Teachers, the world's biggest cruise ship wants you as its godmother

One inspiring South Florida teacher will get an impressive addition to her resume come November: Godmother of the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas.

The Miami-based cruise line is going local in its search for the 6,780-passenger ship’s godmother, with a contest inviting South Floridians to nominate an educator, mentor or teacher whose passion for education has inspired students.

The prizes for Harmony of the Seas’ godmother: a $25,000 grant awarded to her school or non-profit organization to fund education initiatives, a two-night trip on the ship’s pre-inaugural sailing from Nov. 10 to 12 with three guests that she has influenced and a future seven-night cruise for two aboard the Harmony.

The contest is open to volunteers, full- and part-time educators in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Nominations in the form of a 500-word or less are due by Sept. 23. The winner will be honored during the ship’s official naming ceremony on Nov. 10, when Harmony arrives in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The ship will then sail regular seven-night eastern and western Caribbean itineraries.

The contest is a twist on the longtime maritime tradition, which usually reserves the godmother honor for prominent names. Godmothers bring the new vessel good luck by sponsoring it.

The winning educator’s name will be added to the list of Royal Caribbean godmothers that already includes Princess Fiona (yes, from Shrek), local singer and songwriter Gloria Estefan, TV personality Daisy Fuentes and Olympic medalists Shawn Johnson and Michelle Kwan.

This story was originally published September 12, 2016 at 1:40 PM with the headline "Teachers, the world's biggest cruise ship wants you as its godmother."