The naming of a cruiseship always attracts a lot of star attention, and when the ship happens to be one of the most luxurious afloat, and arguably one of the most expensive to sail in, the guest list is strictly A-list.
Singapore was the setting for the lavish naming ceremony of Seabourn Cruise Line’s latest luxury cruiseship, the 41,900-gt Seabourn Encore (built 2016) last weekend.
Festivities began with a tour of the glamorous new vessel led by Seabourn president Richard Meadows and Adam Tihany, the New York-based hospitality designer who was responsible for creating the ship’s plush interiors.
Tihany stressed that he wanted to revolutionise the Seabourn Encore’s interiors while working within the owner’s mandate that the design be more evolutionary.
He shunned the Scandinavian-inspired light woods and muted-pastel tones of previous Seabourn ships, opting instead for a sumptuous interior featuring glossy surfaces and richer colours.
Sexy, Italian feel
“I wanted the ship to have a sexy, Italian feel. I didn’t want it to look like something coming out of Oslo,” he quipped.
Invited guests then gathered in the baggage hall of the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, which had undergone a remarkable transformation into an opulent venue for the evening.
Speeches were made by Carnival Corp chief executive Arnold Donald and Singapore’s Minister of Trade & Industry S Iswaran, while Carnival chairman Micky Arison sat happily in the audience watching the proceedings unfold surrounded by passengers from both the Seabourn Encore and 32,500-gt Seabourn Sojourn (built 2010), which was also in port for the evening.
Captain Mark Dexter, master of the Seabourn Encore, proudly accepted a magnum of champagne from his counterpart on the Seabourn Sojourn, Captain Timothy Roberts.
British soprano Sarah Brightman, the Seabourn Encore’s godmother, sent the magnum crashing against the ship’s bow.
