A bit about Christenings

[Chris]

Today ship christenings may be seen as expensive media and PR stunts, but their origins are steeped in superstition. Yet it may surprise you to know not all ships were christened - including one of the most famous ships of all time: Titanic!

[Lynda Bradford]

Thanks Chris for this interesting little video. 

On the subject of Cunard not revealing the name of the Queen Mary until her launch, you mentioned it could have been a marketing stunt (or something along those lines). 

At the time that the 534 was being built there was a ship the TS Queen Mary that had been launched at Denny's shipyard, Dumbarton in 1933. 

The story goes that Cunard wanted to name the 534, Queen Victoria, however when they contacted the king to ask for permission to name after the much loved Queen, the King thought the ship was to be named after his wife, Queen Mary. 

As Lloyds had restrictions on two ships having the same name, Cunard contacted the owners of TS Queen Mary to request that that their ship was renamed TS Queen Mary 2.  This made me think was this the reason that the name of the ship was not revealed until the time of the launch? Cunard would need time to get permission to use the name and for the reregistration of the original Queen Mary. 

Just a thought and I am sure there will be other opinions on why the name was not announced prior to the launch. 

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Even for babies, not all that long ago, it was the custom to keep the name of the child secret until the actual baptism. My mother told me that the priest had never heard a name like mine before, and when he pronounced it during my baptism, he left the congregation wondering as to what I was actually called. But when he wrote the baptismal register, he made sure that he got the spelling right!

[Andy Holloway]

I was lucky enough to be involved in the Christening of QM2 in that the Chief Security Officer was needed for the work involved in the certification of her, a very important task. As such i was 'loaned' to QM2 from QE2 to cover the events involved in the Christening. These were the overnight visits by, what seemed at the time, 'millions' of Travel Agents and Travel writers, plus what definately was 'several millions' of S'ton and area school children!
To facilitate these events i, together with my wonderful Security Team, spent over 12 hours a day stood on the tiled area by the gangway answering questions and pointing people in the right direction. By the end of the first day i couldn't feel my calfs they were soooo sore!
However, as a 'perk' for this i was able to get my wife a ticket for the Naming Ceremony courtesy of a man who was almost more Cunard than a lot of Cunard personel, the brilliant port agent, Mike Baker of Denholms. It was Mike's ticket but his answer to how my wife could accompany his wife was, i won't need my tickets as 'nobody' is going to stop me entering the area, i'm the ship's agent!

For the naming ceremony Phil, the Chief Security Officer and myself were positioned by the gangway to 'greet' HRH on her arrival onboard and then, when she left the ship for the ceremony, precede her along the route. Finally preceding her when she left to return to London, a huge honour and privilage.
That evening my wife and i went for walk around to the Red Funnel jetty to look back at QM2, all lit up and reminisce about what we'd seen that afternoon. It was so interesting listening to members of the public who were stood around that area 'imagining' and opinionating about what it was like onboard QM2, little did they know that we knew exactly what it was like!

Every time i hear the Harry Potter music it takes me back to that January afternoon in 2004. Then, to cap it all, i had the privilage to be back onbaord for the Athens Olympic charter later that year.