Countdown to the Dawn
Preparations are underway for Pacific Dawn’s naming ceremony to be held at Sydney’s Circular Quay on Thursday November 8.
P&O Cruises’ latest ship [pictured right leaving a Singapore shipyard this week] will have gold medallist Olympian Cathy Freeman as her Godmother and the event will raise money for Cathy’s newly established Catherine Freeman Foundation.
The tradition of naming a ship goes back many centuries when vessels were the only means of transport and trade between continents, and a naming ceremony was seen as a way of bestowing good luck on the ship and those that sailed on her.
The very modern Pacific Dawn event will feature a giant light projection show and an onboard celebration for VIP guests.
Now retired, Cathy has established the Catherine Freeman Foundation as a way of repaying the many Australians who supported her journey to become an Olympic champion. The Foundation aims to provide opportunities to encourage disadvantaged individuals and communities to achieve positive change.
Meanwhile Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia which operates P&O Cruises, said “the ceremony will be a memorable event combining the traditional champagne naming with a modern, high-tech light show designed to highlight a new era for the Australian cruise industry with the launch of P&O Cruises’ first superliner.”
Until recently the vessel sailed in the Princess Cruises fleet as Regal Princess, before undergoing refurbishment.
The 70,000-tonne Pacific Dawn will set sail on her maiden cruise from Sydney on November 9, the day after her naming.
A Report by the CruiseMole brought to you by CruiseAgents.
John Alwyn-Jones
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