Celebrity Apex christened in Port Canaveral ahead of inaugural Caribbean season
Celebrity Cruises has official named and christened its new Edge-class cruise ship Celebrity Apex, several months after taking delivery, due to the disruption caused by the pandemic. Celebrity Apex was christened in Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades by her Godmother, Reshma Saujani, Celebrity Cruises executives and local tourism and transport officials.
Reshma Saujani is the founder of groundbreaking non-profit Girls Who Code and author of bestseller, Brave, Not Perfect. Her selection as the godmother of Celebrity Apex mirrors that of Celebrity Edge, which was christened by Nobel Laureate and UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai.
“We are elated to welcome Celebrity Apex to our family of magnificent vessels that push the boundaries of what’s possible on a cruise ship,” said Richard Fain, Chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. “As we welcome guests back to the seas aboard the newest Edge class ship, we are excited to deliver the very best vacation experience that is the hallmark of every Celebrity cruise,” he added.
Celebrity Cruises President & CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo acknowledged the delay to Celebrity Apex’s introduction to service and christening and said she’d been as impatient as Celebrity Cruises’ passengers. “Celebrating Celebrity Apex is certainly long overdue and it’s a day I have been waiting to celebrate for quite a long time – 581 days, to be exact,” she said.
“This stunning ship truly represents a new standard in new-luxury travel, and we can’t wait for our guests to finally experience it for themselves,” she added.
Joining the executives onstage, and in keeping with nautical tradition, Reshma Saujani officially namedCelebrity Apex on board the ship before a bottle of champagne was smashed against her side.
“I can’t think of anyone better to serve as Godmother for this ship than the incredible Reshma Saujani,” saidLutoff-Perlo. “Reshma is a visionary, leading the charge to challenge stereotypes and inspire a whole new generation of girls and women to bravely pursue tech jobs; just as Celebrity is working to close the gender gap at sea, growing our percentage of women serving as bridge officers to 30 percent in an industry where the average is 2 percent.”
“It is Reshma’s game-changing spirit that makes her the perfect Godmother for a game-changing ship like Celebrity Apex,” she said.
“It’s both thrilling and humbling to serve as the Godmother of Celebrity Apex,” said Saujani, who praised Celebrity Cruises’ leadership in female empowerment.
“The brand’s commitment to the cause is clear not only through the leadership of its President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, but in its incorporation of on-board STEM programming,” she said. “I can’t think of a more inspiring place to learn about the wonders of the maritime industry than on board Celebrity Apex and Girls Who Code is honored to help in this effort.”
Celebrity Cruises will offer fun, interactive beginning coding activities from the Girls Who Code curriculum as part of the cruise line’s onboard Camp at Sea program.
