On 8th March 2020, Celebrity Cruises set sail with the first ever all-female bridge and onboard leadership team and made history. 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 directly 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, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the first female President & CEO of Celebrity Cruises, and Chief Officer Rachel Arnold, from Bristol, UK.
They will be joined by; 2nd 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 honour 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% of mariners are women. Celebrity Cruises catalysed the maritime industry, leading it into a more diverse future and growing the number of women on their bridge teams from 3% to 28%, 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 Cruises’ Facebook Watch Party at 5pm (GMT) on Monday 8th March, 2021. During the airing of the conversation, Captain Kate will take over Celebrity Cruises’ channels to take specific questions from the public and offer additional commentary.
