[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ next_background_color=”#000000″ admin_label=”Top Bild mit Titel, Auszug und Bildunterschrift” _builder_version=”3.10.1″][et_pb_row module_class=”titelbox” _builder_version=”3.10.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” featured_image=”off” _builder_version=”3.10.1″][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.14″]A naming ceremony is believed to bring good fortune to the new vessel. Once the bottle of bubbly smashes against the hull, the crew and all aboard can count on Neptune\u2019s blessings. But there\u2019s more to a ship\u2019s christening than good wishes and the auspicious sacrifice of some wine.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=”vollebreite” _builder_version=”3.10.1″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/shutterstock_1288115344_web2.jpg” alt=”bsdjkadjskaldhjksad” force_fullwidth=”on” module_class=”bild-mit-bildunterschrift” _builder_version=”3.19.14″ background_image=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PhoenixReisen_MSAmera_Taufe1.jpg”]
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Well, it wasn\u2019t the Swiss, that much is certain. In fact, the custom of christening a ship goes back several millennia. The seafarers in ancient Greece would have their new vessel blessed by the builder before it was launched. The Vikings, on the other hand, were firm believers in the power of a human sacrifice to placate the gods of the sea. That may seem a touch barbaric by today\u2019s standards \u2013 so much better to simply break an expensive bottle on the ship\u2019s bow. This particular ritual can be traced back to the late 18th century. It was around then that a princess from the House of Hanover is said to have been the first person to have chosen this particular way of baptising the vessel \u2013 but with a deplorable lack of aim, she missed the bow and hit a spectator instead. The poor chap was so badly injured that he sued for damages. An accident like that couldn\u2019t happen today. During a modern ship\u2019s christening the bottle isn\u2019t just lobbed at the vessel; it is suspended from a rope or ribbon, or is attached to a frame that is released from a safe distance by the person doing the honours.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/shutterstock_515156236_web_2.jpg” admin_label=”Vikinger” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.14″ custom_margin=”50px||” custom_margin_last_edited=”off|desktop”]<\/p>\n
The baptism and launch of a cruise ship is a great cause for celebration, and the event is usually suitably grand with a show, fireworks and lots of guests. A fact that isn\u2019t quite so well known is that before this event takes place, a smaller, less lavish ceremony is held for the shipyard workers and crew when the ship first has water under its keel in the construction dock. This is an essential tradition \u2013 and who would want to risk the ire of the sea gods? For the main ceremony, a woman is usually chosen as the ship\u2019s sponsor; even Queen Elizabeth II has done the honours. But in this day and age of liberation, a man or a group \u2013 even an entire family \u2013 can be asked to perform this task. Celebrities and people involved in charitable work are especially popular choices. The record-holder for ship naming is Sophia Loren. The legendary film diva and two-time Academy Award winner grew up on the coast of the Gulf of Naples, so it\u2019s little surprise she was chosen so often: she probably has seafaring in her DNA.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mein_Schiff_6_Taufe_Andreas-Vallbracht_3.jpg” admin_label=”Frauen” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.14″ custom_margin=”50px||”]<\/p>\n
If the vessel is especially big, then it\u2019s good form to use a bigger bottle. For the launch of the MS Sovereign of the Seas in 1987, the famous Champagne house Taittinger made eight Souverain bottles, each containing 26,25 litres of Champagne, specially for the occasion. In comparison: an Imperial, which is an ordinary Champagne bottle, holds 0.75 litres. The former First Lady Rosalynn Carter broke one of the Souverains on the bow of the giant liner, the remaining seven bottles were for decoration. Souverains are not commonly used for naming ceremonies; the usual size is a Magnum (1.5 litres), a Jeroboam, which is a double Magnum (3 litres), or occasionally even a Rehoboam, which contains four-and-a-half litres of bubbly.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/shutterstock_677584984_petra.jpg” admin_label=”mehr sein” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.14″ custom_margin=”50px||”]<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t really matter what the bottle contains \u2013 sparkling wine, Champagne, wine or any other kind of precious beverage \u2013 what\u2019s more important is that the bottle smashes to ensure that the ship is well and truly christened. Another important detail: the cork must remain in the neck of the bottle. And that\u2019s not all \u2013 by far: there are a whole host of myths surrounding the naming of a ship, depending on where in the world the ceremony is taking place. In some countries, the sponsor must not be a redhead, possibly an extension of the many superstitions surrounding ginger hair and inevitable bad luck that redheaded women in particular bring. Any green outfits should remain firmly in the cupboard for the ceremony, at least if it\u2019s taking place in the UK. In France, on the other hand, the sponsor must not be pregnant. And she should definitely refrain from mentioning rabbits or hares, because that\u2019s just bound to tempt fate and invite trouble on board the ship. If you abide by all of these rules then nothing can go wrong \u2013 provided the ceremony doesn\u2019t take place on a Friday, of course![\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/shutterstock_1288115344_web-1.jpg” admin_label=”hase” _builder_version=”3.19.14″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.14″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.14″]All pictires \u00a9 shutterstock, except for:
\nTitle \u00a9 Phoenix Reisen
\n“A woman\u2019s job” \u00a9 TUI Cruises[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A naming ceremony is believed to bring good fortune to the new vessel. Once the bottle of bubbly smashes against the hull, the crew and all aboard can count on Neptune\u2019s blessings. But there\u2019s more to a ship\u2019s christening than good wishes and the auspicious sacrifice of some wine. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_custom_body_class":"","_custom_post_class":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[120,89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logbuch-en","category-magazine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6346"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6365,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6346\/revisions\/6365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hamburgcruisedays.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}