Loading ...Royal Caribbean christened a new ship, Independence of the Seas, in a ceremony including performances by kilt-clad bagpipe players. The naming ceremony featured a performance by a jig-dancing group. The ship was blesses by both Bishop of Southampton and the Rabbi of Westminster Synagogue. Five-time Olympic gold medalist, Sir Steve Redgrave, a British champion was there as well.
Richard Fain, chairperson and CEO for Royal Caribbean watched from the Alhambra Theater as Briton Elizabeth Baslow pressed a button to send a bottle of champagne into the hull of the ship. Baslow was picked to be the godmother of the ship after a countrywide search by Royal Caribbean for “an ordinary woman who had done extraordinary things.” Baslow is the founder of the Gamelea Countryside Training Trust, a charity for disabled teens to help them learn skills.
The unveiling of the Independence of the Seas shows just how crucial the British market is major lines like Royal Caribbean. The vessel is the biggest to ever sail in Europe. Royal Caribbean is promoting it to Britons and other Europeans.
The Independence of the Seas features a FlowRider wave pool and a gym for boxing, like aboard the Freedom of the Seas and the Liberty of the Seas. There is also a wall for rock climbing and an ice rink in the Royal Promenade, a standard on all of the bigger Royal Caribbean vessels.
Loaded to capacity, the ship can accommodate over four thousand passengers. The Independence of the Seas will sail for the first time Friday on a cruise to Ireland for four days.
www.royalcaribbean.com
