Crown Princess, the newest ship in Princess Cruises fleet, sailed into New York Thursday to begin its schedule of inaugural festivities. The ship's godmother will be Martha Stewart. Also in attendance will be America's newest pop princess, Katharine McPhee, who will sing the National Anthem. And the "queen of the spelling bee," 13-year-old Katharine Close, the recent winner of the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee Tournament and the first female winner in seven years, will compete in the first "Bee At Sea," Princess' new spelling bee tournament, which debuts on Crown Princess. On June 14, Martha Stewart will officially christen the ship during its naming ceremony. With Princess' long-time spokesman Gavin MacLeod as master of ceremonies, the celebration will include remarks by Princess Cruises Chairman Peter Ratcliffe and New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Daniel Doctoroff. The Reverend Dr. Jean Smith, executive director of the Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey, will bless the new ship before Ms. Stewart pulls the lever that will release the traditional champagne bottle. That afternoon, Crown Princess will depart on its first Caribbean cruise with stops in Grand Turk, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Port Canaveral, Florida. The inaugural 2006 summer season for Crown Princess will feature nine-day roundtrip voyages to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean, and will mark the return of Princess visits to Bermuda, as well as the line's first regular calls to Grand Turk. In the fall the ship will reposition to San Juan for winter Caribbean sailings. Call 800-PRINCESS or visit [www.princess.com].
