Silversea Names Silver Endeavour in Antarctica

Silversea Cruises has officially named Silver Endeavour in a naming ceremony held on November 19.

The cruise line held the celebration in the Lemaire Channel, Antarctica, where the Silver Endeavour was inaugurated as the 11th ship in the fleet.

This also makes Silver Endeavour the first ship ever to be named in the Lemaire Channel.

“We are excited to officially welcome Silver Endeavour to the Royal Caribbean Group fleet, bringing our global fleet to 64 ships,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group.

“Silver Endeavour will continue to strengthen Silversea’s position as the leading ultra-luxury and expedition cruise line, allowing us to grow capacity while building upon Royal Caribbean Group’s mission of delivering the best vacations in the world, responsibly.”

The celebration was attended by Silversea Cruises executives, the ship’s Godmother Felicity Aston MBE as well as select members of the cruise line’s extended family.

“We are incredibly proud to have hosted ultra-luxury cruising’s first Antarctica naming ceremony for Silver Endeavour­­, our third ship to be named in just nine months,” said Roberto Martinoli, President and CEO of Silversea Cruises.

“I would like to thank Captain Niklas Peterstam and the ship’s crew, the entire Silversea team, Jason Liberty and all those involved at Royal Caribbean Group for their invaluable support in reaching this momentous milestone. Silver Endeavour strengthens our position as the industry’s leading cruise line, broadening our diverse polar offering for our guests’ enjoyment.

“A source of great inspiration for our guests, we are honoured to name Felicity Aston as the ship’s Godmother. Felicity is the perfect ambassador for Silversea; she shares the same unwavering sense of curiosity and adventure that unites all of our guests.”

As per the tradition, Aston blessed Silver Endeavour and cut the ribbon alongside Captain Niklas Peterstam.

Carnival Celebration Named in Miami

Carnival Cruise Line’s new Carnival Celebration arrived at its PortMiami homeport and was christened by actress Cassidy Gifford Sunday evening.

“This naming ceremony of our new flagship Carnival Celebration is the perfect culmination of our 50th birthday as this spectacular ship honours our past and signifies the fun and growth ahead,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “Carnival Celebration builds on the success of our incredible Mardi Gras and the many innovations we introduced with our Excel-class, including a top-deck roller coaster, and offers unique features all her own that give guests a truly incredible new cruise experience to have fun and make memories.”

Duffy spoke before an audience gathered for the ceremony in the ship’s three-deck-high atrium, Celebration Central. Carnival Celebration Godmother Cassidy Gifford christened the ship, with a traditional breaking of a champagne bottle, alongside Capt. Vincenzo Alcaras.

Gifford was also joined by her mother, Kathie Lee Gifford, who served as godmother of Carnival Celebration’s namesake, M/S Celebration, which was similarly christened in 1987.

Along with an impromptu performance by Kathie Lee, who sang the memorable tune to the now-legendary commercials that helped to popularize the Carnival brand in the 1980s, attendees were also treated to a preview of Carnival Celebration’s spectacular entertainment programming, the company said, including an aerialist performance. A concert by Kool & The Gang capped off the night, which included their dance classic, “Celebrate!”

Carnival Celebration’s first guests to board the ship from Miami will depart today on a special six-day Thanksgiving cruise, with visits to Grand Turk, Amber Cove and Nassau. On Nov. 27, the ship will begin a rotation of week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings that depart every Sunday and visit popular destinations, such as the Dominican Republic and St. Thomas, as well as Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico. To see sailings offered on Carnival Celebration, visit Carnival.com.

Disney Cruise Line has acquired the partially completed ship Global Dream

The ex-Global Dream will be remodelled and imaginered to fit the Disney Cruise theming.

Disney Cruise Line has acquired the partially completed ship Global Dream, which was left unfinished following the failure of Genting Hong Kong, the former owner of Crystal Cruises.
The ship will be renamed with certain features reimagined under the Walt Disney brand and is expected to sail to new destinations in 2025 from the US.

“Our cruise ships give us the unique opportunity to bring Disney magic to fans no matter where they are, and the addition of this ship will make a Disney Cruise Line vacation accessible to more families than ever before,” said Josh D’Amaro, chair of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

The new ship will feature Disney experiences along with entertainment and dining options, and the exterior will be adorned in the Mickey Mouse-inspired colours of the fleet, complete with signature red funnels.

The 208,000-gross-tonne ship is expected to be among the first in the cruise industry to be powered by green methanol, one of the lowest-emission fuels available.

Disney expects the passenger capacity to be approximately 6,000 with around 2,300 crew members.

More details about the maiden voyage, itineraries and onboard experiences will be announced later.