A Royal Reception for Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria, the newest royal in Cunard Line's historic fleet, is all set for her official Naming Ceremony in Southampton, England. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall will do the champagne-smashing honors on Monday, December 10th in the presence of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

More than 7,000 people are expected to visit the ship over the course of Queen Victoria's three-day celebratory debut, including more than 2,000 VIP guests, celebrities, and dignitaries who will dine throughout every restaurant on the ship during the evening gala celebration. In preparation, Cunard has announced the promotion of Jean-Marie Zimmermann to the position of Global Culinary Ambassador, responsible for overseeing Cunard Line's trio of ocean-going liners. He's already in action planning and preparing the culinary program for Queen Victoria, which includes a multitude of receptions, lunches and dinners for the official Naming Ceremony.

Preparations are also being made here in Georgia. I'm flying out on British Airways on Saturday to attend. Yes, the Cruise Diva received one of the coveted invitations, which is on heavy stock paper rimmed in gold. Wow! Can you tell I'm excited? I've torn my closets apart to come up with a suitable wardrobe. Naturally, I've shopped a bit, although I couldn't find just the right hat.

Unfortunately, I'll miss the fireworks that are scheduled for Tuesday evening when Queen Victoria sets sail on her maiden voyage. I'll be back in Atlanta by then. But, I promise to remember each and every detail about the ship, the meals (I know I'll be dining one evening in Queens Grill), the Naming Ceremony, and what the Duchess wore--including HER hat. The stories and photos will be here on the Blog and on CruiseDiva.com next week.