When you think of captains at the helm of their ships, there’s a good chance that you immediately think of men. That’s because movies and television shows rarely show women in charge, and those who have been on cruises or private charters probably wouldn’t have come across a woman on the bridge. However, that’s now all changed, and it’s time to meet the world’s first-ever all-female cruise ship crew…
A Small Portion
One of the main reasons why we think of men at the top of the seaside food chain is because they normally are. Only 2% of the world’s mariners are women, and it’s a sector that has been dominated by men for much of history. This makes it incredibly difficult to come across a woman at the helm — but it seems as though Celebrity Cruises now want to give talented women their chance to shine.
International Women’s Day
For International Women’s Day 2020, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo wanted to celebrate the iconic event with a cruise that would change the course of history. As the president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa is the first woman in the world to run a major cruise line, so she knows just what it takes to be successful as a female. She also knew that there were talented female mariners out there, and she wanted them to get on board with her plan.
The All-Female Crew
As International Women’s Day came around, Lisa searched for the best female sailors that the world had to offer, and she invited them to create the world’s first all-female bridge and hotel officer team. She eventually found women from 16 countries who could sail on the Celebrity Edge cruise ship from Florida to Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and St. Maarten. As if that wasn’t enough, the whole ship crew was female!
Who said that cruise ships had to be male-dominated?