In typical English-style pomp and circumstance and drizzly weather, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Independence of the Seas was christened in Southampton

Southampton will be Independence’s homeport for the summer. Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO, called Independence “the largest, most innovative cruise ship ever to sail from these shores.” He noted that Britons are the line’s second largest source market after Americans. ‘We as a cruise company and Britain as a cruise market have grown up together,’ he said.

Godmother Elizabeth Hill, selected in a UK nationwide search for an “ordinary woman” who has made an extraordinary contribution to the common good, operates a farm where troubled and learning disabled children can learn new skills. Fain called her an “unsung hero.”

Like Cunard’s Queen Victoria’s godmother, Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, Hill’s christening was marred by an unbreakable bottle. Is this an English thing.