The official naming ceremony for Carnival Cruise Lines’ new Carnival Breeze took place Saturday, Dec. 8, at PortMiami. Serving as the ship’s godmother was Tracy Wilson Mourning, founder of the Miami-based Honey Shine mentoring program, who initiated the breaking of the traditional bottle of champagne on the ship’s hull during the invitation-only event.

Following its inaugural season in Europe, the 130,000-ton Carnival Breeze began sailing year-round six- and eight-day Caribbean cruises from Miami Nov. 24, becoming the largest Carnival Cruise Lines ship ever based in South Florida.

“Miami has been our home since our company was founded 40 years ago and it’s truly an honor having a hometown hero like Tracy Wilson Mourning – who has made such a tremendous impact on the lives of young women in our community – serve as godmother to our newest and largest Miami-based ship,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO.

During the naming ceremony, Carnival presented a $25,000 donation to Honey Shine, which pairs young girls with female role models to empower young women and create future leaders in our communities through a combination of classroom training, spiritual education and collaborative experiences.