VIENNA, AUSTRIA – Cruise Weekly reporter Jenny Piper is on location in Vienna for the christening ceremony of Avalon Waterways’ newest ship Avalon Illumination.
Godmother, TV personality Deborah Hutton did the honours of christening Illumination tonight.
Deborah was welcomed in Viennese style on the banks of the Danube by local children and a traditional Viennese waltz.
Deborah blessed the ship and said “May all who sail on this splendid vessel enjoy their voyage and take home with them the joy and enrichment of a shared voyage”. The ship was christened with Austrian bubbly, Schlumberger, in front of dignitaries and guests, which included a large group of travel agents from Australia and New Zealand.
See our video of the ceremony by clicking here.
The crew were on hand to celebrate the christening and welcome their first guests.
Deborah was presented with a gift of a bracelet later in the evening at the official Christening dinner. The gift of a bracelet was symbolic of a long held tradition which saw ship godmothers presented with a bracelet made from the chain of the ships anchor as a momento of their ongoing connection to the vessel.
The new ship has all the luxury features to be expected from the Avalon Waterways product, including little touches with Australian passengers in mind. Click here to view pictures of the staterooms, lounges and other areas of the ship.