Celebrity Equinox
Buglers and a bagpipe and drum corps opened the naming ceremony for Celebrity Equinox in Southampton, followed by a piano rendition of the Beatles’ classic ‘Here Comes the Sun.’
The song paid tribute to godmother Nina Barough, CBE, founder of the breast cancer charity ‘Walk the Walk,’ whose ‘Sunwalks’ and ‘Moonwalks’ have raised $85m for the cause.
Sharon Smith, godmother of Equinox’s sister ship, Celebrity Solstice, took the stage by surprise to Barough, and both joined Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. chairman and ceo Richard Fain to cut the ribbon – symbolically, pink, in recognition of breast cancer causes. The ribbon threaded through the ship, ultimately releasing a large bottle of champagne that crashed against the stack.
The bottle was created by The Corning Museum of Glass, Celebrity Cruises’ partner in the first glassblowing show and demonstration at sea for Celebrity Solstice in 2008. Now Celebrity Equinox, too, will offer the ‘Hot Glass Show’ on board.
The ship enters revenue service on Friday with an eight-night Norwegian Fjords cruise, then returns to Southampton to begin its official maiden voyage Aug. 8 to the Mediterranean.
Celebrity Equinoix will sail from Civitavecchia through the autumn before repositioning to Port Everglades for the winter Caribbean season.