If there’s one thing Royal Caribbean is going to do, it’s keep the cruise game on lock.

As Travel Noire initially reported back in March 2022, the Wonder of the Seas enjoyed its maiden voyage from Florida, and made history. At nearly 1200 feet long and with a capacity to hold more than 7000 passengers, Royal Caribbean now holds the distinction of having the largest cruise ship in the world in its impressive fleet.

According to the company, Wonder of the Seas is part of the Oasis class of cruise ships, and its offerings are just as bombastic as initially promised in the press release. No expense was spared; everything from pools to indoor slides (both dry and wet) is available. There is no shortage of restaurants, either — sushi, Italian, buffet, and even a Southern comfort food-themed restaurant (known as The Mason Jar) will keep your hunger at bay.

The ship was initially set to sail from China back in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on that affair.

Nevertheless, the sailings have proven more successful than ever before, and the company is prepared to go full throttle with promoting and marketing its offerings. Though the maiden voyage set sail back in March 2022, the naming ceremony took place on December 9, 2022, and the company offered travel agents and other members of the travel trades (including airline partners, booking partners, and ancillary members of the hospitality industry) a chance to experience the affair firsthand.

Royal Caribbean Naming Ceremony: A TikTok Search for a Godmother

@bernadettegiacomazzo
#LaterTok Marie McCrae, Godmother of the #WonderofTheSeas at the naming ceremony #FYP #foryoupage #RoyalCaribbean #cruiseship #CruiseLife
♬ original sound – Bernadette Giacomazzo – Bernadette Giacomazzo

It’s a time-honored maritime tradition to name a Godmother of a cruise ship. In ancient Roman times, a priestess would “bless” a ship with sacrificial blood — but today, Godmothers christen the ship with champagne (which is probably for the best).

A Godmother is a civilian (typically, a woman) who sponsors new ships. Traditionally, Godmothers have either been royalty (Diana, Princess of Wales, christened several British cruise ships during her reign) or celebrities (Mariah Carey was the Godmother of the Disney Fantasy cruise ship, and Oprah was the Godmother of Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam).

Royal Caribbean, however, took a more modern approach to find the Godmother of the Wonder of the Seas. The company launched an extensive TikTok search to find what they called a “Wonder Mom,” where more than 16,000 daughters submitted their mothers for a chance of a lifetime.

After an extensive search, Marie McCrea of Philadelphia — a widow, mom, and cancer survivor from Philadelphia, PA — was chosen for the honor. You can check out the video from the christening above.

Naming ceremony aside, Royal Caribbean spared no expense when it came to impressing with the Wonder of the Seas. But here are the top 5 things I would recommend.