| Celeb returns to the US

CELEBRITY Cruises is the first cruise line to have a ship approved to sail from an American port since the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) disallowed cruising through its No Sail Order.

The cruise line’s Celebrity Edge will depart Fort Lauderdale on 26 Jun, with the first (and still only) female American Captain, Kate McCue, to helm the seven-night Caribbean sailing.

Edge was given the green light by the CDC to be the first ship back in American waters, having met all the national public health agency’s standards.

“We’ve been preparing for this day for months and, on behalf of all of us at Celebrity Cruises, we’re ready and we can’t wait to welcome our guests aboard once again,” said Chief Executive Officer & President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.

“Today’s exciting news is the result of a collaboration with the CDC, our elected officials at the local, state and national levels and our industry partners at CLIA,” added Royal Caribbean Group Chairman Richard Fain.

“We’ve consulted with the brightest minds in the health industry to ensure that our passengers and crew feel safe and comfortable on our ships while enjoying the uncompromised experience they know and love,” he said.

Celebrity’s sister brand, Royal Caribbean International, has also been given the green light to start test cruises next month.

Royal Caribbean was the first cruise line to be approved by the CDC to move forward to testing.

Meanwhile, Celebrity has revealed its new wellness program aboard its recently unveiled ship Celebrity Beyond (CW 30 Apr), including a bespoke package of products, programs, and perks.

Beyond will feature a fully immersive wellness experience woven into every aspect of the guest journey, from the stateroom to the spa, to help improve guest wellbeing.

One of the highlights includes Celebrity’s first-ever Women in Wellness at sea initiative, including Yoga Professional founder Katie Brauer, Elemis co-founder & Global President Noella Gabriel, Australian sprinter Morgan Mitchell, Solluna founder Kimberly Snyder, and FlyWheel Sports & SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zukerman.

Also present will be Kiki Koroshetz Wellness Director for goop, which Celebrity will be undertaking an extended partnership with to provide new onboard offerings.

Other highlights include a comprehensive collection of offerings in The Spa, new AquaClass SkySuites, and the onboard adoption of international fitness community F45 Training.