By Sharon Hall

THE naming ceremony of Celebrity Silhouette in Hamburg was very much synonymous with cruising itself - all inclusive, luxurious, if even a little over the top. The American owners of this mammoth ship ensured this was a thoroughly European affair - entirely fitting as it’s the burgeoning German market that the canny accountants have their eye on.

The German national anthem got a warm welcome which was only fitting as the ship was built by Meyer Werft at their shipyard in Papenburge. But there was also a salute to Celebrity’s Greek heritage, when the Greek national anthem was sung by Capt. Dimitrios Kafetzis and 15 of his fellow Greek officers. Even people from Europe’s outpost got a nod at this up-market knees up, as the festivities began with a procession by the Royal Air Force Halton Pipes & Drums playing the Glens of Antrim.

The 122,000-ton, 2,886-passenger Celebrity Silhouette is the fourth ship in Celebrity Cruises' innovative Solstice class, which includes Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Eclipse and debuts with a series of Holy Land sailings out of Rome.

For those who know their cruise ships, be assured this is really the last word in luxury - in fact - a whole new word has been coined by those in charge. Celebrity is the latest ship to be “solcitised” we were told at the Press launch by Celebrity President and CEO Dan Hanrahan. “Solcitising,” said Mr. Hanrahan, “means the ultimate in modern luxury.” The design of the ship is unashamedly aimed at appealing to women who, according to research, “have the biggest say in choosing the family holiday.”

To read the rest of Sharon Hall's feature on the naming ceremony of Celebrity Silhouette and see all the pictures, pick up a copy of Northern Ireland Travel News...

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