by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Wed December 24, 2025
Princess Cruises christened its Rose Parade float with a bottle of tequila, a unique twist on the cherished maritime tradition of breaking a bottle of Champagne against a ship’s hull.
The christening took place at the Pasadena facilities of Artistic Entertainment Services, which designed and built the 55-foot-long float for Princess for the New Year’s Day Tournament of Roses Parade.
“I name this float Star Princess—may God bless her and all who cruise down Colorado Boulevard on her,” said Jill Whelan, who serves as “celebration ambassador” for the line.
Jill Whelan christened the float (Photo Credit: Princess Cruises)
Designed in honor of the company’s newest ship Star Princess, the float stands 21 feet high and is decorated with more than 300,000 flowers and natural materials.
It shines the spotlight on the brand’s Alaska sailings, with “towering glaciers shimmering in icy blues, soaring bald eagles, spouting humpback whales and bears salmon fishing,” according to Princess.
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