Jan 21: New Spirit

Have you ever been to a ship christening? I hadn't - until today. As I write this on Thursday afternoon, I'm just back from an overnight stay on the latest new ship to grace Port Everglades. The flagship of Silversea Cruises, called Silver Spirit, sailed to Fort Lauderdale from Europe for its official inauguration. Last night, I put on my tuxedo for the big pre-christening gala, with renowned singer Michael Feinstein providing the entertainment before an intimate audience. His performance was outstanding and the evening delightful, including my late night stop at the ship's Stars Supper Club. Because Silver Spirit is larger than Silversea's other ships, it can accommodate some lovely amenities such as this Manhattan-style nightclub. I stayed there talking and drinking with friends until about 1:30 this morning.

Five hours later, I was up for an early breakfast. Then we all got off for the christening ceremony. It was elegant, and very Silversea. This Italian cruise line had assembled a chamber ensemble made of musicians who had performed with such orchestras as the San Francisco Symphony and New York Philharmonic. They offered enthusiastic renderings of brass fanfares, string quartet music and a song with two opera singers joining in. It was excellent.

A costumed color guard marched Italian banners to the stage before some brief, tasteful speeches by Silversea's top execs followed by a priest's blessing on the ship. And then, yes, the smashing of a champagne bottle against the hull. Well done, I thought, the whole ceremony. After the christening, I had the chance to explore a bit more of this beautiful ship. Rich dark wood is used throughout, in stairwells and hallways, in restaurants and bars and clubs. Silver Spirit also has a much larger spa than its other ships and six dining venues. I found it all impressive, very much a floating Ritz-Carlton. Which, I guess, makes this ship an appropriate guest at a port that's just minutes away from a real Ritz-Carlton and a growing array of other top-end hotels such as the Hilton and W Fort Lauderdale. Silver Spirit now leaves on a 91-day voyage around South America, then heads back to Fort Lauderdale. I can see why so many cruise lines schedule voyages through Port Everglades, which is poised to soon become the world's busiest cruise port. Easy access by both ships and cars, with lots of parking - and an exciting city just beyond the port's boundaries for passengers to enjoy before or after their cruises. All I know is that everyone I met onboard Silver Spirit seemed happy to be here, in our warm tropical sunshine. For those passengers lucky enough to leave on a three-month sea journey, this memorable christening seemed to me a very good way to begin.