So yesterday we became Golden Shellbacks! The tradition of becoming a Shellback dates back several hundred years and it is believed that the ceremony started as a rite of passage for sailors as they crossed the equator for the first time. The Vikings ceremony was a full-on hazing ritual, requiring new crew members to run a gauntlet of beatings (yikes!) and the early Spanish navy required new members to “prove their worth” at the crossing.

The U.S. Navy began the tradition of recognizing this event in the 19th century and it has evolved into a two-day semi-official ceremony, planned by experienced sailing “Shellbacks”, for the newbies or “pollywogs”. Our wonderful cruise staff did an amazing job of honoring the moment with a ceremony that included dunking our good natured captain!

A Golden Shellback is an even rarer distinction, reserved for those that cross the equator at the international dateline. An Emerald Shellback (USA) and a Diamond Shellback (Commonwealth) are those that cross the equator at the prime meridian. The Iron Shellback was awarded for the crew who served on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), USS Vella Gulf (CG-72), USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60) and USS San Jacinto (CG-56), who crossed the equator during a 200+ consecutive day underway with no ports during their 2020 pandemic deployment! Wow!

Luckily for us, there was no hazing or proving of our worth. Our Golden Shellback designation is symbolic only for the geography that we sailed. However, we honor those sailors that have earned this rite of passage over the years through their service and dedication. Salute!