By
Alex Smith |
Silversea Cruises has officially christened its newest ship Silver Moon at a ceremony in the port of Piraeus, Greece.
The event was attended by guests including Richard Fain, chairman of Silversea’s parent company Royal Caribbean Group, along with Roberto Martinolu, president and CEO of Silversea Cruises; Luigi Matarazzo, general manager of Fincantieri’s merchant ship division; and Harry Theoharis, minister of tourism for Greece.
“Witnessing the official naming of Silver Moon – the first of Silversea’s christenings as part of Royal Caribbean Group—was a very proud moment indeed,” said Fain. “I commend Silversea’s leadership team, Captain Georgiev and Silver Moon’s crew, the team of Fincantieri, and everyone involved in the ship’s launch for their tireless efforts in bringing this long-awaited milestone to fruition.”
Reverend Father Ioannis Patsis, vice president of charity Caritas Hellas, delivered the traditional blessing for the ship. The ship’s godmother, winemaker Gaia Gaja, then broke the traditional bottle of champagne on her bow. Guests watched the event on screens throughout the ship, while viewers were able to watch the broadcast through an online stream.
“It was an honour to cut the ribbon and signal the official naming of Silver Moon as the ship’s Godmother,” said Gaja. “Silver Moon embodies the core values that my family’s winery shares with this cruise line: a reverence for tradition, a commitment to unwavering quality, and a deep respect for cultural values.
Silver Moon is the cruise line’s second Muse-class ship, with capacity for 596 guests. The ship will feature redesigned public spaces and offer butler service in all suite categories, with a nearly 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio.
Silversea’s new culinary programme, Sea and Land Taste or S.A.L.T. has also debuted onboard the ship, with three new onboard culinary venues now available for guests. The S.A.L.T Kitchen, S.A.L.T. Lab and S.A.L.T Bar will offer dishes, drinks and demonstrations inspired by the regions in which the ship is sailing, and S.A.L.T. shore excursions will allow passengers to experience the food and drink of each destination.
“This is an extraordinary milestone in the history of our cruise line,” said Martinoli. “Onboard the newest addition to our fleet, our guests will re-discover the world in unrivalled comfort and whispered luxury. I extend my gratitude to the Royal Caribbean Group, Fincantieri, Captain Georgiev and the ship’s crew, as well as our teams onshore, for making this momentous occasion possible.”
Silver Moon is also one of six Silversea ships, alongside Silver Muse, Silver Origin, Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, and Silver Explorer, to have received the Certification in Infection Prevention for the Maritime Industry (CIP-M) from classification society DNV. The certificate verifies that a company maintains a detailed operational plan for the prevention, control and mitigation of infection.
The ship will continue to sail a series of roundtrip cruises around the Greek Islands from the port of Piraeus, before departing on a seven-day cruise to Venice, Italy, on 23 September.