Silversea’s eco-friendly christening in the Galápagos for new ship 

Words by Jeannine Williamson

To the sound of bagpipe music the sight of a ship’s captain, bishop and a godmother bobbing around in an inflatable vessel while sipping Champagne might seem very incongruous, but that was the scene at the naming of the most luxurious expedition vessel to sail in the Galápagos Islands.

And with respect to the surroundings of the national park that is renowned for its wildlife, there was another – quite literal – break with tradition when a bottle of Piper Heidsieck was cracked across the bow of Silver Origin to mark the christening. The bottle was wrapped in a protective mesh net to prevent any shards of glass from falling into the water.

Meanwhile, the rest of the 100 passengers lucky enough to be on the ship for the naming ceremony also surrounded the vessel in Zodiac craft to raise their glasses and toast Silversea’s sumptuous new ship, which is the line’s first-ever vessel designed to sail in a specific destination.

In another marine custom, the ship had a godmother to name Silver Origin and wish her good luck. The duty was carried out by Johanna Carrion, the executive director of the education foundation Fundacion Scalesia which teaches local young people about the importance of conservation in the Galapagos. After she cut the rope to break the bottle of bubbly, the bishop of the Galápagos blessed the ship with holy water.

The unusual floating ceremony was held because Silver Origin does not visit any ports during her cruises through the islands, which lie 600 miles off the Ecuadorian mainland. Passengers join and leave the ship by Zodiac from the city of Guayaquil and the vessel is refuelled and restocked with food and supplies when it is at sea.

It is equipped with an eco-friendly dynamic positioning system which allows the vessel to stay in one place by using the propulsion system instead of an anchor.

After the christening, the celebrations continued back on board to the stirring sound of bagpipes and drums. Silversea became part of the Royal Caribbean Group in 2018 and Scottish pipe music is a trademark feature at the naming of the company’s ships.

Ultra-luxurious all-inclusive Silversea previously had a ship in the Galápagos – Silver Galapagos – which had been converted to sail in the region.

However, Silver Origin was exclusively designed to offer year-round cruises in the archipelago famously visited by naturalist Charles Darwin, and which inspired him to write On The Origin of Species, his ground-breaking 1859 book on the theory of evolution.

The ship has been designed to immerse passengers in the nature and culture of the Galápagos. Suites, which all come with butler service, have panoramic drop-down floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of the passing scenery and provide an ‘indoor’ balcony in good weather.

There is a star gazing lookout point at the top of the ship and The Grill, one of two restaurants, can be converted for inside or al fresco dining. More than half of the food served on the ship is sourced from the Galapagos, including a selection of wines, and menus feature regional specialities.

Silver Origin will sail year-round in the Galapagos on two alternating week-long itineraries.