30/07/2009

The Celebrity Equinox had a big day in Southampton yesterday. The official christening for the new cruise ship took place amidst a great deal of fanfare.

During the ceremony, the national anthems of both Britain and the US were played to celebrate the occasion. A video montage was also played to highlight the many features that Equinox has to offer.

The christening ceremony in Southampton is extremely important to Celebrity Cruises. The cruise line is hoping to capture a 5 per cent share of the market in the UK region by 2011. With Equinox in port ahead of her maiden voyage, Celebrity is already looking ahead to 2010.

The Celebrity Eclipse is under construction in Germany and is scheduled to set sail in 2010. Celebrity Cruises intends to position the Eclipse in the UK where it will be based out of Southampton. Robin Shaw, the director of Celebrity in the UK, said that Eclipse will compete directly with P & O Cruises’ ships.

Regarding the christening of the Celebrity Equinox, Shaw said “Having this ship here in Southampton to showcase underpins our belief in the UK market, which we think is going to be strong. The propensity to cruise out of the UK we think has got a long way to go with ships like this out of Southampton.”

Celebrity has announced that it will offer itineraries on board the Eclipse for as little as 599 pounds. These itineraries are expected to sail to the Mediterranean. The low price has captured the attention of other cruise lines that are already established in the UK.

Watch The Youtube Video Below to See Equinox Leaving Southampton Following the Christening.