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It’s a shame to waste good tequila in the McConaughey household, but a special exception was made on Thursday night.
Matthew and Camila McConaughey were on site at the christening of the Star Princess, the newest ship in Princess Cruises’ fleet, on Thursday, Nov. 6, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The couple was recently named the ship’s godparents, an honor that’s also been held by the likes of Princess Diana and Audrey Hepburn.
The role would typically involve smashing a bottle of champagne against the bow before sending the vessel out on its maiden voyage. But as the co-founders of Pantalones tequila, the married stars naturally had to switch up the liquor of choice for the job.
Princess Cruises
“It’s the first time ever, ever, in the history of the tradition that it will be a Pantalones tequila bottle,” Camila tells PEOPLE.
“Reposado, our favorite,” adds Matthew.
Princess Cruises
Naturally, for a ship the scale of the Star Princess, which is 1,133 feet long and can hold 4,300 passengers, a standard bottle wouldn’t make quite enough of an impact.
“It’s a really big one, a huge one,” says Matthew. “We saw it come of the plane. It’s massive.”
On Thursday night, the pair appeared on stage in the ship’s Arena in front of a crowd of crew members and special guests to officially name her and watch the one-of-a-kind bottle swing from a crane and smash dramatically against the hull.
Princess Cruises
Of their godparenting duties, Matthew jokes, “I’m still kind of learning what they are. It’s a little different than what you do as a godparent on land to your friends’ children, or something.”
It was the McConaugheys’ “elegance and energy” that made them feel like a perfect fit for the role and this ship, the second in Princess’s Sphere Class, in particular.
“I think the godparents should represent what the goals are for the vibe and the experiences on the cruises for the guests and for the crew,” Matthew says.
While the couple and their three children — Levi, 17, Vida, 15, and Livingston, 12 — haven’t had the opportunity to experience a voyage on the ship just yet (her first official sailing departed on the morning of Friday, Nov. 7), they already know what their ideal cruise cocktail would be.
John Shearer/Getty Images for Princess Cruises
“I mean, they have the beautiful, 24 Carat Gold Margarita,” offers Camila, dropping the name of a signature drink offered on Princess cruises as part of their preexisting partnership with Pantalones.
“I don’t know if there’s ever been a better cocktail than a margarita,” Matthew agrees. “We like to drink reposado on the rocks, but on the boat? Yes, the margaritas, or a paloma, is nice, too. You stick to those two, and you won’t have anything but a good time.”
Guests on the Star Princess will be able to enjoy a drink at 30 drinking and dining establishments on board, which range from chef Makoto Okuwa’s Makoto Ocean and Dario Cecchini’s The Butcher’s Bock by Dario.
Princess Cruises
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Elsewhere on board, cruisers will find world-class entertainment, luxurious pool decks, a grand piazza, a spectacular glass-domed gathering space and a three-story restaurant with views to the horizon.
After her inaugural season sailing the Caribbean this winter, the Star Princess will make the voyage through the Panama Canal to kick off a series of Alaska cruises in the summer of 2026.
Adds Matthew of Sun Princess’s bright future, “We hope that the guests have great expectations, and that they return from their voyages with smiles on their faces from memories they just made.”
