Celebrity Cruise is Setting Sail with World’s First All Female Officer Team

A very wise woman known as Beyonce once said, “Who run the world? Girls”, and her famous words couldn’t be more prevalent in the cruising industry this week.

Marking International Women’s Day next year, falling on 8 March, Celebrity Cruises is embarking on an industry-first sailing, with an all-female bridge and officer team.

The team will include three British crew members, and marks a huge milestone for the seafaring industry, where in reality only 2 percent of the workforce are women.

Pioneering the cruise, Celebrity Cruises actually leads the industry when it comes to the gender gap, with 22 percent of its bridge team being women. The line also hired the first-ever American female cruise ship captain in 2015, Kate McCue.

Guests experiencing the special sailing will enjoy a seven-night cruise around the Eastern Caribbean, on board Celebrity’s stunning flagship Celebrity Edge.

The ship will be captained by Captain McCue, with 26 other women making up the leadership team on board. This includes British crew First Officer Rachel Arnold, Cruise Director Sue Denning and Guest Relations Director June Sherrington.

“We are all passionate about closing the gender gap,” said Celebrity’s President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

“Over the last few years, we have worked hard to diversify the crew on board and bring more women than ever into our industry.

“None of this could have been possible without the leadership and shared vision of the extraordinary men and women I work with every day, led by Patrik Dahlgren and Brian Abel – who take this challenge to heart and have made it possible.

“We are fortunate to have many incredible, experienced and beyond-qualified women who have worked tirelessly to achieve these positions. And we also celebrate the many men who continue to support them and help champion having more women crew on board.”

The sailing on Celebrity Edge is now open for booking, costing just £974 per person, based on two people sharing an Oceanview stateroom.