Every time a new cruise ship is launched, there’s a big naming ceremony, plenty of Champagne, a bunch of cruise line executives congratulating each other and, somewhere in the middle of it all, a celebrity gets introduced as the ship’s godmother.
Or godfather.
Or, these days, sometimes even a godfamily.
It’s one of those cruise traditions everyone has heard of, but probably never really thought much about. What exactly does a godmother do? Does she have any actual responsibility for the ship? Does she stay involved after the naming ceremony? And why do cruise lines make such a big deal out of picking one?
The short answer is that it’s mostly ceremonial, but it’s also one of those old maritime traditions the cruise industry has managed to keep alive.
So What Does a Cruise Ship Godmother Actually Do?
Not much.
The godmother is basically the ceremonial sponsor of the ship. She’s there for the official naming ceremony, says a few words, offers the traditional blessing of the ship and “everyone who sails on her,” and then… the part everybody waits for… the Champagne bottle.
The bottle is sent smashing against the side of the ship, usually by pressing a button that releases it.
And yes, everyone wants that bottle to break.
Sailors are quite a superstitious group, and a Champagne bottle that refuses to break during a naming ceremony is one of those things nobody really wants to see.
Gloria Estefan found that out when she christened Royal Caribbean’s Nordic Empress in 1990 and the bottle didn’t break on the first try.
After that, the godmother’s official responsibilities are pretty much over.
She isn’t sitting in on meetings with the captain, approving itineraries or reviewing the menu at the steakhouse.
Nobody is calling Oprah because somebody is upset that their stateroom wasn’t ready at 1:30 p.m.
The role is purely symbolic.
Why Do Cruise Lines Pick Certain People?
This is where it gets interesting.
Cruise lines usually choose someone who somehow fits the ship, the cruise line or the image they’re trying to create around it.
Sometimes it’s royalty.
Sometimes it’s an actress or singer.
Sometimes it’s an athlete, activist or philanthropist.
And sometimes the connection is pretty obvious.
If you’re Cunard and you’re naming Queen Mary 2, having Queen Elizabeth II there makes a lot of sense.
If you’re Disney Cruise Line, having Jennifer Hudson become godmother of Disney Dream is a great story because she once worked as a performer aboard Disney Wonder before becoming an Oscar-winning star.
If you’re Norwegian Cruise Line launching a ship in Miami, calling on Pitbull to be godfather is pretty much a given.
When Does a Ship Get Its Godmother?
Usually around the time the ship enters service, although the official naming ceremony doesn’t necessarily happen before the first paying passengers get onboard.
Ships can sail several cruises before the big event.
That’s because these ceremonies have become major marketing productions. The cruise line needs the ship in the right place, the executives in town, the media onboard and, most importantly, the godmother actually available.
So while the tradition may be old, the modern version also comes with a lot of scheduling and public relations work behind the scenes.
And over the years, cruise lines have managed to land some pretty impressive names, so without further delay, let’s get into the…
10 Most Famous Cruise Ship Godmothers and Godfathers
This is where the whole godmother thing gets fun, because cruise lines have managed to recruit everyone from royalty to Hollywood legends to pop stars to Mr. Worldwide himself.
1. Queen Elizabeth II – Queen Mary 2
You have to start with the Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II christened Queen Mary 2 in 2004, and really, who else were you going to call?
Cunard was launching what would become one of the most famous passenger ships in the world, the ship had “Queen” right there in the name, and the actual Queen was available.
That’s pretty hard to top.
She also had a long history with Cunard, so this wasn’t just some celebrity booking arranged by a PR department. There was a genuine connection between the royal family and the cruise line.
2. Diana, Princess of Wales – Royal Princess
Another one where the name practically picked the godmother for them.
Princess Diana christened the original Royal Princess in 1984, back when she was one of the most photographed and recognizable people on the planet.
Imagine trying to top that at the next Princess Cruises naming ceremony.
“Well, last time we had Princess Diana, but this year we’ve got…”
3. Sophia Loren – Basically Half the MSC Fleet
Most celebrities become godmother of one ship.
Sophia Loren apparently looked at that arrangement and said, why stop there?
She became so closely associated with MSC Cruises that for years it seemed like every time MSC rolled another new ship out of the shipyard, Sophia Loren was standing there waiting for the Champagne bottle.
MSC Seaside. MSC Divina. MSC Meraviglia. MSC Seaview. MSC Bellissima. MSC Grandiosa.
And the list goes on.
At some point she stopped being a cruise ship godmother and practically became part of MSC’s new-ship delivery checklist.
Ship painted? Check.
Lifeboats installed? Check.
Sophia Loren booked? Check.
4. Audrey Hepburn – Star Princess
If you’re looking for the definition of old-school cruise glamour, Audrey Hepburn christening Star Princess in 1989 is pretty much it.
This was back when the cruise industry still sold itself heavily on tuxedos, Champagne and that whole elegant ocean-liner image.
Hepburn fit right in.
5. Oprah Winfrey – Nieuw Statendam
Holland America went big when it chose Oprah Winfrey as godmother of Nieuw Statendam.
And Oprah didn’t just show up, smash the bottle and head for the airport.
She actually hosted a special Girls’ Getaway cruise aboard the ship.
So compared with most godmothers, who are rarely seen onboard again, Oprah actually put in some time.
6. Jennifer Hudson – Disney Dream
Jennifer Hudson’s story is probably my favorite on the list because she actually worked for Disney Cruise Line before becoming famous.
She was once a performer aboard Disney Wonder.
Then she went on to win an Academy Award, Grammy Awards and become one of the biggest names in entertainment.
Years later, she came back as godmother of Disney Dream.
7. Mariah Carey – Disney Fantasy
Disney Dream got Jennifer Hudson.
Disney Fantasy got Mariah Carey.
Carey became godmother of Disney Fantasy in 2012, giving Disney one of the biggest celebrity names ever attached to one of its ships.
Although I’m still disappointed they didn’t christen the ship around Christmas just to make the entire ceremony completely unavoidable.
8. Kate Middleton – Royal Princess
Princess Cruises went back to the royal family in 2013 when Catherine, then Duchess of Cambridge and now Princess of Wales, christened another Royal Princess.
And once again, Princess Cruises had the easiest naming tie-in imaginable.
Royal Princess.
Actual royal princess.
The only problem with having royalty name your ships is eventually you’re going to run out of royals.
9. Gwen Stefani – Carnival Jubilee
Carnival has had plenty of famous godmothers over the years, but Gwen Stefani was a pretty big get for Carnival Jubilee.
She christened the ship in Galveston in 2024, bringing a little rock-star energy to the ceremony.
10. Pitbull – Norwegian Escape
And then there’s Pitbull.
Norwegian Cruise Line named him godfather of Norwegian Escape in Miami in 2015.
Miami.
Pitbull.
You almost don’t need a marketing department for that one.
He even performed at the ceremony, which probably made Norwegian Escape’s christening considerably more entertaining than the traditional speeches about shipbuilding partnerships and “an exciting new chapter for the brand.”
And Now The Honorable Mentions
Ten really isn’t enough once you start looking through the list.
Carnival has had Vanna White, Queen Latifah and Kathie Lee Gifford involved with its ships.
Princess has had Martha Stewart, the cast of The Love Boat and more members of the royal family.
Royal Caribbean had Gloria Estefan, who gets bonus points because her Champagne bottle famously didn’t break on the first attempt.
Norwegian has had Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire.
The traditional godmother is still very much a thing, but cruise lines have definitely loosened up the rules.
Royal Caribbean named actors Alexa and Carlos PenaVega and their son Ocean as the godfamily of Symphony of the Seas.
Disney Cruise Line went even further and named Make-A-Wish children as the godchildren of Disney Wish.
Other cruise lines have chosen teachers, local heroes and people with charitable connections instead of celebrities.
So while the basic tradition is still there, the days of every ship automatically getting a famous actress in an evening gown are long gone.
Does Any of It Really Matter?
Not when it comes to your cruise.
Nobody is booking one ship over another because they prefer Oprah over Mariah Carey.
At least I hope not.
But I do like that the cruise lines still keep this tradition going.
These ships cost a billion dollars or more, carry thousands of passengers, have roller coasters, water parks, restaurants, casinos, theaters and enough technology onboard to keep an entire city running.
Yet when a brand-new one officially joins the fleet, we still gather around, say a blessing and smash a bottle of Champagne against the side.
And no matter how modern cruise ships become, there will always be a few people watching that bottle thinking the exact same thing:
It better break.
