Happy Mothers includes Godmothers! “Oh no it doesn’t!”  Perhaps every ship should do a panto at Christmas.

Did you know every ship has a Godmother? “Oh yes it does!” The Godmother is the person who christens the ship and their picture is normally on the wall by the most established entrance to the atrium. When we started this list we thought it would be easy…. “oh no it wasn’t!” Let me just say, our main presenter Jean played Fairy Godmother (picture Sunderland Empire 1978), so we name her Godmother of Doris Visits. If you know of another Godmother let us know on https://www.facebook.com/dorisvisits/ and please LIKE while you are there.

P&O Ships – Fleet click here

• Ventura – Actress Dame Helen Mirren (broke tradition and abseiled down the side of the ship with a team of Royal Commandos to break the bottle. Having worked with Helen on Prime Suspect, I am not surprised!)
• Azura – Darcey Bussell (April 2010), After the traditional bottle breaking ceremony she presented a dance performance by the Royal Ballet School. We hope may return on the Strictly Come Dancing Cruises.
• Arcadia (see tour of ship) – Dame Kelly Holmes (Olympian 2005) A smaller christening with stilt walkers and balloons which may seem an odd celebration for an Adult only ship, but it was completed with fireworks.

The Royal Family

• Her Majesty The Queen named the Britannia, which may be why it sports the world’s largest version of the Union Flag, sometimes referred to as the Union Jack. To further the British theme champagne was not used but sparkling wine from the Wiston Estate Winery in Sussex. I must ask for it when not on board to see if it is stocked.
• Her Majesty also launched the Oriana in 1995, and for Cunard, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth II.
• However, in the case of the Queen Victoria, the Queen could not make it so Camilla Parker Bowles stepped in and holds the title. 2007
• Princess Anne christened the Aurora in 2000 and the Oceana in 2003 after it was transferred to P&O from being the Ocean Princess.
• The Adonia, now back from Fathom and previously the Sea Princess, was re-christened the Adonia by both Princess Anne and her daughter Zara.
• The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton is now a godmother to the Royal Princess. Princess Diana or Wales, was Godmother to the original Royal Princess back in 1984

Celebrity Cruises 

Have taken a different approach. They support breast cancer and appoint breast cancer survivors to be the god mothers to their ships. Click here to see the Celebrity fleet.

1. Celebrity Solstice – Professor Sharon Smith (Ocean Scientist) (2008)
2. Celebrity Equinox – Nina Borough (Walk the Walk charity)(2009)
3. Celebrity Eclipse – Emma Pontin (Yachtswoman)(2010)
4. Celebrity Silhouette – Michelle Morgan (CEO Signature Travel Network)(2011)

MSC

In the case of MSC one woman is grandmother to the whole feet, that is nine ships and Sophia Loren must be the record holder as a ships grandmother.

Royal Caribbean

Opposite to the approach by MSC the Royal Caribbean have more than one grandmother per ship; Oasis has seven!

1. Adventure of the Seas As one of the first major passenger ships returning to New York after the September 11 attacks, as a tribute to the emergency services, representatives of the New York Fire and Police Departments gave Adventure of the Seas its name. The ship’s godparents include Tara Stackpole (FDNY), Kevin Hannafin (FDNY), Margaret McDonnell (NYPD) and Sgt Richard Lucas (NYPD).
2. Allure of the Seas – Princess Fiona (from Shrek)
3. Anthem of the Seas – Emma Wilby (2015), not a celebrity or Royal, Emma who won this by audition.
4. Brilliance of the Seas – Marilyn Ofer
5. Empress of the Seas – Gloria Estefan
6. Enchantment of the Seas – Colleen Fain, wife of Richard Fain
7. Explorer of the Seas – Jackie Joyner Kersee
8. Freedom of the Seas – Louise Calder (2015), who has been a foster mum to over 400 special needs children.
9. Grandeur of the Seas – Aviva Ofer, wife of Sammy Ofer and mother of Eval Ofer, a member of Royal Caribbean’s Board of Directors
10. Harmony of the Seas – (narrowed down to three finalists all work in Schools)
11. Independence of the Seas – Elizabeth Hill
12. Jewel of the Seas  – Kathy Mellow (teacher, 2004)
13. Legend of the Seas – Cindy Pritzker, (Chicago based business family with RC board members)
14. Liberty of the Seas – Donnalea Madeley
15. Majesty of the Seas – Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway.
16. Marina of the Seas – Jean Driscoll
17. Navigator of the Seas – Stefanie Graf
18. Oasis of the Seas has 7 grandmothers! – Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Jane Seymour, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pullman, Shawn Johnson, Daisy Fuentes
19. Ovation of the Seas – Fan Bingbing (Asian actress)
20. Quantum of the Seas – Kristin Chenoweth (2014)
21. Radiance of the Seas – Margot L. Pritzker (Chicago based business family with RC board members)
22. Rhapsody of the Seas – Bodil Wilhelmsen, wife of Royal Caribbean principal shareholder Gjert Wilhelmsen
23. Serenade of the Seas – Whoppi Goldberg (2003)
24. Vision of the Seas – Helen Morin Stephan, wife of Royal Caribbean’s founder and Vice Chairman, Edwin Stephan
25. Voyager of the Seas – Katerina Witt

Disney Cruise Ships

1. Disney Magic – Patricia Disney
2. Disney Wonder – Tinkerbell
3. Disney Dream – Jennifer Hudson
4. Disney Fantasy – Mariah Carey

Princess Cruises  – Fleet click here

1. Caribbean Princess – Jill Whelan
2. Coral Princess – (Mireya Moscoso)
3. Crown Princess – Martha Stewart
4. Dawn Princess – Yoshiko Tsukuda (previously cast of ‘The Love Boat’ 1997)
5. Diamond Princess – Yoshiko Tsukuda (wife of president of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
6. Emerald Princess – Florence Henderson, Susan Olsen, Marion Ross and Erin Moran
7. Golden Princess – Merlisa George (miss US Virgin Islands)
8. Grand Princess
9. Island Princess – Jamie Sale and David Pelletier
10. Majestic Princess – 
11. Pacific Princess – Gabi Hollows, founding director of Fred Hollows Foundation
12. Regal Princess – Gavin MacLeod, Fred Gandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tewes, Jill Whelan (previously Margaret Thatcher)
13. Royal Princess – Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton
14. Ruby Princess – Trista and Ryan Sutter
15. Sapphire Princess – Nancy Murkowski (2004)
16. Sea Princess
17. Star Princess – Audrey Hepburn (1991)
18. Sun Princess

• PREVIOUS PRINCESS SHIPS
• Sky Princess – Ginny Ueberroth (1984)
• Royal Princess – Diana Prncess of Wales (1984)
• Star Princess – Audrey Hepburn (1989)
• Crown Princess – Sophia Loren (1990)
• Regal Princess – Margaret Thatcher (1991)
• Sun Princess – Lady Dorothy Sterling (wife of chairman of P&O, 1995)
• Dawn Princess – Cast of The Love Boat (1997)
• Grand Princess – Olivia de Havilland (1998)
• Sea Princess – Lady Caroline McPhail (wife of MD of P&O)
• Sea Princess re-crhistened Joanna Lumley (2005)
• Ocean Princess Ali McGraw and Ryan O’Neil (2000)
• Star Princess – Gunilla Antonini (wife of ship builder, 2002)
• Pacific Princess – Gabi Hallows (2002)
• Tahitian Princess – Madame Tonissa Flossi
• Royal Princess – Lorraine Arzt

Holland and America

1. MS Nieuw Amsterdam – Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
2. MS Volendam – Chris Evert
3. MS Zaandam – Mark-Kate & Ashley Olsen

Norwegian Cruise Line

1. Norwegian Bliss – 2018
2. Norwegian Breakaway – The Rockettes
3. Norwegian Dawn – Kim Cattrall (sex in the City)
4. Norwegian Epic – Reba McEntire
5. Norwegian Escape – Pitbull (rapper)
6. Norwegian Gem – Cindy Cardella
7. Norwegian Getaway – Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
8. Norwegian Jade –
9. Norwegian Jewel – Melania Trump
10. Norwegian Joy – 2017 Wang Leehom (the “King of Chinese Pop”)
11. Norwegian Pearl – Rosie O’Donnell
12. Norwegian Sky – Ships first crew! & Margaret Awamura Inouye
13. Norwegian Spirit – we can’t find that it was rechristened
14. Norwegian Star – Brooke Burke
15. Norwegian Sun – Angela Baraquio
16. Pride of America – Elaine L. Chao

Marella – TUI Cruise Ships – Fleet click here

1. Marella Dream –
2. Marella Celebrity – 
3. Marella Discovery – 
4. Marella Discovery 2 – 
5. Marella Explorer – 
6. TUI Discovery, was the RCCL Splendour of the Seas – then godmother Lise Wilhelmsen, wife of Board member Arne Wilhelmsen is now the TUI Discovery
7. TUI Mein Schiff 3 has German singer Helene Fischer as Godmother.

Fred Olsen Cruise Ships

1. Boudicca has had ten names but we can find no current godmother as yet
2. Black Watch, originally The Royal Viking Star, we can find no current godmother as yet
3. Braemar started life as the Crown Dyansty, we can find no current godmother as yet
4. Balmoral renamed after the Balmoral estate, we can find no current godmother as yet

REGENT SEVEN SEAS

Seven Seas Explorer. Charlene, Princess of Monaco, is her godmother

SAGA Cruises Ships

1. SAGA Sapphire, we can find no current godmother as yet
2. SAGA Pearl II, we can find no current godmother as yet
3. SAGA Spirit of Discovery
4. SAG Spirit of Adventure

OTHER SHIPS

• Seaborne Ovation – Elaine Page
• Mary Berry (Bake off) – Viking Longship Alsvia
• Joanna Lumley – River Cruises Viking Odin (2012)
• Twiggy – Seaboard’s Sourjourn (2010)
• Gloria Hunniford – Magellan (2015)
• Ulrika Jonsson – Ocean Village (2003)
• Katherine Grainger – Avalon Poetry II (2014)
• Anita von Hohenberg – SS Maria Theresa – March 2015
• Jann Arden – Avalon Tranquillity II – 6th November 2014
• Andie MacDowell – Uniworld Queen Isabella – 2013
• Priscilla Presley – American Queen – April 2012
• Catherine Deneuve – Uniworld’s SS Catherine (2014)

Most ships have an entertainment theatre company, which changes as do the shows, but the Guest Entertainers are the best in the world. We have started to list them.

GROUP – Cruise the Mediterranean Chat – New Group, be one of the first to join and start a thread on your forthcoming or past cruise by number – – CLICK HERE TO SHARE & CHAT
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• Fred Olsen cruises to MALAGA click here.
• P&O Cruises on BARCELONA Click here
• Marella Cruises – Marella Western Mediterranean Cruises