With a toot of the bagpipes, blessings from heaven, hugs, and a smash of champagne from a custom-made bottle by The Corning Museum of Glass the Celebrity Equinox was christened in Southampton, England. The very traditional ceremony was headlined by Godmother Nina Barough, founder of the United Kingdom-based breast cancer charity “Walk the Walk”.

The 2,850-guest Equinox is sister-ship to the line’s highly-acclaimed Celebrity Solstice. The new ship features 1,426 staterooms, 85 percent of which include a veranda.

Celebrity also continues its tradition of showcasing some of the finest examples of contemporary art aboard its newest ship that is entitled “The Essence of Equinox”. This high caliber collection consists of nearly 500 original works that are rarely seen outside major museums, art galleries and private collections. Equinox also features a selection of works from the lauded collection that graced Celebrity Galaxy prior to the ship’s transition to the TUI Cruises fleet earlier this year.

Here are some photos of the ceremony and around the ship.

ExpertCruiser.com is in Genoa, Italy where the countdown has begun for the June 5th double christening of the Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica. The two vessels will be moored at the Andrea Doria Dock where they form an amphitheater that includes a large stage and grandstand with seating for the 4000 guests on both vessels.

The event will involve the entire city of Genoa with a spectacle of light and music dedicated to Italian-made excellence. This will include musical and artistic performances by some of the most important figures on the Italian and international scene, accompanied by Maestro Mauro Pagani, a professional musician with a highly successful career spanning 30 years; Pagani, who is the founder of Premiata Forneria Marconi, composed the sound track for the Costa Pacifica, the first “ship of music.” The climax of the event will be a spectacle involving the entire city that features special lighting effects, music and a fireworks display.

The event will be broadcast live on the Internet from 10.00 pm (4 PM EST) at www.rai.tv and www.worldofcosta.com.

ExpertCruiser was at last year’s launch of Costa Serena in Marseille, France and it was spectacular. Costa goes all out for their innaugurals so try not to miss it.

It was a scene straight out of a James Bond movie in Dover, England today as Royal Navy diver Petty Officer Christian Rummer climbed a 60 foot rope up the side of the Carnival Splendor to christen the ship with a symbolic smash of the bottle against the bow.

It wasn’t a traditional naming ceremony as the godmother, British musician and television personality Myleene Klass, performed “I Am Sailing” on a baby grand piano while PO Rummer climbed the rope. After the smashing of the bottle fireworks and confetti cannons launched to the loud cheers of those onboard. After the naming ceremony, Klass was presented with a model of the ship in a bottle.

The 113,000-ton Carnival Splendor, which can carry up to 4,914 passengers, is the largest cruise ship to sail from Dover. After a three-day inaugural sailing to Amsterdam, the vessel will sail 12-night Baltic cruises for the summer.

Have a question or coment about Carnival Splendor? Post a message below. I’ll be on board the next three nights during the inaugural sailing, and I’ll do my best to answer as many questions as possible.

In the meantime, here are some photos of today’s ceremony (click for larger image).