Now for the big question about Meghan Markle: Which cruise ship will she christen?

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For Duchess Kate, it was the Royal Princess — a new Princess Cruises vessel that debuted in 2013. For Princess Diana, it was another Princess ship of the same name that debuted in 1984. 

For Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been a long list of vessels including Cunard Line’s Caronia, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Mary 2. 

Christening passenger vessels is a time-honored tradition among the women of Britain’s royal family, and there’s no reason to think the tradition will stop with the arrival of royal newcomer Meghan Markle.

The question swirling in the cruise world this week in the wake of the American actress’s engagement to Britain’s Prince Harry isn’t whether she’ll be christening a ship in the coming years but which one. 

When it comes to cruise ship godmothers, “this certainly gives the Carnival Corp. subsidiaries a fresh new candidate,” notes longtime industry watcher Peter Knego, referring to the three Carnival-owned lines that have had British royals christen vessels in the past: British-based Cunard and PO Cruises, and their American sister Princess. 

Knego, a cruise journalist and historian who has written for a number of publications including USA TODAY, suggests a much-awaited new ship on order for Cunard might be the perfect candidate for a Markle bottle smash. Cunard has had a long and storied relationship with the British royal family that goes back to the royal christening of the original Queen Mary in 1934.  

Stilll, other industry watchers aren’t so sure.  

“Seeing as the next Cunard ship isn’t due out until 2022, I’d go for the next Princess ship due in late 2019,” says Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week, a leading industry newsletter.  

Given that the as-yet-unnamed Princess vessel will be a sister to the Princess ship christened by Duchess Kate — soon to be Markle’s sister-in-law — the tie-in is perfect, notes Driscoll.

Carolyn Spencer Brown, the Chief Content Strategist at Cruise Critic, the leading cruise review and information site, is eyeing a ship from yet another line as the logical choice for Markle’s first christening: The as-yet-unnamed first vessel from start-up Virgin Voyages. Like Cunard, Virgin has ties to Britain. The company is a joint venture between Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Bain Capital. 

“When Meghan Markle (and I mean when, not if) gets called upon to handle godmothering duties for a new cruise ship, the obvious money would be on Virgin Voyages’ first newbuild,” she says. The line is being designed to be “fresh, young, and spirited, all great qualities that Meghan appears to have in spades.”

Still, Spencer Brown’s personal pick for Markle’s first ship christening would be a little different. 

“I’d have to go with Meghan as the perfect godmum for Saga Cruises’ Spirit of Discovery, which debuts in spring 2019,” she says. 

Saga long has been a solid, tradition-bound U.K.-based cruise line perhaps most famous for setting its minimum-age-to-sail at 50 years old, Spencer Brown notes. 

“With Spirit of Discovery, the line’s looking to put a spring in its step to attract attention from a new audience of travelers – but it still plans to honor cruising’s traditions, too.”