Ceremony showcased artwork from young patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
By
Elizabeth Robinson |
Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, Carnival Horizon, has been officially christened by godmother Queen Latifah in a ceremony in New York, US, which also showcased the artwork of young patients from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
During the ceremony, Latifah blessed the ship in accordance with maritime tradition and then took part in a Lip Sync Battle against Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champion Jake Elliott.
“My time onboard Carnival Horizon was nothing short of incredible,” said Latifah. “In addition to having the honour of serving as the ship’s godmother, meeting the amazing kids from St. Jude and their families and squaring off against Jake in an all-out Lip Sync Battle is certainly something I will always cherish.”
Carnival also presented its long-term partner St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with a US$100,000 donation, which was raised by activities and events held onboard its ships and onshore. Since the partnership began in 2010, the cruise line has raised more than US$16 million to help St. Jude’s with the fight against childhood cancer.
“Carnival Horizon’s naming ceremony was one of our best yet, with Queen Latifah carrying out her duties as godmother then battling it out with Super Bowl champion Jake Elliott of my hometown Philadelphia Eagles in an entertaining Lip Sync Battle,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We were also delighted to showcase the wonderfully talented children from St. Jude whose artwork on the Dreamscape will be forever associated with this spectacular ship.”
During the ceremony, Carnival also unveiled Carnival Horizon’s LED Dreamscape atrium sculpture, which features 33 pieces of custom-designed artwork by the patients at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Designed by Techno Media, Dreamscape is a 24-foot funnel-shaped centrepiece is made up of over 2,000 flexible LED tiles that have been customised for the shipboard environment.
“This is an absolute thrill for our patients and their families to have their artwork featured as a permanent display on this magnificent ship,” said Richard Shadyac, president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organisation for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The ongoing support of Carnival’s team members and its customers around the globe for our lifesaving mission plays a critical role in advancing research and treatment for paediatric cancer and other life-threatening diseases.”
Carnival Horizon introduces several new innovations, including the first-ever Dr. Seuss water park, a new teppanyaki venue and Smokehouse Brewhouse which features BBQ favourites created by Food Network TV presenter and chef Guy Fieri.
Carnival Horizon has embarked on her summer schedule from New York with a four-day cruise to Bermuda. The ship will operate four-day Bermuda and eight-day Caribbean departures from New York until September before repositioning to Miami for year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises.