Over the past several days, three new cruise ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, and Emerald Cruises were christened.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, Norwegian Viva, was christened in Miami by the ship’s godfather, Luis Fonsi, on November 28, 2023. Norwegian Viva is the second of NCL’s Prima class ships and will offer cruises to the Caribbean from San Juan this winter.
“To christen Norwegian Viva in Miami is incredibly special to many of us at NCL, not only because Miami is our hometown, but also because we can share this moment with our local family and friends,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Launching a ship is no solo endeavor. I am overwhelmed with gratitude towards the entire NCL team, our partners and especially our amazing crew who have contributed to bringing Norwegian Viva to life and who care for and deliver exceptional vacation experiences for our guests.”
Celebrity Cruises’ brand new ship, Celebrity Ascent, was christened at Port Everglades by co-Godmothers, Captain Sandy Yawn, star of Bravo TV’s hit franchise, Below Deck, and her sister Michelle Dunham, Founder of the Jacksonville School for Autism.
“Celebrity Ascent has been designed to feed our guests travel wanderlust and provide unique experiences they will covet and love,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, President at Celebrity Cruises. “Captain Sandy and her sister Michelle, co-Godmothering Celebrity Ascent, add another, and more personal dimension, to this already extraordinary ship. Their connection, combined with the brotherly bond of the ship’s captains, exemplifies the sense of welcome and warm hospitality we strive for on every cruise.”
Celebrity Ascent is the fourth Edge class ship from Celebrity and the vessel will homeport in Ft. Lauderdale for the 2023-2024 winter season.
The third new cruise ship that was christened this past week was Emerald Sakara. The ship was christened in San Juan, Puerto Rico by Cruise Lines International Association’s President and CEO Kelly Craighead.
The luxury yacht carries 100 guests in 50 cabins that range from 185 to 1,185 square feet. 44 of the cabins have large balconies.
“We are a pretty unique entity in the cruise industry when it comes to both our river and ocean luxury ships,” offered Glen Moroney, Founder and Chairman of Scenic Group. “We are intimately involved with every aspect of the build process—coming up with the concept, doing the design, overseeing the engineering, then building the ships including all interior design in house then employing all of the crew members directly. Having Kelly as the godmother of our newest luxury yacht, Emerald Sakara, follows that same thought process as she embodies a similar can-do attitude and history, and her leadership and guidance with CLIA over the recent challenging years for the industry is inspirational.”
