Celebrity Cruises is the company with a newbuild passenger ship that has the industry's first all-female crew. MS Celebrity Edge (inaugurated on February 23rd, 2020) features an entirely female officer team. Celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8, the voyage will help to raise awareness that only 2% of the world’s mariners are women.
In order to tear down the gender gap, the Celebrity cruise company launched its #BRIDGEthegap campaign, hiring the first-ever US female cruise ship captain - Kate McCue, as well as announcing that 22% of the Navigation Bridge teams are made up of women.
Departing on March 8, 2020 (from Port Everglades / Fort Lauderdale, Florida), the Celebrity Edge cruise will be captained by McCue joined by 26 other women, including first officer Rachel Arnold (British), guest relations director Jule Sherrington (British) and cruise director Sue Denning (British), as well as cruise company's President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. The all-women bridge and leadership team represents 17 different countries - including USA, UK, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Israel, Greece, Malta, Philippines, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa.