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Navy divers will help Myleene launch liner

Musician and TV presenter Myleene Klass wil be assisted by the Royal Navy to launch the biggest cruise liner to sail from Dover
Musician and TV presenter Myleene Klass wil be assisted by the Royal Navy to launch the biggest cruise liner to sail from Dover

Classical musician, singer and presenter Myleene Klass will have some spectacular help from Royal Navy divers to smash a bottle against the side of a new cruise liner at Dover.

Myleene will become the godmother of the 113,000 tonne Carnival Splendor - the biggest passenger ship to sail from Dover - when she names the ship on Thursday, July 10.

Ultra-fit PO Christian Rumming, 39, assisted by a Royal Navy dive team led by Lt Ian Richardson, 43, will be underwater near the bow of the Carnival Splendor when he will hear a unique radio signal from Myleene, playing live classical piano music on the ship’s top Lido deck.

PO Rumming will let out some compressed air from his diving tanks and then climb, in wet suit, safety harness and flippers, a 60ft ascent rope to reach the Carnival Splendor’s name on the top of her bow.

PO Rumming will then break with tradition, for instead of champagne, he will undertake Myleene’s command and smash against the hull a bottle of the highly acclaimed 1994 vintage Nyetimber English sparkling wine, chosen by Carnival to emphasise their selection of Britain to launch their largest and latest superliner.

Myleene said: "Not only am I excited about launching my first-ever ship with the Carnival Splendor, but also I am so looking forward to working with the Royal Navy men who seem to be under my command - if only for a couple of minutes!

"I plan to give PO Chris Rumming the start signal by playing some classical music on Carnival Splendor’s baby grand piano."

Lt Richardson of the Royal Navy Fleet Diving Squadron, said: "This has to be a rather unusual assignment for my men, who are trained in deep sea marine diving and underwater bomb and mine disposal to protect our fleet, but I am confident they can pull this off."

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, Carnival Splendor sets sail for a three-day 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.

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