British explorer Felicity Aston MBE blessed Silver Endeavour during a ceremony alongside captain Niklas Peterstam to an audience of Silversea executives, crew and industry partners, who lined the 11km-long, cliff-lined stretch of water in Zodiac boats.

In keeping with the fragile environment, Aston triggered an ice-sculpted, magnum-sized bottle to smash against the hull, rather than glass. Watch the naming ceremony below:

Silver Endeavour is the line’s third ship to be named in nine months, and president and chief executive Roberto Martinoli said: “This strengthens our position as the industry’s leading cruise line, broadening our diverse polar offering for our guests’ enjoyment.

"A source of great inspiration for our guests, we are honoured to name Felicity Aston as the ship’s godmother. Felicity is the perfect ambassador for Silversea; she shares the same unwavering sense of curiosity and adventure that unites all of our guests.”

A polar explorer and climate scientist, Aston became the first woman to ski solo across Antarctica in 2012, as well as the first person to traverse the continent by muscle power alone.

She was among guests on the inaugural sailing of Silver Endeavour, during which time she said: “Assuming the role of godmother makes me incredibly proud. This is part of my existing relationship with Silversea, a company with a great deal of integrity, which makes a real impact in the places it goes to, and that really speaks to me. I am a big advocate for people appreciating the role female explorers and scientists are making around the world and the tradition of godmother further advances that. This gives me real hope and enthusiasm.”

She added those who sail with Silversea will now become “Antarctic ambassadors” for the future.

“Today, exploration is not only about geographical discovery; it is also about finding new ideas, new inspiration, and new perspectives. Silver Endeavour will allow more people to become explorers and return home with new outlooks,” Aston said. “She will be a source of self-enrichment, as people connect with the planet and each other.”

Built to PC6 polar class specifications, Silver Endeavour is designed for expedition cruising and will extend Silversea’s polar seasons, via state-of-the-art amenities, such as industry-leading Zodiac-to-guest ratio; kayaks; and cutting-edge navigation and exploration technology, including a remote gimbal camera system, which can capture high-quality images from 5km.

Passengers will find a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:1 and butler service for every suite, while all passengers going on Antarctic cruises are gifted polar parkas and waterproof trousers, as well as having the use of boots for the duration of the expedition cruise, stored in a sophisticated “mud room” on deck three.

See more on the launch and ship here.