Crossing the Line Ceremony, Celebrity Millennium

Crossing the Line ceremony when Celebrity Millennium was crossing Equator on her journey from Singapore to Lombok on the 14 Night Gems of Southeast Asia Cruise, January 7, 2013. The Tradition of the Crossing The Line Ceremony. The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite that commemorates a sailor's first crossing of the Equator. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are for passengers' entertainment on ocean liners and cruise ships. The ceremonies are also performed in the merchant navy and aboard sail training ships. 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. The proceedings consisted of several phases or 'acts'. As part of the ritual polywogs (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 polywog or initiate is designated as a shellback (Sailors who have already crossed the Equator). personal weaknesses or embarrassing occurrences. On occasion this was an acceptable way to give a hard poke to an individual.