“Celebrity Silhouette” got christened at the Hamburg Cruise Center HafenCity

All good things come in threes. Following two ship’s christenings in the month of May, another one in July made up the threesome. On 21 July the latest ship from Celebrity Cruises was christened in Hamburg – the first ship of its class to be have its christening in Germany.

As is traditional, the plaque and key ceremony took place on board ship. Hamburg’s Economics Senator Frank Horch made a personal speech to welcome Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis from Greece, and explained what a great honour it is for Hamburg to be the scene of the christening of a Celebrity Cruises ship. Also present on this occasion were Richard D. Fain, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, and Dan Hanrahan, CEO & President of Celebrity Cruises.

‘We are extremely proud of the fact that Germany is the first country apart from the USA and the United Kingdom where the christening of a ship of the Solstice class has taken place,’ said Tom Fecke, General Manager of RCL Cruises Ltd. of Germany. ‘This is not just a clear acknowledgement of the importance of the German cruise market, it is also a sign of the growing public interest in Celebrity Cruises – a cruise brand which is being discovered by ever greater numbers of customers and attracts more and more travellers with high expectations. As a popular location with a strong cruising tradition, Hamburg is the ideal venue for the event.’

On the day of the christening itself, the Celebrity Cruises Chill-Out Lounge was set up on land, offering guests a view of the 315 metre long and 37 metre wide Solstice class passenger ship from 10.00 am till 8.00 pm. Visitors to the Chill-Out Lounge could enjoy a massage, win free tickets every hour for the HafenCity Big Wheel and take part in a big prize draw. Following the christening ceremony, at around 7.00 pm the ship headed out into the North Sea for a two-night presentation trip. The Silhouette then commenced its maiden voyage on 23 July, when it left Hamburg for Rome.