Myleene Klass To Officially Name "Carnival Splendor" In Dover

Multi-talented classical musician, singer and presenter Myleene Klass will become a "Ship's Godmother" for the first time next month when she officially names the superliner "Carnival Splendor" in Dover. It will be the first time a cruise ship has been named with Nyetimber English Sparking Wine rather than Champagne. At 113,000 tonnes and carrying up to 4,914 passengers, the Carnival Splendor will be the largest passenger ship ever to sail from Dover.

The Naming Ceremony at Dover Cruise Terminal will take place on July 10, with Miami-based Carnival emphasising their choice of Britain to launch the Carnival Splendor by dispensing with the traditional champagne and using the highly acclaimed Nyetimber English Sparkling wine to smash against the hull.

Myleene Klass said: "I am very excited, and a little nervous, at becoming a "Ship's Godmother" for the first time, especially when it involves naming a ship the size of the Carnival Splendor. But my family is very connected with ships as my father served in the Merchant Navy."

Carnival Cruise Lines President and CEO Gerry Cahill said: "Myleene is the perfect Godmother to name Carnival Splendor, with her many talents complementing the many features on the ship, which is already attracting a broad passenger base - from families to couples to groups of friends - all with a common desire to enjoy a fun, casual and memorable vacation. The British cruising market is growing fast, with over 1.3m taking cruises from the UK last year, and this is why we have chosen Britain for our inaugural summer season for Carnival Splendor. For UK customers, the Carnival Splendor has just about everything on board except, we appreciate, a 'u'."

Nyetimber owner, Eric Heerema said: "We are honoured that Carnival should choose Nyetimber 1994 Blanc de Blancs in preference to champagne for such a traditional occasion. The only problem is that we have such limited stocks of the 1994 vintage left that we were loath to lose even a bottle, but this is further important international recognition of the quality of our sparkling wine produced in West Sussex." Nyetimber is served at leading restaurants including Le Gavroche, Gordon Ramsey's Petrus, Chewton Glen and The Dorchester, and has been served at 10 Downing Street and by Her Majesty The Queen at many state occasions.

Carnival Splendor offers a comprehensive selection of restaurants, show-stopping entertainment, four swimming pools, a 5,500 sq ft children's play area and Carnival's largest-ever floating spa featuring a thalassotherapy pool, thermal suite and 17 treatment rooms.

Immediately after its Naming Ceremony, Splendor sets sail for a three-day mini preview cruise to Amsterdam, returning to Dover on July 13, when it will depart the same day for its official inaugural 12-day cruise to the Baltic countries, visiting Copenhagen, Warnemunde (for Berlin), Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn and Amsterdam.