{"id":54949,"date":"2019-04-25T13:58:59","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/?p=54949"},"modified":"2026-02-27T12:41:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T18:41:09","slug":"what-is-a-cruise-ship-godmother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/2019\/04\/25\/what-is-a-cruise-ship-godmother\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Cruise Ship Godmother?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"title\">Why Do Cruise Ships Have Godmothers?<\/h2>\n<p>Many people are not aware of the cruise ship godmother involved in the christening of each new ship. The ceremony of naming and christening a new vessel dates back to the time of ancient Greece and maybe earlier. It was believed a terrible fate was attached to an un-christened ship at sea! The superstition was widely held in ancient times, and ships were christened with a blood sacrifice. In modern times, bubbly champagne is the christening liquid of choice amid a lavish public celebration.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Curious which who some of the cruise ship godmothers are? Keep reading for a list of some of the cruise ship godmothers of your favorite cruise lines!<\/p>\n<h3>Godmother of Disney Ships<\/h3>\n<p>Each of Disney&#8217;s cruise ships has a celebrity godmother, including one fairy. There is not a single godmother of Disney ships. All the godmothers and their ships are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Disney Magic &#8211; Patty Disney<\/li>\n<li>Disney Wonder &#8211; Tinker Bell<\/li>\n<li>Disney Dream &#8211; Jennifer Hudson<\/li>\n<li>Disney Fantasy &#8211; Mariah Carey<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/booking.sigtn.com\/swift\/cruise?searchcruise=true&amp;referrer=odyssey&amp;siid=1123905&amp;destinationtype=Ocean&amp;transportid=29&amp;startdate=06\/01\/2021&amp;enddate=12\/31\/2021&amp;destinations=&amp;cruiseline=4&amp;MinDuration=4&amp;MaxDuration=30&amp;DeparturePorts=&amp;Ship=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to browse our Disney sailings!<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>When Tinker Bell was named godmother of the Disney Wonder, she flew alongside the ship and sprinkled pixie dust during the christening ceremony. It was a special honor for Jennifer Hudson to be chosen to be the Disney Dream godmother as she started her singing career on the Disney Wonder.<\/p>\n<h3>Norwegian Cruise Line Godmothers<\/h3>\n<p>The Norwegian Cruise Line godmothers include two godfathers, Elvis Duran and Pitbull. Group godmothers include the Rockettes and the Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders. First Lady Melania Trump is godmother of the Norwegian Jewel<span style=\"text-decoration: line-through;\">l<\/span> and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao is the godmother of the Pride of America. Other Norwegian Cruise Line godmothers include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Norwegian Dawn &#8211; Kim Cattrall<\/li>\n<li>Norwegian Epic &#8211; Reba McEntire<\/li>\n<li>Norwegian Gem &#8211; Cindy Cardella<\/li>\n<li>Norwegian Pearl &#8211; Rosie O&#8217;Donnell<\/li>\n<li>Norwegian Star &#8211; Brooke Burke<\/li>\n<li>Norwegian Sun &#8211; Angela Baraquio<\/li>\n<li>Pride of Aloha &#8211; Mrs. Margaret Awamura Inouye<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/booking.sigtn.com\/swift\/cruise?searchcruise=true&amp;referrer=odyssey&amp;siid=1123905&amp;destinationtype=Ocean&amp;transportid=29&amp;startdate=06\/01\/2021&amp;enddate=12\/31\/2021&amp;destinations=&amp;cruiseline=6&amp;MinDuration=4&amp;MaxDuration=30&amp;DeparturePorts=&amp;Ship=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to browse our Norwegian Cruise Line sailings!<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Godmothers are honored and chosen to bring good luck and protection to the ship, and their duties are very easy. They attend the launch and naming ceremony to bless the ship. When a button is pushed, a bottle of champagne is triggered to swing down and break on the bow of the ship. Having a celebrity godmother, group of godmothers, or a godfather is great publicity for a new ship.<!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><picture data-avif-picture=\"1\"><source type=\"image\/avif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2-200x200.avif 200w, https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2-400x300.avif 400w, https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2-400x300@2x.avif 800w, https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2.avif 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"><img data-avif-wrap=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-54951\" src=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2.jpg\" alt=\"cruise ship godmother 2\" width=\"1000\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/cruise-ship-godmother-2-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/picture><\/p>\n<h3>Holland America Line Godmothers<\/h3>\n<p>Holland America Line was one of the first cruise ship lines to have godmothers. Their first ship, Rotterdam was christened in 1872 by the wife of the its first captain, Capt. Hus. Since then all of Holland American Line\u2019s ships have had a godmother. Members of the Dutch Royal Family have launched 11 Holland America Line vessels. In 1989, Audrey Hepburn herself christened the Star Princess before setting sail on a 7-night Caribbean cruise!<\/p>\n<p>Other Holland America Line godmothers include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nieuw Statendam &#8211; Oprah Winfrey<\/li>\n<li>Veendam \u2013 Debbie Reynolds<\/li>\n<li>Zuiderdam \u2013 Joan Lunden<\/li>\n<li>Maasdam \u2013 June Allyson<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/booking.sigtn.com\/swift\/cruise?searchcruise=true&amp;referrer=odyssey&amp;siid=1123905&amp;destinationtype=Ocean&amp;transportid=29&amp;startdate=06\/01\/2021&amp;enddate=12\/31\/2021&amp;destinations=&amp;cruiseline=5&amp;MinDuration=4&amp;MaxDuration=30&amp;DeparturePorts=&amp;Ship=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to browse our Holland America Line sailings!<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>Cruise Line Godmothers<\/h3>\n<p>No matter which cruise line you choose for your next sailing, it will have a godmother. You won&#8217;t see her in the ship&#8217;s dining room or entertaining in the theater. Her duties ended with the ship&#8217;s christening. She is just a celebrity figurehead who may occasionally appear in publicity photos and promotions.<\/p>\n<p>Your ship was christened and blessed by its godmother, so the tradition is safe for generations of ships to come. Britain&#8217;s Queen Elizabeth is the godmother for two ships, the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary 2, in the Cunard Cruise Line.<\/p>\n<p>CruiseExperts.com is ready to help you plan your next cruise, and there is never a charge. We can answer all your questions, book plane flights (when needed), hotels, your cruise, excursions, and more.<\/p>\n<p>Our job is to lessen your workload, save you money and time, eliminate guesswork, and give you more time to enjoy your amazing cruise. We&#8217;ll even tell you who the godmother is of the ship you choose for your cruise.<\/p>\n<p>Call us today at <a href=\"tel:18888042784\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">1.888.804.CRUISE (2784)<\/a>, and let us make your next cruise a reality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be sure to visit our webpage at <u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CruiseExperts.com<\/a><\/u>, and check out our <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CruiseExperts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook page<\/a> <\/strong><strong>\u00a0and join the <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/innercircle.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">InnerCircle<\/a><\/strong><strong> for exclusive offers. Our <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/resource-center\/resource-center.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Resource Center<\/a> <\/strong><strong>gives you all the &#8220;expert&#8221; knowledge you&#8217;ll need for your next cruise or cruise tour!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Why Do Cruise Ships Have Godmothers? Many people are not aware of the cruise ship godmother involved in the christening of each new ship. The ceremony of naming and christening a new vessel dates back to the time of ancient Greece and maybe earlier. It was believed a terrible fate was attached to an un-christened <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/2019\/04\/25\/what-is-a-cruise-ship-godmother\/\" class=\"more-link\">&#8230;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  What is a Cruise Ship Godmother?<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1881,1882,1883],"class_list":["post-54949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-did-you-know","tag-cruise-ship-godmother","tag-godmother-of-disney-ships","tag-norwegian-cruise-line-godmothers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruiseexperts.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}