"Today marks the rebirth of our company and our industry, as our beautiful Celebrity Edge sets sail on a new-luxury experience that will – once again – feed peoples’ love of travel.” Those were the inspirational words tweeted from Celebrity Cruises’ President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo on June 26, as the Celebrity Edge prepared to sail from Ft. Lauderdale at 6.00pm ET, becoming the first large cruise ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than a year.
What seems only fitting, now, 15 months after being at the helm of history for the first all-female bridge and officer team sailing in March 2020 and the last sailing before the industry was put on pause, Captain Kate McCue, the first and still only American female to captain a major cruise ship, now leads the fleet – and the industry – back into operation from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades. The ship set sails for Mexico and the Bahamas.
Rarely has a 7-night cruise of the Caribbean come with such symbolism and hope, but there is no underestimating that this is an historic moment for the brand as it cruises back to normal. Celebrity Edge was given the green light - and the honor - to be the first ship back in the water, having met all new standards for providing a healthy and safe cruise experience for its guests and crew.
“This is a momentous sailing and one that we have been preparing for a long time. It’s not only a huge honor to be the first ship back in the water, leading the industry in the long-awaited return to U.S.-based cruising, it’s also an incredible achievement and testament to the tireless efforts of our shoreside team and onboard crew”, said Richard Fain, Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. “Travel is a powerful catalyst for positive change in our world. There’s nothing more enriching in life than exposing yourself to new cultures, sights, and experiences… and nothing more luxurious than doing it on board a Celebrity cruise ship,” he added. “All that’s left to say is welcome aboard.”
“The significance of this moment is not lost on anyone on our team or the industry. We have longed for this day, not only because it represents a return to service and doing what we love to do most, but because we know that for many the return of cruising is a symbol of the world’s return to normalcy,” said Brian Abel, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises. “For too long, we’ve had to encourage one another with dreams of ‘someday’ returning to being together, again. Now, as the world opens up, and we can gather and enjoy our families and friends on an amazing cruise vacation, ‘someday’ is here.”
“The week after our entire industry was grounded, last March, I started a #HopeFloats tradition of blowing the ship’s horn every evening to let the world know that not only were we safe, but we were thinking of those at home and hoping the same for them, said Captain McCue. “Now, the sound of a ship’s horn symbolizes rising above from any hardship. The entire crew is so happy to be back and we can’t wait to welcome our guests aboard!”
With Saturday’s sailing, eight of the 14 ships within the Celebrity Cruises’ fleet now have plans to return to sailing in 2021 and are ready to take guests to breathtaking destinations, from the Caribbean to Europe, Alaska and the Galapagos, including:
