Dreams, stars and magic in overdrive: is it time for some new ship names?

Two of the most anticipated debuts this year are Princess Cruises' Star Princess and Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas. For both companies to choose "Star" for their new ship names may seem like a coincidence, but it's well beyond that. We already have Viking Star, Norwegian Star, Emerald Star, Star Clipper, Star Flyer, Wind Star, Star Legend, Star Pride and Star Breeze.

Those last three sound familiar because Carnival Cruise Line has Carnival Legend, Carnival Pride and Carnival Breeze. Don't get me started on Carnival Magic, Carnival Dream and Carnival Fantasy, which are just a little too close to Disney Magic, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Holland America Line is the master of recycling names, all ending in -dam, since the 1880s. The company has churned through seven Rotterdams, four Noordams, five Maasdams, five Statendams, three Amsterdams, four Nieuw Amsterdams, and several other doubles.

Royal Caribbean ships share the suffix "of the Seas", Silversea uses the Silver prefix, and Cunard has Queens. Other cruise lines opt for jewels, planets or features of nature. Many include the corporate brand in the name of the ship - Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Princess, MSC and Seabourn are among those. This tradition stems from the 19th century when steamship crossings became popular. Shipping lines needed to introduce memorable names that helped travellers identify the operator of their voyages.

Most cruise lines follow naming conventions to provide a sense of continuity, nostalgia and brand recognition. The problem is it can feel repetitive and uninspired. And with the growing number of ships in service, the pool of distinct names seems to be shrinking.

When a British poll asked the public to name a polar research vessel, the winner was Boaty McBoatface. It went viral because it was so silly, and nobody has forgotten the name 10 years later. Who could resist clicking for more information about Shippy McShipface or Cruisey McCruiseface? No company went there, although P&O Cruises held a competition to name two of its fleet, choosing Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden.