News Article

Sea Witch Still Casting Her Spell After 40 Years


By Keith Hamilton
The Southern Daily Echo (Southampton, UK)
Republished with permission

It was 40 years ago that the Sea Witch, with her flowing locks of hair streaming in the wind, made her first appearance and now she regularly casts her magical spell.

These days the witch's cool gaze looks out from on high every time a vessel from Princess Cruises' luxury fleet of ships arrives in port.

The distinctive blue image of the Sea Witch is the unique, signature emblem that is emblazoned on the funnels of every one of the company's cruise ships as they voyage the oceans of the world.

According to maritime legend the Sea Witch, half mermaid, half human, is a beauty of the depths and has the power to entrance seamen with her long waves of hair as she rules her kingdom beneath the waves.

According to legends witches were believed to be able to control the wind. One method was with the use of three knots tied into a rope, or sometimes a handkerchief. When the knots were tied in the proper magical way, the wind was bound up in them.

Some seafarers believed that the Sea Witch gave, or sometimes sold, these magic knots to sailors to help them experience safe voyages. The release of one knot brought a gentle, southwesterly wind; two knots, a strong north wind; and three knots, a tempest.

Back in 1968, Stanley B McDonald, the North American businessman who had founded Princess Cruises three years earlier, decided that his growing number of ships needed a strong image that people would immediately associate with the company.

Speaking some years later, he said: "An artist came up with this concept and did a head of a princess, the colors and all. I looked at several different designs and said ?This is the one.'

"The old logo was used for the first two years and the Sea Witch came in during 1968 and now it's recognized right away.

"I think we paid $50,000 for the designer to do it but I would say it's now worth millions of dollars to the company.''