On Location: Viking christens seven ships, honours Canadian godmother

What's in a name? 

It's a rhetorical question from William Shakespeare, first asked by Juliet in 1597 on a balcony in Verona. 

429 years later, on Oct. 15, on a dock in Amsterdam, seven new Viking ships were christened with their names and PAX was invited to take part in this longtime maritime tradition. 

The Viking Rota and Viking Haki were christened in Amsterdam, while ceremonies for the Viking Fjolvar, Viking Ptah, Viking Sekhmet, Viking Halogi and Viking Sjofn were livestreamed from Rostock, Germany; Luxor, Egypt; and Les Andelys, France. 

“Every great journey begins with someone who dares to dream,” said Ealeen Wong, senior director of strategy, partnerships and sales for Expedia’s Global Cruise Business, who was named the Godmother of the Viking Rota. 

“I think it’s very fitting that Rota was a Norse warrior and a bold leader. May she sail with courage and may all the experiences she brings to her guests create joy for generations to come," said Wong. 

Wong, the lone Canadian godparent, chose an outfit that paid tribute to her home country. 

"It’s absolutely so amazing just to represent Canada but also our team globally. I was born and raised in Vancouver so to be up there I intentionally wore a little bit of red and white,” she said. 

For Wong, the honour bestowed upon her is still sinking in. 

“It's still surreal, absolutely. I joined the travel industry just in 2019, which was our best year ever, and then you can imagine what happened after that. And it's just been an incredible journey ever since. And Viking has been an incredible strategic partner of ours for some time.”

Viking rolled out the red carpet for the late-afternoon festivities, with champagne flowing and fireworks lighting up the dusk sky. 

Mild October weather provided a comfortable backdrop for the ceremony 

“This is such an incredible honour to be up here with these other Godparents, it is truly a dream come true,” said Carol Porter, Godmother of the Viking Haki, the other Amsterdam-based ship. 

“Oh, I cried,” said Porter, when she found out about her Godmother status. “My husband cried.” 

Porter and her husband co-own The Roaming Boomers, which began as a travel blog and evolved into a Scottsdale, Arizona-based agency specializing in luxury cruises. 

“It was truly a dream come true. Hundreds of thousands of travel advisors all around the world and here I sit, such an honour.” 

"Naming a ship is one of the maritime world's oldest and enduring traditions, it marks not only the completion of a project but the beginning of a new journey,” said Erling Rimestad, Norway’s Ambassador to The Netherlands. 

“It's a moment to pause, reflect and look ahead to the experiences that lie before each vessel that will carry guests through the world's most historic waterways.”

For Viking, choosing travel advisors as its ships’ godparents makes sense.

“You are putting your own reputation behind us and that trust is something we will never take for granted. We would not be who we are and where we are today without your partnership and the confidence your clients place in us,” said Leah Talactac, president and CEO of Viking. 

The other godparents were Shelby Steudle (Viking Fjolvar), Michael Londregan (Viking Ptah), Michael Consoli  (Viking Sekhmet), Carol Shaddix (Viking Halogi) and Danielle Galloway (Viking Sjofn). 

Each took to the stage to offer good wishes for their respective ships 

The ceremony concluded with a three-course dinner at Koepelkerk Amsterdam, a former church converted into an event space. 

The event also marked the start of a short Viking voyage featuring visits to Dordrecht, Kinderdijk, Delft and Rotterdam. 

Planned activities include guided excursions, a walking tour of Delft, a waffle-making demonstration, e-bike tours and windmill visits. 

PAX is on location and will report on the voyage. 

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