Haven’t times moved on. Especially with ship naming as demonstrated by the Barbados beachside christening of P&O Cruises’ latest offering, Arvia, by US celebrity Nicole Scherzinger, writes SeaView editor David Simpson.
In the not too distant past such ceremonies were conducted with extreme grace and less razzmatazz by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton, home of P&O Cruises and British cruising in general. The most recent evidence of P&O’s royal status was the naming of Britannia on 10 March, 2015.
Alas we must rue the passing of the Queen and the switch to the celebrity-fying of most events by A, B and C-listers whose fame is measured by the number of followers they have on social media.
I was fortunate enough, in my capacity as cruise correspondent for the Press Association, to be among the audience of 2,000 who witnessed the christening of Oriana in Southampton on 6 April, 1996.
The christening of Oriana by The Queen in 1996 is imprinted on my memory Image courtesy of Meyer Werft. Top of page: Nicole Scherzinger with Arvia captain Robert Camby
The day is in imprinted on my memory for many reasons, first and foremost the aura that surrounded the Queen as she came within touching distance, the other being the fireworks that lit up the night sky to the mesmerising strains of Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite.
The moment features among my life’s peak experiences. I do hope that those who attended Arvia’s christening on the shores of Barbados many, many miles from P&O’s hometown, Southampton, will be able to say the same 27 years from now.