A ship sponsor, by tradition, is a female civilian who is invited to "sponsor" a vessel, presumably to bestow good luck and divine protection over the seagoing vessel and all that sail aboard.[1] In the United States Navy and the United States Coast Guard, the sponsor is technically considered a permanent member of the ship's crew and is expected to give a part of her personality to the ship, as well as advocate for its continued service and well-being. For passenger ships the sponsor is called a godmother if the sponsor is female, or a godfather if the sponsor is male.
Passenger ship godparents
Carnival Cruise Lines
- Carnival Breeze – Tracey Wilson Mourning
- Carnival Conquest – Lindy Boggs
- Carnival Dream – Marcia Gay Harden
- Carnival Ecstasy – Kathy Lee Gifford
- Carnival Elation – Shari Arison
- Carnival Fantasy – Tellervo Koivisto
- Carnival Fascination – Jeanne Farcus
- Carnival Freedom – Kathy Ireland
- Carnival Glory – Dr. Sally Ride
- Carnival Horizon – Queen Latifah
- Carnival Imagination – Jodi Dickinson
- Carnival Inspiration – Mary Ann Shula
- Carnival Legend – Judi Dench
- Carnival Liberty – Mira Sorvino
- Carnival Magic – Lindsay Wilkerson
- Carnival Miracle – Jessica Lynch
- Carnival Panorama – Vanna White
- Carnival Paradise – Paula Zahn
- Carnival Pride – Tamara Jernigan
- Carnival Sensation – Vicki L. Freed, Roberta Jacoby, Cherie Weinstein, Geri Donnelly
- Carnival Splendor – Myleene Klass
- Carnival Spirit – Elizabeth Dole
- Carnival Sunrise – Kelly Arison
- Carnival Sunshine – Lin Arison
- Carnival Valor – Katie Couric
- Carnival Venezia - Jay Leno
- Carnival Vista – Kye Heald, first Godchild for Carnival
- Carnival Victory – Mary Frank
Disney Cruise Line
- Disney Magic – Patricia Disney
- Disney Wonder – Tinkerbell
- Disney Dream – Jennifer Hudson
- Disney Fantasy – Mariah Carey
- Disney Wish – Make-A-Wish children
Holland America Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
- Norwegian Bliss – Elvis Duran
- Norwegian Breakaway – The Rockettes
- Norwegian Dawn – Kim Cattrall
- Norwegian Encore - Kelly Clarkson
- Norwegian Epic – Reba McEntire
- Norwegian Escape – Pitbull
- Norwegian Gem – Cindy Cardella
- Norwegian Getaway – Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
- Norwegian Jewel – Melania Trump
- Norwegian Joy – Wang Leehom
- Norwegian Pearl – Rosie O'Donnell
- Norwegian Star – Brooke Burke
- Norwegian Sun – Angela Baraquio
- Pride of Aloha – Margaret Awamura Inouye
- Pride of America – Elaine L. Chao
Princess Cruises
- Caribbean Princess – Jill Whelan
- Coral Princess – Mireya Moscoso
- Crown Princess – Martha Stewart
- Diamond Princess – Yoshiko Tsukuda
- Emerald Princess – Florence Henderson, Susan Olsen, Marion Ross and Erin Moran
- Island Princess – Jamie Sale and David Pelletier
- Regal Princess – Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes and Jill Whelan
- Royal Princess – Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
- Ruby Princess – Trista Sutter and Ryan Sutter
Royal Caribbean International
- MV Adventure of the Seas – Tara Stackpole (FDNY), Kevin Hannafin (FDNY), Margaret McDonnell (NYPD), Sgt. Richard Lucas (NYPD); chosen in honor of the numerous casualties suffered by the FDNY and the NYPD in the September 11 attacks
- MV Allure of the Seas – Princess Fiona
- MV Anthem of the Seas – Emma Wilby
- MV Brilliance of the Seas – Marilyn Ofer
- MV Empress of the Seas – Gloria Estefan
- MV Enchantment of the Seas – Colleen Fain, wife of Richard Fain
- MV Explorer of the Seas – Jackie Joyner-Kersee
- MV Freedom of the Seas – Katherine Louise Calder
- MV Grandeur of the Seas – Aviva Ofer, wife of Sammy Ofer and mother of Eyal Ofer, a member of Royal Caribbean's Board of Directors
- MV Independence of the Seas – Elizabeth Hill
- MV Harmony of the Seas – Brittany Affolter
- MV Jewel of the Seas – Kathy Mellor, 2004 US National Teacher of the Year
- MV Legend of the Seas – Cindy Pritzker, wife of Jay Pritzker
- MV Liberty of the Seas – Donnalea Madeley
- MV Majesty of the Seas – Queen Sonja of Norway
- MV Mariner of the Seas – Jean Driscoll
- MV Monarch of the Seas – Lauren Bacall
- MV Navigator of the Seas – Steffi Graf
- MV Oasis of the Seas – Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Jane Seymour, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Shawn Johnson, Daisy Fuentes
- MV Ovation of the Seas – Fan Bingbing
- MV Quantum of the Seas – Kristin Chenoweth
- MV Radiance of the Seas – Margot L. Pritzker, wife of Royal Caribbean board member Thomas J. Pritzker
- MV Rhapsody of the Seas – Bodil Wilhelmsen, wife of Royal Caribbean principal shareholder Gjert Wilhelmsen
- MV Serenade of the Seas – Whoopi Goldberg
- MV Sovereign of the Seas- Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter
- MV Splendour of the Seas – Lise Wilhelmsen, wife of Board member Arne Wilhelmsen
- MV Symphony of the Seas – Carlos and Alexa PenaVega
- MV Vision of the Seas – Helen Morin Stephan (wife of Royal Caribbean's founder and Vice Chairman Edwin Stephan)
- MV Voyager of the Seas – Katarina Witt
Celebrity Cruises
- Celebrity Apex - Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of international non-profit Girls Who Code[2]
- Celebrity Eclipse - Emma Pontin[3]
- Celebrity Edge - Malala Yousafzai,[4] Nobel Laureate
- Celebrity Equinox - Nina Barough,[5] founder of UK-based breast cancer charity Walk the Walk
- Celebrity Flora - Yolanda Kakabadse[6]
- Celebrity Reflection - Jovanka Goronjic, Megan Mathie, Helen O'Connell, and Rosey Rodriguez, Four employees who support breast cancer causes[7]
- Celebrity Silhouette - Michelle Morgan[8]
- Celebrity Solstice – Professor Sharon L. Smith[9]
See also
- Ceremonial ship launching (christening)
References
- ↑ Eyers, Jonathan (2011). Don't Shoot the Albatross!: Nautical Myths and Superstitions. A&C Black, London, UK. ISBN 978-1-4081-3131-2.
- ↑ "Celebrity Cruises Announces Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code and Best-Selling Author of "Brave, Not Perfect," as Godmother of Celebrity Apex | Celebrity Cruises Press Center". www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Celebrity Eclipse Godmother Emma Pontin Dies from Breast Cancer". Crew Center. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Celebrity Cruises Launches a Historic New Ship, Named by a Historic Godmother | Celebrity Cruises Press Center". www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Celebrity names godmother for Equinox: Travel Weekly". www.travelweekly.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Celebrity Flora Story". www.celebritycruises.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ Cruises, Celebrity. "Celebrity Cruises Honors Its Own, Naming Four Employees Godmothers Of Celebrity Reflection". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Signature Travel Network". www.signaturetravelnetwork.com. Retrieved 2022-03-18.
- ↑ "Celebrity SOLSTICE fact sheet" (PDF).
2. Carnival Cruise Lines News." Carnival Cruise Lines News Ship Fact Sheets Category. N.p., 2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2013. 3. "Royal Princess (2013)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. 4. "Godmothers of Princess Ships." Www.princess.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. 5. Princess Cruises Ship Christeners : Princess Cruises." Www.princess.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.