By
Rebecca Gibson |
Seabourn Ovation has officially joined the Seabourn fleet after being christened in Valletta, Malta on 12 May.
British actress and singer Elaine Paige OBE served as godmother, blessing the ship and breaking a bottle of champagne against her hull in accordance with maritime tradition. Paige also gave a live performance during the ceremony, which also featured speeches from Seabourn president Rick Meadows and Seabourn Ovation’s captain Stig Betten.
In the evening, guests were able to enjoy performance from a full orchestra ensemble on the Pool Deck, as well as and the first public performance of Seabourn’s new anthem, “We Sail to See the Lives of Others”, which was written by award-winning British lyricist Sir Time Rice. The evening concluded with a fireworks display.
“The launch of Seabourn Ovation brings us to a new era for Seabourn where we further reinforce our position as the newest, most consistent fleet in the ultra-luxury cruise category,” said Meadows. “The ship is another major step forward in the growth of Seabourn and an opportunity for us to provide guests with the finest luxury travel experience available at sea today. Like her sisters in our fleet, Seabourn Ovation is such a beautiful ship, and I know that guests and cruise industry observers are going to be very impressed from the moment they step onboard.”
Seabourn Ovation is the fifth ultra-luxury vessel to join the Seabourn fleet over the past decade, and the second of two ships designed for the line by hospitality designer Adam D. Tihany. Like sister Seabourn Encore, the newbuild can accommodate 600 guests in 300 suites, all of which have private ocean-facing verandas with space for al fresco dining. Suites also have a living area with sofa seating and a desk/dining table, a walk-in closet, a marble bathroom with separate bath and shower, in-suite entertainment options; and a personal bar and refrigerator stocked according to guest preferences.
Other onboard highlights include an additional deck, newly expanded public areas, the al fresco Earth & Ocean at The Patio dining venue, a restaurant curated by Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller, exclusive entertainment created by lyricist Sir Tim Rice in association with Belinda King Creative Productions; spa and wellness experiences created by US-based integrative medicine specialist Andrew Weil; and much more.
Seabourn Ovation was christened during her 11-day inaugural ‘Mediterranean Spring’ cruise, which started on 5 May in Venice, Italy and concluded in Barcelona, Spain. Following her naming ceremony, Seabourn Ovation will spend most of her maiden season sailing seven-day Baltic and Scandinavian sailings between Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden. She will also offer 14-day voyages to the Norwegian fjords and British Isles.