Attending the intimate ceremony were travel agency owners and executives; local dignitaries; journal

Uniworld’s newest ship, S.S. Catherine, was just christened in an elegant ceremony in front of more than 150 guests in Lyon, France. The ship makes her home on the Rhône and Saône rivers in Burgundy and Provence.
Attending the intimate ceremony were travel agency owners and executives; local dignitaries; journalists; Guy Young, president and CEO of Uniworld and his wife, Melissa; and three generations of the Tollman family (who have owned and operated Uniworld for the past 10 years) and their friends.
Mrs. Beatrice Tollman, president and founder of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, Uniworld’s sister company, welcomed the dignitaries and shared the history of how she and her husband, Stanley Tollman, have spent the past 60 years in the hospitality industry owning and operating five-star luxury boutique hotels.
“Life keeps me very busy, very creative and is very exciting; I get emotional as we put so much love and passion into our hotels and Uniworld ships,” said Mrs. Tollman. “It means so much to us to please our guests and make them feel extra special, and these principles have stayed the same for more than 60 years.”
French cheap car rental orlando florida actress Catherine Deneuve, godmother of the S.S. Catherine, joined Captain Pascal cheap car rental orlando florida Rech for the cutting of the blue ribbon, triggering the smashing of a bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne against the vessel s hull. Once the official ceremony was over, an orchestra played timeless classics such as “Moon River” and various movie themes, including the score from the The Godfather and The Pink Panther in honor of Deneuve. Guests joined in a champagne toast before boarding the ship to enjoy the S.S. Catherine for a three-day inaugural sailing. ( www.uniworld.com )