When Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge christens Royal Princess on June 13, the nearly 2,000 invited guests in Southampton will not be the only ones to enjoy the festivities. Viewers around the world can also watch the celebrations as Princess Cruises will be streaming the ceremony live online at www.princess.com, so everyone can share in the spectacular event, which will formally welcome the new ship into the company’s fleet.
The live streaming will begin at 11:15 am local time in Southampton, which will be 6:15 am EDT in the U.S. and 3:15 am PDT. Viewers can also choose to play back a recording of the ceremony soon after the event for viewing at their leisure. Social conversation on Twitter will also be featured with a direct feed on the naming page, and viewers can join in as they watch by using the #RoyalPrincess hashtag.
In addition to the official breaking of the bottle of champagne against the ship by The Duchess, viewers will also be able to follow all the quay-side festivities – including performances by British pop singer and songwriter Natasha Bedingfield singing her hit, “Unwritten,” British actress and “the first lady of London’s West End” Kerry Ellis, and internationally renowned percussive orchestra Mass Ensemble. The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth and The Pipe Band of 1st Battalion Irish Guards will open the event with the pomp and ceremony of British ship-naming traditions.
“We know this ship has generated a great deal of interest around the world, and that many people are interested in seeing the amazing ceremony and the christening by The Duchess,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises executive vice president. “So, no matter where you are, you can watch the festivities live online – or can choose to play it back later.”