Captain Kate Mc Cue, the first American woman to become captain of a major cruise ship in 2015, was appointed master of Celebrity Beyond, the newest and most luxurious ship, scheduled to debut in spring, 2022.
It all began, says Captain Kate, when she and her family went cruising on her age of 12. She expressed her wish to be a cruise director back then, when her father answered that she could do anything she wanted, including captaining the ship.
This key advice from her father encouraged Kate to do everything in her power to break the gender barrier in 2015 when Lutoff-Perlo named her to be the first -and still only -American female to captain a major cruise ship-Celebrity Summit. She moved to Celebrity Equinox before being appointed to helm the exquisite Celebrity Edge® in September 2019. On March 8, 2020, McCue further cemented her place in the history books when she captained the history-making, barrier-breaking sailing on Celebrity Edge that comprised a cruise ship's first-ever all-female bridge and officer team.
"This is a day that I've been waiting for since we made the first cut of steel on our beautiful Celebrity Beyond. Captain Kate has transcended what it means to be a captain as a voice and example of inclusivity, diversity, and change," said Lutoff-Perlo. "She constantly thinks about how she can go above and beyond, mirroring the exceptional design and imagination of the ship she will captain. I'm beyond excited to see her take our guests to locations that will open their eyes to the beauty of the world around them and experience travel on a new-luxury ship without comparison."
The four gold stripes on Kate’s shoulders surely inspires people not to give up their dreams. She became a real social media celebrity, with nearly 3.5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube by showing the captain life behind the scenes.
"To be the 'take out' captain for a new vessel is an honor for any captain and it is an absolute dream come true for me. I always say that if you see it, you can be it and I hope that Celebrity Beyond sails as an inspiration for all to see past convention in pursuit of any goal in life," said Captain Kate McCue. "I'm forever grateful to Lisa for entrusting this labor of love to me to captain. The thoughtfulness and imagination she put into this ship is only matched by her forward-thinking to move the industry beyond what it is now and see what it should be."
Celebrity Beyond is the largest and most luxurious ship in the fleet, with 17 decks and 21 meters longer than Celebrity Edge (2018) and Celebrity Apex (2020). Its first voyage is on April 27, 2022 from South Hampton, England, for a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Seville, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain.
