I've been mulling over the erosion of long-held traditions on the launch of a new ship, particularly since Princess have chosen a man to be godparent of their new vessel, Discovery Princess and Arvia, like Iona, won't be named until months after her maiden voyage. I suppose the changes are all calculated to garner more publicity but it makes me sad that centuries of nautical superstitions are being thrown away. Interesting that one ship who sailed on her maiden voyage before being named was Titanic. As with Iona before her, I was originally booked on the maiden voyage of Arvia on 9th December 2022. However, this was cancelled with barely a month to go, as the ship wasn't finished in time. The new 'Maiden Voyage' is now on 23 December 2022, but last week P&O Cruises announced a naming ceremony would be in March in the Caribbean, so again, the ship will sail before her official naming. I suppose it is because these new modern leviathans are regarded by their operators as floating resorts or hotels rather than ships, that maritime traditions fall by the wayside. Sometimes I think they are actually designed with as few views of the ocean as possible to reinforce the belief you haven't left the safety of land. Cruises are now marketed as 'cruise holidays', executive pursers are hotel managers, purser's desks are reception... Ok, perhaps I am showing my age but I choose to cruise precisely because it is different from a resort holiday and blurring these lines actively discourages me from choosing those companies that don't see this. I know they are chasing new markets, with 7-day ferry-like itineraries but perhaps the new-to-cruising demographic the companies want might actually like to be at sea; to revel in being out of sight of land; to do something different from a week in Marbella or Ibiza. The other factor companies might like to note is that, given the rising cost of living, the older, more traditional cruisers (not tied to limited work leave or paying mortgages) they are putting off with these new marketing strategies, might actually be their saviours in the months to come. Below: P&O Cruises Iona in SOuthampton.