Honoring the International Women's Day Celebrity Cruises will today reunite the first-ever all-female bridge officers and management team exactly one year after they first assembled. The extraordinary women behind this maritime first will reunite in online event 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 choose to challenge.
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); 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).
The virtual event will go live on Facebook Watch Party on March 8, 2021 at noon Eastern Time.
"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.
