Looking beautifully pregnant (now at 8 months,) the Duchess of Cambridge, kept the 1,000 year tradition of the naming of a ship, by cutting the ribbon that set the bottle in motion to break along the hull of the new Royal Princess cruise ship. The spectacular ceremony upheld British ship-naming traditions including the blessing, a performance by the Royal Marines Band and the pipers of the Irish Guards, as well as contemporary singer Natasha Bedingfield.
A godmother of a ship is symbolic patron that symbolizes the spirit of the vessel. Diana Princess of was the godmother for the first Royal Princess ship in 1984. Other inspiring women who are godmothers to a Princess cruise ship include Audrey Hepburn (Star Princess), Sophia Loren (Crown Princess 1990), Margaret Thatcher (Regal Princess 1991) and Olivia de Havilland (Grand Princess 1998.)
The 3,600-passenger Royal Princess is a new-generation ship. Among the special features found on board will be a greatly expanded atrium, the social hub of the ship; an over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending 28 feet beyond the edge of the ship; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on water; the new Princess Live! television studio; the largest pastry shop at sea; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.
Royal Princess Inaugural Season Itineraries:
7-day Maiden Iberia Voyage – Southampton to Barcelona
Calls: Vigo (for Santiago de Compostela), Lisbon, Gibraltar and Malaga (June 16, 2013)
12-day Grand Mediterranean – Barcelona/Venice
Calls: Toulon (for Provence), Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples (for Capri and Pompeii), Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi (for Ephesus), and Athens (June 23 through Sept. 27, 2013)
18-day Venetian Passage – Venice to Fort Lauderdale
Calls: Messina (Sicily), Naples (for Capri and Pompeii), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Cannes (for Monte Carlo), Barcelona and Funchal (Madeira Island). (Oct. 9, 2013)
5-Day Maiden Caribbean Voyage – Ft. Lauderdale (RT)
Calls: Princess Cays, Grand Turk (Oct. 29)
7-Day Eastern Caribbean – Ft. Lauderdale (RT)
Calls: Princess Cays, St. Thomas, St. Maarten (November 13, 2013 through April 27, 2014)
