There was star power at Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades on Thursday — both of the human and mechanical kind.
Princess Cruises late in the day officially welcomed the new star of its fleet — the appropriately named Star Princess — with the help of Academy Award-winning star Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila.
The Texas-based celebrity couple presided over a 25-minute naming ceremony in the ship’s Princess Arena theater that included a traditional bottle breaking, with a twist.
Serving as the ship’s godparents, the McConaugheys triggered the smashing of a massive bottle of Pantalones tequila against the ship’s hull — a departure from the tradition of using Champagne during ship naming ceremonies.
The couple launched the Pantalones line of tequilas two years ago.
“As you all know, a bottle of Champagne (traditionally) hits the side of the ship, right? But it’s not going to be a bottle of Champagne today,” Matthew McConaughey said with a laugh from the stage before reciting a traditional blessing for new vessels.
“May god bless her and all who sail in her,” the “The Lost Bus” actor said, with Camila then repeating a version of the same phrase before they both turned to the theater’s giant LED screen to watch a feed of the bottle smashing against the hull.
Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, Star Princess is the second vessel in a new series of ships called the Sphere Class that is breaking new ground for Princess. Like its 1-year-old sister Sun Princess, it’s more than 20% bigger than any other vessel in the Princess fleet at 177,800 tons, capable of holding up to 5,189 passengers (a record for Princess ships) and packed with more onboard venues.
The invitation-only naming celebration, which was attended by hundreds of cruise industry leaders, travel advisers and media, came nearly five weeks after Star Princess began sailing for the first time with paying passengers.
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“Star Princess is a testament to passion, craftsmanship, and teamwork,” Princess president Gus Antorcha said at the event, citing shipyard workers and Princess staffers who worked on the project. “Together, they’ve created something extraordinary.”
The naming ceremony was followed by a surprise deck-top performance by famed singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, who played her most famous hits to a delighted crowd. The concert was followed by a spectacular Alaska-themed drone light show that filled the sky above the ship with images of bears, whales and other highlights of Princess cruises in Alaska.
In addition to the McConaugheys and Crow, other celebrities on hand for the celebration included Brazilian artist Romero Britto, whose colorful, upbeat art is the theme for the ship’s high-end restaurant, Love by Britto; and Jill Whelan, who played Vicki Stubing on the hit 1970s and 1980s TV show “The Love Boat,” which was set on a Princess ship.
One of the biggest Princess ships ever
Like its 1-year-old sister Sun Princess, Star Princess offers several new-for-the-line features.
The two vessels are the first at Princess with suites that come with exclusive access to a private restaurant, a lounge and a sundeck — part of an effort to draw more upscale customers to the brand.
Additionally, both of the vessels offer an innovative new type of “cabana cabin” on the ship’s extra-wide 10th deck that features exclusive access to a private deck area. The top deck of the ships also received some unusual-for-Princess sizzle. On both ships, passengers will find a glass-dome-topped pool area that transforms into a nightspot after the sun goes down.
Other differences between the Sphere Class vessels and earlier Princess ships include the lack of a buffet restaurant on their main pool decks. But don’t worry, buffet lovers: There still are buffetlike venues on the ships. Called The Eatery, they’re eight decks below the pool decks of each of the vessels, closer to each ship’s central piazzas and just off their outside promenades.
The ships’ main theaters, the Princess Arena, also have a new look. Their new-for-Princess, in-the-round shape can be converted into a more traditional proscenium-type theater or a keyhole-type theater to allow for different types of productions.
Among other standout venues, both Star Princess and Sun Princess feature a secret hideaway for magical performances designed in partnership with the Magic Castle performance venue in Los Angeles.
Related: My strange night out at Princess Cruises’ new magic-infused nightspot
The arrival of the Sphere Class marks the first time Princess has launched a new series of ships in more than a decade. With the debut of Star Princess and Sun Princess, the line now has 17 vessels in its fleet that collectively have room for about 54,000 passengers. That makes Princess the world’s fifth-biggest cruise line, behind Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Related: The 4 classes of Princess Cruises ships, explained
Star Princess is initially sailing to the Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale. It’ll reposition to Seattle in May for voyages to Alaska. Fares start at $499 per person, including taxes and fees, for a seven-night Caribbean sailing.
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Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
