Celebrity Cruises' History-Making All-Female Bridge And Leadership Team Reunite

MIAMI, March 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 8, 2020, Celebrity Cruises set sail with the first ever all-female bridge and onboard leadership team and made history. Just days later, the pandemic suspended sailings indefinitely. Now, on International Women's Day 2021, one year after their glass ceiling-shattering achievement, the women behind this maritime first are reuniting to reflect on the historic sailing, discuss the challenging year that followed, share their stories of joy and heartbreak and why it's more important than ever to #choosetochallenge.

In a sign of the times, the team will gather virtually, coming together from homes across the globe and even from onboard Celebrity Edge stationed in the Bahamas. Powerful voices contributing to this unique, industry-leading conversation include Captain Kate McCue, the first American female cruise ship captain, and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the first female President & CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

They will be joined by Chief Officer Rachel Arnold (UK); 2^nd Officer Elizabeth Marami (Kenya); Chief Security Officer Mor "Mia" Segev (Israel); Hotel Director Niina Huataniemi; Assistant Hotel Director Milana Dortangs; Guest Relations Director Julie Sherrington (UK); and Cruise Director Sue Denning (UK).

"Making history with these women was quite extraordinary for our industry and an honor for me. It was a dream come true for all of us," said Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "Our mantra has been to use this time away from the water to come back stronger than ever and reuniting these incredible trailblazers is a sign of that. Together, we will continue to sail beyond conventional thinking and wisdom into a new world of opportunity."

Around the world, only 2 percent of mariners are women. Celebrity Cruises catalzyed the maritime industry, leading it into a more diverse future and growing the number of women on their bridge teams from 3 percent to 28 percent, ultimately, making 2020's historic WOMANned sailing onboard the award-winning Celebrity Edge possible. Now, as the company prepares to return to service this year, it is looking again to set new standards across the seven seas.

Join the conversation with these incredible leaders on International Women's Day by tuning into Celebrity Cruise's Facebook Watch Party at Noon ET on Monday March 8, 2021. During the airing of the conversation, Captain Kate will take over Celebrity Cruises' Facebook page to take specific questions from the public and offer additional commentary.

About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of a fleet of 14 award-winning ships redefining luxury cruise travel with cool, contemporary design and accommodation; dining, spa and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all complemented by warm, personalized service. Celebrity has pioneered many industry firsts at sea, including: the first use of solar panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate use of plastic water bottles; the first American female Captain of a cruise ship; the first-ever all-female bridge and officer team sailing; the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship; and one of the first legal same-sex weddings performed at sea. Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of six cruise brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group. (NYSE: RCL).

Celebrity Cruises is applying the recommendations of its Healthy Sail Panel of public health and scientific experts to provide a safer and healthier cruise vacation on all of its sailings. Health and safety protocols, regional travel restrictions and clearance to visit ports of call, are subject to change based on ongoing evaluation, public health standards, and government requirements. U.S. cruises and guests: For more information on the latest health and travel alerts, and U.S. government travel advisories, please visit CelebrityCruises.com/travel-alert or consult travel advisories, warnings or recommendations relating to cruise travel on applicable government websites.

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises