| EVENT REPORT 06.28.06 12:00 AM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Martha and Fireworks Christen New Cruise Ship |
| Fireworks, pyrotechnics, confetti, and champagne added splash and flash to the Crown Princess cruise ship's grandiose christening ceremony in Brooklyn. |
|
| It took the help of Mother Nature, one domestic diva, two fire marshals, and a team of hundreds of crew members, Coast Guard officers, planners, decorators, and special effects pros to produce the christening ceremony for Princess Cruises' 113,000-ton Crown Princess. Princess Cruises director of public relations Julie Benson worked with Morgan Driscoll and Karolyn Kovarik of Caffeine Media to produce the event, the culmination of a multiday effort to promote the new ship. |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | | American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee, who emerged from behind a wall of crew members dressed in solid-colored nautical uniforms, kicked off the ceremony with the national anthem. |
|
|
 | | Martha Stewart, the ship's designated "godmother," officially christened the ship after winding a crank that released a bottle of champagne, which shattered on the boat's side and onto a blue carpet below. |
|
|
 | | The day before the christening, Princess promoted its "Bee at Sea" spelling contest program with a spelling showdown of nautical terms. Among the competitors were Gavin MacLeod (center) and 2006 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee champion Katharine "Kerry" Close. Close won. |
|
|
 | | Deputy mayor Dan Doctoroff addressed the crowd of 500 guests from the ship's sun deck. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Because the ship was still under construction during the event's planning phase, a site inspection was impossible. Instead, Driscoll and Caffeine's technical director, Tom Rodeheaver, flew to Florida to take measurements of the Caribbean Princess, the Crown Princess's sister ship, which has a similar size and layout.
The evening before the christening, Kovarik and the crew began readying the Crown Princess for the ceremony while the ship was still at sea. (During the days leading up to the christening, it hosted three "cruises to nowhere"—mini-voyages that travel in a circle from its port, out to sea, and back, to give travel press and travel agents a feel for the smoothness of the ship's movement, as well as a chance to sample the food and accommodations.) The Crown Princess finally docked at Brooklyn's new Red Hook Terminal at 3 AM Wednesday morning, and by 7 AM, the fairly simple decor—blue bunting and blue carpet with some large floral arrangements from LMD Floral—was in place and ready for Princess execs' final inspection before rehearsal.
American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee emerged from behind a wall of crew members dressed in solid-colored nautical uniforms to kick off the ceremony by singing the national anthem. Gavin MacLeod (aka Captain Stubing from The Love Boat) hosted the 45-minute ceremony, which culminated with the appearance of Martha Stewart, the ship's designated "godmother." Stewart gave a short speech, and then wound a crank to release a bottle of champagne which, in nautical tradition, shattered on the boat's side and onto a blue carpet below. Confetti canons and fireworks blasted off. But the floating location also required special consideration for these elements: Jauchem & Meeh used biodegradable confetti to avoid polluting the river, and the pyrotechnic show proceeded only after getting the go-ahead from fire marshals Neil Criscuolo and John Reilly, who radioed a nearby oil tanker to speed up in order to be well past the regulation distance for the pyrotechnics and fireworks to blast off on time.
—Chrissi Mark
Posted 06.28.06
Photos: Courtesy of Princess Cruises
Related Stories
Condé Nast Previews New Buddha-Bar
Destination Report: Meeting-Friendly Cruise Lines
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Sustainable Label Opens SoHo Pop-Up With Community Center Sensibility
Gap, Banana Republic, American Eagle Open Stores With Musical Performances
Chicago Chefs Prepare Apple-Cider Bubbles, Whipped Salt Cod for Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
Nintendo Launches New Mario Game With Look Back at Franchise History
MORE STORIES ABOUT
Floral Designer Anne Kilcullen Prides Herself on Interpreting Clients' Ideas
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
Concierge Conference and Event Center
The 18,000-square-foot Concierge Center features a 171-seat theater, 3,000-square-foot ballroom, boardroom, teleconference suite, and array of dedicated seminar and breakout rooms. Ideally located in the heart of Midtown, two blocks from a Grand Central station entrance, with more than 5,000 hotel rooms within two blocks. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Party Rental Ltd.
Party Rental Ltd., acclaimed for setting rental industry standards, outstanding customer service, and continually evolving products, has four warehouses and eight showrooms. They will deliver anywhere in the mid-Atlantic region. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
Drape Kings
Drape Kings, America’s leader in theatrical-quality event rental drapes, specializes in the rental and installation of pipe and drape systems, a perfect solution for transforming any ordinary room into a plush environment. They offer a complete turnkey solution, providing everything needed to drape, and the technical services to support and complete every job on time, every time. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
