When choosing a godmother to christen the brand new Star of the Seas , Royal Caribbean thought it was fitting to choose a woman who has traveled to the stars.

Kellie Gerardi , a Jupiter-based astronaut, payload specialist and social media influencer, got the call from Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley earlier this month after the original godmother, Diana Ross, dropped out “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

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In 2023, Gerardi flew on a sub-orbital commercial mission with Virgin Galactic , making her the 90th woman to fly to space and one of the youngest mothers to leave the atmospher e. On TikTok and Instagram , Gerardi has garnered an audience by sharing candidly

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