98 Days And Counting.....

My Cruise Critic contact recently asked me a question that ended up prompting some research.  He asked if we had ever crossed the equator in a ship before.  We have not!  Curious now, I started my internet search.  Lo and behold, there is a ceremony originally associated with naval operations that has been adopted by many cruise lines.  I’m not sure if I am really keen on this idea but I plan to be open-minded.

According to Wikipedia, “the ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite in the British Merchant Navy, Dutch merchant navy, Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, Russian Navy, and other navies that commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the Equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale, or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed (Trusty/Honorable) Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed (Slimy) Pollywogs.”

I wanted to find out more about the “initiation” process and what exactly would be involved.  I found an interesting description on The Nauticapedia website in an article entitled The Tradition of the Crossing The Line Ceremony written by John M. MacFarlane in 2012.  The following is the description as it appears in that article.

“The ritual is a ceremony presided over by King Neptune (the ancient ruler of the seas) who wears a gold crown and holds a trident. Sitting beside him is his wife Queen Amphitrite. They are surrounded by a villainous surgeon, a barber, guards and people dressed as bears. The form and make–up of the ceremony is far from standardized, and the cast can include a wide range of characters depending on the experience and imagination of the participants. The cast of characters in the ‘play’ usually includes:

               King Neptune

               Queen Amphitrite

               Herald

               Secretary

               Judge

               Davey Jones

               Chief Police

               Chief Bear

               Doctor

               Barber

               Trident Stamper

               Policeman

               Bear

The Captain and the Navigator would attempt to time the approach of the ship to the Equator for a suitable date and time. The proceedings consisted of several phases or ‘acts’. As part of the ritual pollywogs (those who have not previously been initiated) are dunked in water. This procedure is intended to cleanse the initiate of the ‘dirt of the North’. Tradition stated that seamen had to be cleansed of impurities, both physical and mental. Once completed the pollywog or initiate is designated as a shellback.”

Further research has revealed that while this play is used on cruise ships, the dunking is not necessarily.   It appears that a “trial” of selected pollywogs is fairly standard as part of the initiation ceremony.  The punishments doled out for the imaginative and fabricated crimes consist of various indignities such as pouring various condiments like ketchup over the guilty pollywogs’ heads.  Sounds delightful right?


After the ceremony a certificate is granted to the pollywogs.  A picture of an example of this certificate appears below.

And the planning continues.....