Pacific Aria and Eden will be named by Australian singer Jessica Mauboy and actress Kate Ritchie
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Pacific Eden and Pacific Aria are to be the first cruise ships to be officially christened via social media when they join the P&O Cruises Australia fleet on 25 November.
ARIA Award-winning singer Jessica Mauboy will share the official naming words for Pacific Aria via Twitter, while award-winning actress and TV presenter Kate Ritchie will do the same for Pacific Eden during the dual christening ceremony. The social media launch will also see the naming posted simultaneously on the godmothers’ Facebook and Instagram accounts and shared by P&O Cruises across its platforms.
“Both Jess and Kate are well known and well-loved around the country,” said Ann Sherry, CEO for Carnival Australia, which operates P&O Cruises Australia. “They epitomise modern Australia and really embody the new look and feel of P&O Cruises so we are delighted they will be naming these very special ships – and in such a modern way.
Both ships will be named at Fort Denison in Sydney Harbour as part of P&O’s history-making Five Ship Spectacular event. During the event, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Jewel, Pacific Pearl, Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden will meet in a V formation off the Heads of Sydney Harbour for the first time.
The ships will then enter the harbour single file, with Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden following the other three vessels. As they reach the centre of the harbour around 8.30am, Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden will sail either side of Fort Denison for their naming ceremonies.
All five vessels will then berth in the harbour and collectively host live onboard concerts from 25 artists throughout the afternoon for guests. Mauboy will perform on Pacific Aria. The ships will depart Sydney in the evening following a fireworks display.
“It will be a history-making day – we will have five ships on Sydney Harbour, a dual christening and we’ll be officially naming the ships via Twitter, which we believe is a world first,” said Sherry.
P&O Cruises will donate to two Australian charities, including the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, which was chosen by Mauboy. Ritchie is yet to name her chosen charity.