Oasis of the Seas: The SEVEN Godmothers

With seven "neighborhoods" to christen on board, the world's largest cruise ship Oasis of the Seas will have seven (count 'em! seven!) Godmothers to do the honors. We know that much for certain, but other details are sketchy and, despite a phone call to Royal Caribbean for confirmation, the Godmother names below were not verified until hours after we learned them.

However, unless someone hacked into their Oasis and Allure account yesterday, Royal Caribbean announced one Godmother per hour on the ubiquitous Twitter web site. So far there's no word on which Godmother will name which neighborhood—we understand that will be revealed "later"—but some are sort of obvious.

So, without further ado, here are the seven Godmothers, whose names are now official:

• The first Godmother to be named is Gloria Estefan. I'm a huge fan of Ms. Estefan's music and she certainly has a South Florida-Caribbean connection and a history with Royal Caribbean; Ms. Estafan was Godmother of the line's Empress of the Seas. She's an excellent choice. I'm listening to Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine on my iPod as I type.
• For their second Godmother, World Champion figure skater and Olympian Michelle Kwan was chosen. Another fan favorite and, with the ice skating program on Oasis of the Seas, an appropriate selection.
• Emmy Award winning actress Jane Seymour was the third Oasis Godmother to be revealed. I loved her as a Bond Girl and cheered her on during her time as a Dancing With the Stars competitor—unlike most of the participants, she really is a star.
• Royal Caribbean teased us with their drawn-out announcements, but then stated that it wouldn't be an Olympic lineup of Godmothers without swimmer Dara Torres, who they were happy to announce as the fourth Oasis Godmother. With all the water-related facilities and pools on board, another outstanding selection.
• The line was (once again) happy to announce their fifth Godmother is actress Keisha Knight Pulliam. I remember her as Rudy Huxtable on the Cosby Show many years ago. Cute little girl, but what's she been up to since 1992?
• Getting back to the announcements, the sixth Godmother is yet another Olympian and 2008 medalist, gymnast Shawn Johnson. Wasn't she also on Dancing With the Stars? Is this a trend? To answer my own question, Johnson and her partner won the mirror ball trophy on DWTS.
• And, drum roll please... the seventh Godmother is Daisy Fuentes, international television personality and producer. Who?

Well, there you have it. Seven ladies who will participate in a christening ceremony unlike any other. As Richard Fain recently described in his Chairman's Blog, "An extraordinary and innovative ship deserves an extraordinary and innovative naming. For Oasis of the Seas we have decided to use seven godmothers because we have seven neighborhoods. Each godmother will start in her own area and then they will all convene at the AquaTheatre for the formal naming. All seven godmothers will cut a ribbon which will require seven complete cuts to release the bottle."

Unless plans have changed, the official naming ceremony for Oasis of the Seas will take place on Nov 30 during a one-night inaugural celebration-fundraiser to benefit the non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

More information about Oasis of the Seas from CruiseDiva.com at:

• Introducing Royal Caribbean's Architectural Marvel Oasis of the Seas
• The Boardwalk & Other Entertainment Neighborhoods Take Shape Aboard Oasis of the Seas
• Oasis of the Seas Reveals a "Beach Resort" Afloat