Why cruise ships are christened by celebrities in glittering ceremonies
By Sarah Swain|
It started as a traditional ritual steeped in superstition.
And the historical christening of cruise ships and military vessels, which has been going on for centuries, still continues today.
Maritime historian Chris Frame told 9Travel that the smashing of the Champagne on the hull is believed to have been begun by Queen Victoria, when she named naval ships.
READ MORE: What it's like on Sun Princess, the world's newest mammoth cruise ship
"It was all about trying to bring good luck to a ship which was often going to face dangerous seas and challenging conditions," Frame said.
"In ancient times the christenings could involve sacrificing animals and in some rare cases even human sacrifice was used as a way to secure good luck for the ship and its crew.
"Today, things are a lot less barbaric with Champagne and some other forms of alcohol used to christen or bless the ship before it sets sail."
Frame says that "it's a traditional ritual steeped in superstition from a historical perspective, that today is undertaken largely for media and public relations purposes."
READ MORE: How I stay in London for under $100 a night
When Ted Lasso actress Hannah Waddingham christened Sun Princess last month, a glamorous ceremony was held and journalists and officials from around the world were flown to Barcelona for the occasion.
But Waddingham didn't actually smash the bottle herself.
That carefully constructed ritual took place outside as the performer attended a lavish ceremony inside the ship's theatre.
Waddingham instead placed a symbolic 'sun ray' into a model sun and uttered the famous words: "May God bless this ship and all that sail in her."
Footage of the bottle shattering on the mammoth new ship's hull was then beamed onto screens.
READ MORE: Best hotels in the world: Tripadvisor names the best accommodation based on ratings
Because if the Champagne doesn't smash, it would be a PR disaster.
Chillingly, the bottle didn't break on the hull of Italian ship Costa Concordia when it was christened by model Eva Herzigova.
That ship went on to sink off the Italian coast on January 13, 2012, killing 32 passengers and crew.
Of course, that's just a coincidence.
READ MORE: Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham officially christens huge new cruise ship
Captain Francesco Schettino is serving a 16-year prison sentence for manslaughter and other charges for having ordered the crew to steer the ship off course and closer to the coast, where it hit rocks.
Another famously doomed ship was never christened - the Titanic.
"Historically, several shipping lines didn't see any value in a formal christening for their vessels," Frame said.
"There was no christening ceremony for Titanic and, in fact, White Star Line had a policy of not christening their ships. They simply launched without much fanfare."
Meanwhile, other Godmothers of ships have included pop singer Katy Perry, who christened Norwegian Prima a few years ago, both Princess' of Wales Diana and Kate, and movie stars Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn.
Though traditionally an honour mainly for women, one man has recently been given a similar honour - football legend Lionel Messi was dubbed the 'icon' of Icon of the Seas.
Queen Elizabeth II did cause a bit of a headache for one cruise line though - by getting a ship's name wrong at a naming event.
"In the 1960s for Cunard's QE2, Cunard kept the name a secret until her launch in 1967," Frame said.
READ MORE: The best day hikes that are all just a short drive from Melbourne
READ MORE: Hotel openings to get excited about in 2024
"Behind the scenes, Cunard had arranged to name the new ship Queen Elizabeth.
"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II had been asked to christen the ship, but she didn't open the envelope containing the name Queen Elizabeth and rather named the ship Queen Elizabeth II presumably after herself."
"This triggered an emergency conversation between Cunard and Buckingham Palace where Queen Elizabeth 2 or QE2 was settled on as a styling for the new ship."
Visit Chris Frame's website here.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details
