On Wednesday, June 14, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz hailed the christening of the crown jewel of the Princess Cruises fleet the Crown Princess. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is the New York home for the 113,000-ton, 3,110-passenger, 19-deck luxury liner. The Borough President was joined by Martha Stewart, American Idol star Katherine McPhee, New York Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Daniel Doctoroff, and Princess Cruises Chairman Peter Ratcilffe, as the ship was christened Crown Princess.

“Once again Brooklyn’s ship has come in,” said Borough President Markowitz. “The Crown Princess is now in the County of Kings and we welcome her and the thousands of tourists who will now have the chance to explore the rich history, culture, and beauty of our borough, which I am confident will soon be a world-renowned port-of-call.”

Those on board the ship were treated to a performance by Katherine McPhee, tours of the vessel, and spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. The Crown Princess is the last major cruise ship launching in North America in 2006. Her inaugural voyage is the cruise line’s first-ever roundtrip Caribbean sailing from New York. The nine-day cruise includes trips to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean, before returning to Brooklyn, USA.