on the ship features a private balcony. Staterooms were designed with input from a panel of women who requested larger rooms and clever storage solutions that maximise space.
Following a Norwegian Fjords cruise on 31 July Celebrity Equinox will depart Southampton on 8 August on a 10-night “Best of Europe” itinerary to Rome, calling on ports in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy, as well Gibraltar. The ship then will sail a series of 13- and 14-night “Ancient Empires” cruises until October, featuring two new ports of call: Haifa and Ashdod, Israel. These cruises also include an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt.
Celebrity Cruises offers comfortably sophisticated, upscale vacation experiences with highly personalised service, exceptional dining, and extraordinary attention to detail. Celebrity Cruises sails in Alaska, Bermuda, California, Canada/New England, the Caribbean, Europe, Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal and South America. The line also offers unique cruisetour vacations in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Noted for four of the top 10 “Top Cruise Ships in the World” in the large-ship category, as voted by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler (February 2009 readers’ poll), Celebrity Cruise’s fleet – including the new Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, will be joined by Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011, and a fifth in 2012.
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