Celebrity Solstice Christening Ceremony Review - Sharon L. Smith Named Godmother

We were among the approximately 1500 people lucky enough to be invited to Celebrity Solstice naming and inaugural cruise of the latest class of ships from Celebrity, for a quick two and a half day cruise.

One of the highlights of the cruise was the naming of the godmother of the Celebrity Solstice. The Solstice Theater  was packed with media with cameras and video recorders, cruise line executives, travel industry representatives, and other dignitaries, guests and VIP's, all anticipating the introduction of  Professor Sharon L Smith who is the first-ever scientist to serve as Godmother of a cruise ship.

The theme of the Celebrity Solstice christening ceremony was " A Beautiful Day,”

The christening ceremony began with the sound of bag pipes, drums and French horns which got the crowd excited. Following this was Antonio Sol performing U2’s “ A beautiful Day,” accompanied by violinist Lucia Micarelli. At the same time, a mesmerizing performance by an aerialist dressed in white was gracefully swinging above our heads.

Next came an emotional National Anthem followed by Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity’s parent company who introduced the Solstice godmother.

Sharon Smith is exceptional in ways well beyond her academic achievements. She graduated magna cum laude from Colorado College, earned a Ph.D. in Zoology from Duke University, holds two additional honorary doctorate degrees, and a master’s degree from the University of Auckland where she also was a Fulbright fellow.

A biological oceanographer, Smith has travelled the world in research expeditions from Polar Regions to the Arabian Sea. She has devoted her career to studying and researching how the oceans physics shape the availability of the food supply and the effects of global warming on food for birds, fish, and baleen whales, among other animals.

The Solstice Godmother is courageous as she is accomplished. She overcame cancer in 1993 – and again in 1996.  The Solstice Godmother says, “Women should not feel secure just because there is no family history of the disease. You have to be your own best advocate and insist on what’s right for you because you have to live with the possibility of the disease forever.”

Smith’s story is a powerful example of the critical need for basic breast-cancer screenings – and the reason why Celebrity Solstice, in partnership with United Way, will raise at least $100,000 for breast cancer programs to assist lower-income women who otherwise couldn’t afford this simple measure that ultimately could save their lives.

The end of the ceremony was the actual naming of the Celebrity Solstice. With great excitement, we watched a large screen with a live view of a champagne bottle, exclusively made by Corning Glass, attached to a red ribbon on the top deck. An aerialist soared into the theater's balcony, retrieving the other end of the ribbon and pulling it back over the audience to the stage. As Professor Smith cut the ribbon and named the ship, the champagne bottle on the top deck smashed against the funnel. This thrilling moment made the crowd cheer with awe. Streamers filled the room and tears rolled down many of our eyes as smiles filled the room with great joy!

Read here about our trip on the Celebrity Solstice Inaugural Cruise

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Photos by Celebrity Cruise