Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean has named astronaut Kellie Gerardi as godmother for Star of the Seas following Diana Ross’s withdrawal from the honor earlier this week.
- Gerardi is one of the first 100 women in space and is well-known not only for her spacefaring, but also as a social media personality and author.
- Star of the Seas will be officially named in Port Canaveral on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, in an evening ceremony.
Royal Caribbean has a new star ready to set sail, and a true star voyager will be naming her in just a few days. The cruise line has selected astronaut Kellie Gerardi as godmother for Star of the Seas.
The announcement comes shortly after Diana Ross unexpectedly withdrew from the ceremonial position. Ross had been named as the ship’s godmother in June.
“She’s visited the stars, and now she’s the Godmother of one,” Royal Caribbean said when announcing Gerardi to the honor.
Kellie Gerardi is a Florida native, having grown up in Jupiter, Florida (what a name for the birthplace of a future astronaut!), just 130 miles from Star of the Seas‘ homeport, Port Canaveral.
Named the 2025 USA Today Woman of the Year, 36-year-old Gerardi is well renowned not only as an astronaut, but also as a social media personality, space-themed author, and mother – ideal traits for Star of the Seas‘ godmother.
Gerardi was among the first 100 women in history to fly into space with her November 2, 2023 suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic. On that flight, she conducted various microgravity experiments, including studying fluid dynamics.
She will lead the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences IIAS-02 research mission in 2026, working on biomedical research during that flight.
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With more than 2.4 million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, Gerardi is a dynamic social media personality, sharing space-themed fun and also insights into her personal life as a mother.
As an author, her Luna Muna series has been read from both the International Space Station and the White House. Her book Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner’s Guide To Life in the Space Age is a #1 bestseller on Amazon.
Naming Ceremony Coming Up for Star of the Seas
Gerardi will officially christen Star of the Seas at the ship’s naming ceremony on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 in Port Canaveral. The star-studded event will take place onboard in the ship’s AquaTheater, under the iconic AquaDome.
Musical performances, traditional blessings, and of course, the iconic champagne bottle are all part of cruise ship christenings. For one of the largest cruise ships in the world, the ceremony is sure to be equally star-worthy.
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Neither Royal Caribbean nor Diana Ross have offered any explanation for why the singer withdrew as the ship’s godmother just days ahead of the ceremony.
The change could be a result of many different factors, including scheduling conflicts, negotiation details, health concerns, or other personal preferences.
Star of the Seas just reached Port Canaveral on Saturday, August 9, where she was greeted with the traditional fanfare of fire boats and eager cruise fans.
The ship has already been sailing brief cruises for media members, travel agents, and social media influencers. Her first “official” sailing will depart on Saturday, August 16 as a 4-night showcase to CocoCay.
After a series of these showcase cruises – added to her schedule because of her early delivery from the Meyer Turku shipyard – Star of the Seas will offer 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean sailings year-round.
The ship has already been the focus of some minor drama, as her first “Oscar, Oscar, Oscar” alert indicated an overboard incident while at CocoCay on Thursday, August 14.
In a relatively silly accident, a guest walked off the end of the pier while looking at his cell phone. It is unknown whether he was injured, but fortunately, the situation was resolved quickly.
“A guest fell off the dock while capturing footage of the ship on his smart phone. Our team immediately picked him up via jet ski and returned him to shore,” Royal Caribbean confirmed.
That certainly isn’t the way any guest wants to be known as a “star” and hopefully the new ship will not have any further incidents to mar her first weeks in service.
