Have you ever wondered what it’s like to attend a ship’s dedication ceremony? I can’t say I ever had, but when the opportunity to attend the Carnival Jubilee’s naming ceremony found its way into my media inbox a few years ago, my interest was piqued.
At first, I wasn’t too sure what the invite was actually for. I had only ever seen the cliche dedications of a pretty lady hitting a glass of champagne against the haul. I wasn’t really sure how an event was going to be created around that one activity but I was soon let in on one of the big event secrets.
Gwen Stefani was set to become the godmother of the ship and she would not only be in attendance but treating the invited guests to a mini-concert. If you knew me 20 years ago, you’d know that is a VERY big deal. You see, Gwen Stefani, the one and only “Rich Girl,” had an absolute music and overall cool girl chokehold on me, and a decent portion of tween to teen girls, in the aughts. As soon as I saw her name listed, I grabbed my phone to tell my mom she could be my plus one to the event and booked my plane ticket. Thankfully, my mom LOVES cruises just as much as I used to love Stefani, so she was an easy sell to join me on another unexpected adventure.
– One Month Later-
Once aboard, my mom and I started exploring Carnival’s newest (at the time) jewel in their crown including the pool deck and outdoor attractions. Always a rollercoaster fan, we headed on over to see if we could test out the unique attraction located on one of the top decks. We were bummed to find out that the roller coaster required closed toe shoes, something we didn’t have for the day. We slunk away to find something else to do before Gwen took the stage and the naming ceremony got underway.
From the pool deck, I knew where I wanted to go, you guessed it- the casino. Because we were in port, the casino was not able to actually operate. Regardless of being able to test my luck, I always love checking out a property (or in this case space) to get the general lay of the land and see what titles are offered.
If you’ve been on the Jubilee you know that this cruise casino is one of the biggest ones out there. The casino has a smaller smoking section and larger non-smoking area that includes slots, video poker, and a wide variety of table games.
In addition to how impressed I was with the number of machines and overall space allocated to the casino, I was also taken by the amount of natural light present. I absolutely love and appreciate the conscious decision Carnival made when designing the floor and how they included tons of natural light where they could. Little did I know that in a few years, I’d find myself back on that floor winning more than one handpay and having the time of my life- more on that later.
Even when I was just day dreaming about gambling while walking the floor, I somehow worked up a little bit of an appetite. We bid farewell to the classy casino and started making our way to the main dining room to enjoy a menu curated by another household name and Carnival secret weapon- Emeril Lagasse. While enjoying a delicious meal, I exercised self-restraint and only yelled “BAM” once while dining.
The day was flying by and right after we dined, we headed over to the theater to see if a line was forming to get in to see Gwen take the stage. The theater is beautiful and the chairs are comfy, but space was limited. There was a little bit of confusion about the line that was indeed already forming and a Carnival representative had the unfortunate task of trying to merge two lines into one. During the line shuffle chaos, my mom and I got separated, she is rather short, but as soon as I got into the theater I saw her waving at me. She had quickly made friends with someone in her line and they managed to get very close to the stage and save me a seat.
Once the ceremony started, we heard from a variety of people from Carnival including the ship’s cruise director Kyndall Fire and Galveston officials. I was impressed to learn more about what the company had planned and was blown away by how much the cruise port had grown since I called the island home.I had no idea just how much money and effort both parties had been putting in to pave the way for Galveston to welcome even more visitors year over year.
After feeling some island pride, it was time for Gwen Stefani! She was introduced, expressed how she had never been on a cruise ship before, and marveled at the sheer size of the Jubilee. After laying on some love for the ship that will now consider her family, she launched into that long awaited mini concert including all of my and presumably your favorites like “Hollaback Girl” and No Doubt’s “Don’t Speak.” You should know by now that I am incredibly honest when penning these articles, I have no shame in saying I cried. I’ve only seen Gwen once before and that had been 10 years prior in much worse seats. I’d share some videos but believe it or not, this part of the event had a staunch no photography policy. It was enforced more than I had ever seen and I was not risking my mini Gwen concert for footage.
After the concert wrapped up, I took a moment to process what had just happened and my mom and I made our way towards the exit. As we were leaving the ship, Carnival handed everyone a parting gift and wished to see them again soon.
Not exactly soon, but a few years later I was fortunate to join a Brian Christopher Slots Cruise this past April on the same ship. You can read about the experience here and if you’re interested in joining a BC Slots Cruise, keep your eye on this page. With Fun Match, you can share with Carnival your best casino offers and qualify for a discounted or even free* cruise! (Port taxes, fees, and other add-ons not included.)
I’ll actually be back on the Jubilee in just a few weeks with my husband for some gambling vacation fun! From someone who never took a Carnival cruise, to three in a year, I am quickly becoming their number one fan.
