River cruise lines tap godmothers for upcoming season

River cruise lines are gearing for another busy launch season and have begun announcing the godmothers who will christen their 2014 newbuilds.
 
In March, Avalon Waterways’ Avalon Poetry II will be christened by Katherine Grainger, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist in rowing, and the Avalon Impression will be christened by J. Mara DelliPriscoli, president of Travel Learning Connections and founder of the Educational Travel Conference.

The christening of both vessels will take place in Dordrecht, Netherlands, on March 22. 

The Avalon Illumination, scheduled to be unveiled in June, will be christened by Aussie celeb Deborah Hutton.

Brenda Kyllo, vice president of travel for the Canadian Automobile Association, will serve as the godmother for AmaWaterways’ newest ship, AmaSonata. Kyllo will bless the ship at a traditional christening ceremony in Vilshofen, Germany, on July 22.

Tauck is having its four female cruise directors collectively serve as godmother to the company’s new Inspire, which will be christened on April 3 in Basel, Switzerland. The four cruise directors who will share the christening honors are Bridget Ashton, Lynn Hardcastle, Mary Pierik and Eszter Pusztai. 

Tauck’s second Inspiration-class ship, the Savor, will be christened on June 21 in Rudesheim, Germany, but a godmother has not yet been announced.

Viking Cruises has remained mum on who will be christening the 14 Viking Longships that will be unveiled next month, but Travel Weekly has gotten word that Cruise Planners COO Vicky Garcia has been invited to be the godmother of the Viking Magni, and the Twitter-verse leaked that Anne Scully, president of McCabe World Travel, has also been invited to be a godmother of one of the ships.