This week, California-based river cruise line AmaWaterways announced it has chosen Brenda Kyllo, vice president of the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) to serve as the godmother of the brand-new AmaSonata.

The lavish ceremony will take place in Vilshofen, Germany on July 22, 2014 following the conclusion of the ship’s Melodies of the Danube voyage. Kyllo will bless the ship and perform the traditional christening ceremony; a maritime ritual with origins dating back more than 4,000 years.

“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.”

Kyllo is no stranger to the tourism industry. Before joining CAA as Vice President of Travel in 2011, Kyllo was heavily involved in the wholesale and retail travel industry, as well as handling cruise ship marketing and operations. She now works with nine CAA Clubs across Canada and with the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the Féderation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) headquartered in Paris, France.

“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.”

When she enters service later this year, AmaSonata will become the newest member of the AmaWaterways fleet. She is a sister-ship to the acclaimed AmaPrima and AmaCerto, and will join the newly built AmaReina, scheduled to debut in March 2014. AmaReina has been exclusively chartered by the line’s Australian tour partner, APT for the majority of the 2014 season.

For AmaSonata, though, life truly begins with the traditional christening ceremony that concludes with the smashing of a bottle of champagne against the ship’s bow. The title of ‘Godmother’ is a tremendous honor that is bestowed upon a woman who has been carefully selected.

More information on AmaWaterways can be found by viewing our complete company profile here on River Cruise Advisor.