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Displaying items by tag: Monaco ship naming

#MonacoCeremony - Prince Albert II of Monaco attended Silversea Cruises christening ceremony of their new flagship Silver Muse in the principality, before a pre-inaugural cruise to Greece begins next week, writes Jehan Ashmore.

As previously reported, Afloat had identified Silver Muse is to make an Irish debut later this season with a call to Waterford (Dunmore East) in September. The 40,700 tonnes cruiseship with just 596 passengers are accommodated in ultra luxurious facilities and pampered by a crew total of 411. The newest cruiseship of the 9-strong Silversea fleet is also to be make a first call to Cork.

The Italian built cruiseship from Fincantieri's yard in Genoa, will operate at the top end of the market. Among the facilities is an exclusive Zàgara Beauty Spa, casino, gym, a 327-seat theatre, eight dining venues and a swimming pool. In addition to offering guests the highest number of large suites in the Silversea fleet, and with the greatest number of connecting suites.

At the red-carpet christening ceremony held last Wednesday at the outer pier of Port Hercule, the glamorous harbour of Monte Carlo saw Silver Muse officially named by Constanza Lefebvre. The daughter of Silversea chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, was watched by dignitaries and invited guests during the traditional ship’s blessing and champagne bottle-breaking at the bow.

The newcomer is an exciting evolution of their Silver Spirit class and the location of Monaco was chosen for the ceremony as Silversea has its headquarters in Monte Carlo. At the quayside were performances by the Sinfonietta Orchestra of Rome and renowned violinist Charlie Siem.

Silver Muse is to depart from Villefranche neighbouring Nice next Wednesday (3 May) on a ‘Venetian Society Inaugural Cruise’.

Afloat has consulted that the 13-day cruise of Mediterranean gems among them Portofino, Amalfi, Santorini, Kusadasi in Turkay and end in Piraeus, the port for Athens. Fares for society members only are from €8,250 per person based in a Classic Veranda Suite on Deck 5/6.

Published in Cruise Liners

Coastal Notes Coastal Notes covers a broad spectrum of stories, events and developments in which some can be quirky and local in nature, while other stories are of national importance and are on-going, but whatever they are about, they need to be told.

Stories can be diverse and they can be influential, albeit some are more subtle than others in nature, while other events can be immediately felt. No more so felt, is firstly to those living along the coastal rim and rural isolated communities. Here the impact poses is increased to those directly linked with the sea, where daily lives are made from earning an income ashore and within coastal waters.

The topics in Coastal Notes can also be about the rare finding of sea-life creatures, a historic shipwreck lost to the passage of time and which has yet many a secret to tell. A trawler's net caught hauling more than fish but cannon balls dating to the Napoleonic era.

Also focusing the attention of Coastal Notes, are the maritime museums which are of national importance to maintaining access and knowledge of historical exhibits for future generations.

Equally to keep an eye on the present day, with activities of existing and planned projects in the pipeline from the wind and wave renewables sector and those of the energy exploration industry.

In addition Coastal Notes has many more angles to cover, be it the weekend boat leisure user taking a sedate cruise off a long straight beach on the coast beach and making a friend with a feathered companion along the way.

In complete contrast is to those who harvest the sea, using small boats based in harbours where infrastructure and safety poses an issue, before they set off to ply their trade at the foot of our highest sea cliffs along the rugged wild western seaboard.

It's all there, as Coastal Notes tells the stories that are arguably as varied to the environment from which they came from and indeed which shape people's interaction with the surrounding environment that is the natural world and our relationship with the sea.