Celebrity Cruises has officially kicked off the first cruise form the United States in 15 months.
The Celebrity Edge ship began a sailing from Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, the first cruise ship to sail from a U.S. port in more than a year.
The ship is sailing a seven-night cruise to the Caribbean, with stops in Mexico and The Bahamas.
“This is a momentous sailing and one that we have been preparing for a long time. It’s not only a huge honor to be the first ship back in the water, leading the industry in the long-awaited return to U.S.-based cruising, it’s also an incredible achievement and testament to the tireless efforts of our shoreside team and onboard crew”, said Richard Fain, Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Group, the parent company of Celebrity Cruises. “Travel is a powerful catalyst for positive change in our world. There’s nothing more enriching in life than exposing yourself to new cultures, sights, and experiences… and nothing more luxurious than doing it on board a Celebrity cruise ship,” he added. “All that’s left to say is welcome aboard.”
Eight of Celebrity’s 14 ships now have plans to return to sailing in 2021.
That includes Celebrity Millennium, which launched cruises out of a new homeport in St Maarten earlier this month.
“The significance of this moment is not lost on anyone on our team or the industry. We have longed for this day, not only because it represents a return to service and doing what we love to do most, but because we know that for many the return of cruising is a symbol of the world’s return to normalcy,” said Brian Abel, Senior Vice President of Hotel Operations for Celebrity Cruises. “For too long, we’ve had to encourage one another with dreams of ‘someday’ returning to being together, again. Now, as the world opens up, and we can gather and enjoy our families and friends on an amazing cruise vacation, ‘someday’ is here.”
— CJ