Smallest naming ceremony

Thursday 26 November 2009

FOR German cruise operator Aida, the naming ceremony of new vessels is always a big event — even when the ship is very small. On Tuesday, the company celebrated the ‘smallest naming ceremony in the world’ in the Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg — a huge model railway landscape with cities, mountains and lakes. The operators asked Aida to provide a miniature cruiseship for its new Scandinavian landscape.

The cruiseship operator chose to supply a scale model of its latest cruiseship Aidablu . The model — 2.2 m long, 28 cm wide and 49 cm high — was not built by Aida’s usual shipyard, Meyer Werft, but by Berlin-based Modellbau Georgi, which specialises in such models.

As with big vessels, the Aidablu model was named by smashing a (tiny) bottle of champagne against the ship. To keep everything in scale, this task was undertaken by six-year old Nikola Albrecht, who won a contest to find the ‘youngest godmother in the world’.

Aida did not even forego its obligatory fireworks, before letting little Aidablu set off on its maiden voyage through the fake Scandinavian landscape.

A marathon engagement

TUESDAY evening was a marathon for delegates attending this week’s International Maritime Organization Assembly, and for members of London’s shipping and diplomatic communities, as they dashed across London from one reception to another. With several big flag states hosting cocktail parties, guests started to lose count of the number of functions they had attended. Greece, Cyprus, the Marshall Islands and Russia were among some of the heavyweights who held receptions in the evening. Others such as the Bahamas had opted for lunchtime functions.

Spare a thought for the stamina of IMO secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos as he put in an appearance at as many parties as he could in order to avoid any unintended snubs. Lloyd’s List spotted him at the Hellenic Centre chatting to Cyprus Minister of Communications and Works Nicos Nicolaides, before he dashed off to his next social engagement.

Gruelling party schedule

IMO insiders have told Last Word that thanks to the Assembly meeting taking place at the IMO’s headquarters this week there is a similarly gruelling schedule of wine and canapé consumption planned for every night this week.

Serious party animals are understood to be weighing up the fat-burning potential of power walking between receptions around London against the belt-busting effects of one too many cocktail sausages.

Another festive event

IF ANYONE has any energy left after all these parties they should head down to the City of London’s Guildhall next week for its British Red Cross charity Christmas market. The event has a distinct maritime flavour having been co-chaired by Clarkson’s gas division managing director and City Alderman Jeffrey Evans and supported by both Moore Stephens and Braemar Shipping Services.

Tickets for the evening, which kicks off at 1730 hrs, are £20, but include complimentary champagne and canapés — so that’s dinner sorted for another evening.

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