Royal Caribbean has tapped an explorer and scientist to be the godmother to Star of the Seas.
Space advocate and commercial astronaut Kellie Gerardi has been named the godmother of Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship.
"Research astronaut and payload specialist Kellie Gerardi will officially bless this incredible ship as Godmother, bringing the spirit of adventure, exploration, and groundbreaking innovation to the world's best family vacation," Royal Caribbean said in an announcement email.
Ms. Gerardi's selection follows the unexpected cancellation by Diana Ross to be the ship's godmother, who withdrew due to unforeseen circumstances.
With Ms. Gerardi in place, she'll sail on the showcase cruise out of Port Canaveral on August 20 on a 3-night cruise to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.
Who is Kellie Gerardi?
Kellie Gerardi is one of the first 100 women to go into space, and she has been involved in space travel for many years.
She's an American science communicator, former payload specialist, and grew up close to where Star of the Seas is based out from.
She grew up in Jupiter, Florida, and started off her career at Palantir Technologies in mission operations and became the director of human spaceflight operations for the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS).
On November 2, 2023, Gerardi made her suborbital spaceflight aboard Virgin Galactic’s Galactic 05 mission as a payload specialist. She was responsible for conducting key experiments in microgravity, such as fluid dynamics and glucose monitoring.
She's also well known on social media. She has over a million followers on Instagram and hundreds of thousands on TikTok, authored Not Necessarily Rocket Science, and created children’s books like Luna Muna to spark curiosity and representation in science. She was also selected to TIME100 Creators list.
Her selection as godmother is likely because of her commitment to exploration, science, and pushing boundaries.
Her social media feed has a great deal of STEM advocacy, and public outreach empower kids to dream big.
What happened to Diana Ross?
Royal Caribbean had selected Diana Ross to be the godmother, but the famous singer and movie star pulled out at the last minute.
She was named Godmother to the second Icon Class ship in June 2025.
Ross, who has five kids and eight grandchildren, also revealed that her whole family was invited on the cruise.
"That’s really what this ship is all about, joy and family fun," she stated.
Then this week, news broke Ms. Ross was out.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances, Diana Ross will be unable to appear," a rep for Ross announced earlier this week.
She said later in an interview that her current priorities in life are "health and well-being."
"We are disappointed that Diana Ross is unable to join us to be godmother of Star of the Seas," a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said in a statement.
Choosing a Godmother
A Godmother is a ceremonial position that all ships have, and different women are chosen for various reasons. The role is often held by renowned athletes, celebrities and royalty.
The godmother's job is to give the ship a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard it.
The godfather for Icon of the Seas was soccer megastar Lionel Messi, whereas the godmother for Wonder of the Seas was the result of a contest on TikTok to find the right person.
