These days’ it would seem that celebrities have a finger in every pie possible. Whether it’s a new perfume deal, make-up range, promoting a product or bringing out a new diet, the celebrity culture has become so huge that it has merged into the world of just about everything. And that includes cruise holidays too. It would appear that more and more cruise lines now inviting the biggest names in show-business to attend the christening of their latest ships and become its godmother. From singers and actors to cartoon characters and royalty, here’s a look at some of the best godmothers in the world of cruising….
Crystal Cruises – Angela Lansbury
When she’s not solving murder mysteries or at best keeping students entertained with a bit of classic daytime TV, Angela Lansbury is christening ships. Well maybe just the one. Crystal Symphony in fact. The ship is classic, elegant and sophisticated, just like Angela herself and she did a great job of becoming the godmother back in 1995 with more than 800 guests turning out to see the event unfold.
Cunard – Queen Elizabeth II
I’m not sure if she can be officially counted as a ‘celebrity’ but as one of the most famous faces on the planet, Queen Elizabeth II is the proud godmother of all the Cunard ships. During her reign of 60 years, she has become godmother for Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth 2. And since they are all named after royalty, Her Majesty the Queen makes for the perfect choice to christen these grand ships.
Carnival Cruise Lines – Judi Dench
Best known for her role as M in the iconic James Bond films, Judi Dench is a fine choice for a cruise ship godmother. Not only is she a Dame, but she has a string of credible films under her belt and is one of Britain’s best loved actresses. Carnival Cruise Line made the call for her to be godmother in 2002 aboard the Carnival Legend and what a fine job she did at it too.
P&O – Helen Mirren
P&O chose award winning actress Helen Mirren to be the godmother of their ship the Ventura. The ceremony was held in April 2008 and saw Dame Helen Mirren wearing an elegant dress become the proud godmother of Ventura. Ventura then went on to sail to the Mediterranean and has since become a firm favourite for many cruise passengers looking for a relaxing cruise with world-class facilities and an exceptional service.
MSC – Sophia Loren
This Italian actress is certainly a favourite off screen as much as she is on screen. So much so that MSC has asked her to be godmother for eight of their cruise ships to date, and they will continue to use her as godmother for the rest of their fleet. The Oscar winning actress is famously known for her performances in ‘Nine’, ‘Two Women’, ‘El Cid’ and ‘Pret A Porter’ and made the ideal choice to become the leading godmother for these Italian cruise specialists.
NCL – Kim Cattrall
What better choice than to have star of Sex and the City, Kim Cattrall become godmother to a ship that’s based out of New York. The Norwegian Dawn originally sailed out of the Big Apple and as NCL wanted to promote its signature ‘freestyle cruising’, they felt Kim Cattrall would be the perfect match. The ceremony took place December 16, 2002, and saw Cattrall take a tour around the ship and then quipped to the audience that the Norwegian Dawn was “by far the biggest ship in New York … and don’t let anyone ever tell you that size doesn’t matter!”
Disney – Jennifer Hudson
This American Idol star (who didn’t actually win the show) has certainly made a name for herself in the music and filming industry, so much so that Disney asked her to become godmother for their cruise ship the Disney Dream. The actress/singer originally worked aboard the Disney Wonder pre fame and can now say that she is the proud godmother for their newest ship. Talk about a success story!
Royal Caribbean – Princess Fiona
This much-loved green character is a queen in her own right, so why shouldn’t she become Allure of the Seas godmother? Since their partnership with DreamWorks, Royal Caribbean decided it would be a great idea to promote this by using the star of Shrek to christen the ship in order to attract the family audience for future cruise holidays.
Comments: no replies