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Celebrity's all-female bridge/leadership team to reunite for International Women’s Day

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Celebrity's all-female bridge led by Capt. Kate McCue, far right
On March 8, 2020, Celebrity Cruises made history by sailing with the first all-female bridge and leadership team.

Just days later, the pandemic suspended sailings indefinitely.

Now, for 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 and discuss why it’s more important than ever to #choosetochallenge.

Capt. Kate McCue and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo

In a sign of the times, the team will gather virtually, coming together from homes across the globe and even from on board Celebrity Edge stationed in the Bahamas. Among them are Capt. Kate McCue, the first US woman captain of a major cruise ship, and Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises.

They will be joined by Chief Officer Rachel Arnold (UK), Second 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 honor for me. It was a dream come true for all of us,' Lutoff-Perlo said. '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.'

Around the world, only 2% of mariners are women. Celebrity increased the number of women on its bridge teams from 3% to 28%, making the 2020 International Women’s Day sailing possible.

Tune in to Celebrity's Facebook page

Join the conversation with these incredible leaders on International Women’s Day by tuning into Celebrity's Facebook Watch Party at noon EST March 8. During the airing of the conversation, McCue will take over Celebrity's Facebook page to take specific questions from the public and offer additional commentary.