Around the World Celebrity Cruises Rings the Bell on the 7 Seas in Honor of International Women's Day and Gender Equality

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Mar 08, 2019, 07:00 ET

MIAMI, March 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrity Cruises continues to shatter the glass ceiling with an unwavering commitment to gender equality. Today, in honor of International Women's Day (IWD), Celebrity will Ring the Bell on the 7 Seas to celebrate and support the equality, advancement, and accomplishments of women and the men who support their efforts. The ceremony will take place on the entire Celebrity fleet of ships across the world, as well as in the company's offices worldwide. Guests, crew and employees will take part in the celebrations, all wearing red to show their unity and support for women's accomplishments everywhere.

"We have a lot to celebrate this year at Celebrity. We now have four female Captains and five female Hotel Directors. And a historic first—our new beautiful Galapagos ship, Celebrity Flora, will enter service with a 50/50 gender ratio on the bridge," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. "Celebrity Edge was the first ship to have a 30 percent ratio of female crew, and while we're leading the way in our industry, we're not finished advancing gender equality."

This is the second year that Celebrity has partnered with the Red Shoe Movement in support of the Gender Equality Global Initiative. A symbolic ceremony will be hosted by Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises. With two of the brand's award-winning ships in Grand Cayman at the same time, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo will kick off the ceremony on board Celebrity Reflection, and then continue the celebration on board Celebrity Edge. Both ship's executive teams along with the Founder and CEO of the Red Shoe Movement, Mariela Dabbah, will join the events on board.

Every Celebrity ship in the fleet, along with the company's global offices, will perform their own ceremonies, uniting their voices by reading a manifesto to support gender equality in the maritime industry and around the world.

Each office will have different activities related to International Women's Day as they unite their voices in a commitment to gender equality on land and at sea.

Lutoff-Perlo added, "On International Women's Day, we celebrate all that we've accomplished and bring awareness to all there is still left to do. I look forward to the time when this day is no longer needed."

Mariela Dabbah, Founder and CEO of the Red Shoe Movement, said, "We're thrilled to team up once again with Celebrity Cruises. This year, we actively set sail for gender equality. Working with Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, we get to see her innovative style in action as she thinks in inclusive terms from the design of a ship to the Captain at the helm."

Dabbah added, "We're also delighted to award the Red Shoe Leader Award to Captain Kate McCue, the first American female captain of a cruise ship—Celebrity Equinox. She's an incredible role model of inclusive leadership and is an inspiration to us all."

To learn more about Celebrity's Ring the Bell on the Seven Seas ceremony and their commitment to gender equality, follow along on social media using #IWD2019, #GenderBell, @CelebrityCruises, @RedShoeMovement.

About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 13 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible Cruisetour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of six cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL). For more information, dial 1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or call your travel advisor.

About the RSM:
The Red Shoe Movement is a leadership development company powered by a global community of women and men allies who support each other for career success. RSM offers the necessary tools for female talent to align their objectives with those of their organizations, in order to grow more effectively. It offers a two-pronged approach that delivers internal and external impact. With global initiatives such as the "Ring the Bell on the 7 Seas", its recognition platform that includes the Hall of Fame and Red Shoe Leader Awards, and weekly iconic campaigns like #RedShoeTuesday, the RSM connects brands with female professionals. Some of their clients are: Novartis, MetLife, Celebrity Cruises, Coca-Cola, P&G, Ultimate Software, Microsoft and many other Fortune 500 companies.

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises