Mein Schiff 2, the new cruise ship of the Hamburg-based shipping line, was christened in Lisbon by her godmother Carolin Niemczyk, singer in the German band Glasperlenspiel. The event also marked a debut for the port of Lisbon, as it was the first cruise ship naming ceremony held in front of the famous Ponte 25 de Abril. The mechanism for the ceremonial fall of a champagne bottle against the ship’s bow was triggered by hoisting the christening flag. The godmother had intensively prepared for the big day: “At home, I extensively tested how to best smash the champagne bottle, and so this was getting a little expensive. However, I wanted to be well prepared,” she said jokingly in the morning of the event.
The new Mein Schiff 2 setting course for discovery
In the footsteps of great explorers: Lisbon as starting point for adventure
Under the motto “Setting course for discovery”, the guests on board the ship were invited to explore new horizons by a descendant of the legendary Portuguese seafarer Magellan during the christening ceremony. “Lisbon is the city of explorers – from here, they departed for their expeditions into an unknown world. We, too, encourage our guests to explore new horizons with us. We are therefore delighted to celebrate the completion of our first expansion phase here in Lisbon,” said Wybcke Meier, CEO TUI Cruises. With seven cruise ships, including six newbuilds, TUI Cruises operates the currently most modern and environmentally friendly fleet in the world.
At around 8:00 p.m., the new Mein Schiff 2 cast off to take her christening position. A mast fitted with LED lights, installed on the pool deck, transformed the modern cruise ship into a sailing boat: Individual continents and countries were displayed in five different scenes. Carolin Niemczyk then toasted to the honour of the new ship’s name in the impressive and unique setting on Tagus River against the backdrop of Lisbon’s architectural landmark, the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge, and broke the bottle of champagne against the bow of the new Mein Schiff 2. After impressive fireworks, the godmother kicked off the christening party for 2,800 guests on board the ship on the pool deck with a performance of her band Glasperlenspiel.
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