AmaWaterways yesterday announced Brenda Kyllo, Vice President of Travel for the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), as godmother of its newest ship, AmaSonata. Kyllo will bless the ship at a traditional christening ceremony in Vilshofen, Germany on July 22, 2014 at the conclusion of its Melodies of the Danube voyage.

“We welcome more and more Canadian guests aboard our ships every year and a significant number of them are loyal CAA members,” said Kristin Karst, AmaWaterways’ Executive Vice President and Co-Owner. “We want to recognize the warm relationship we share with our northern friends, and the person who symbolizes that best is Brenda Kyllo. We couldn’t ask for a more deserving godmother for the AmaSonata.”

An experienced travel industry executive, Kyllo has successfully managed a full range of travel and tourism responsibilities within wholesale, retail, resort management and cruise ship marketing and operations. She took over as Vice President of Travel at CAA’s national office in Ottawa in 2011. Kyllo works closely with nine CAA Clubs as well as preferred travel partners, the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to further enhance travel offerings for CAA’s over six million members.

“River cruising is such an ideal way to explore some of the world’s most beautiful regions, and CAA members have fallen in love with AmaWaterways’ intimate, innovative and elegant ships,” said Kyllo. “I am deeply honored that AmaWaterways asked me to christen the AmaSonata and very proud to be their first Canadian godmother.”

The tradition of christening a ship originated more than 4,000 years ago. A respected and well-known woman is carefully selected to serve as the new ship’s godmother, entrusted with blessing the vessel at a special christening ceremony. The blessing for the safety of the ship’s passengers and crew typically concludes with the time-honored ritual of breaking a Champagne bottle against the ship’s hull.

AmaSonata is a sister ship to the acclaimed AmaPrima and AmaCerto, as well as AmaReina, another newly built ship set to debut in March 2014 (chartered by AmaWaterways’ Australian partner, APT, for most of 2014). Capable of carrying up to 164 passengers, AmaSonata features spacious staterooms and suites (many with French Balconies or Twin Balconies), multiple dining venues, onboard massage and salon services, a heated swimming pool, fitness room, complimentary bicycles and many other upscale amenities and innovative design elements.