Captain Kate McCue sails from the Edge to Beyond

Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo recently congratulated Captain Kate McCue, the first American female cruise ship captain, now at the helm of Celebrity Edge, to become the first captain of the new-luxury Celebrity Beyond. This new ship is the company’s third Edge Series.

Captain Kate – photo Jill Weinlein

“This is a day that I’ve been waiting for since we made the first cut of steel on our beautiful Celebrity Beyond. Captain Kate has transcended what it means to be a captain as a voice and example of inclusivity, diversity, and change,” said Lutoff-Perlo.  “She constantly thinks about how she can go above and beyond, mirroring the exceptional design and imagination of the ship she will captain. I’m beyond excited to see her take our guests to locations that will open their eyes to the beauty of the world around them and experience travel on a new-luxury ship without comparison.”

Magic Carpet – photo Jill Weinlein

Celebrity Beyond stands at 17 decks high and 21 meters longer than her innovative predecessors Celebrity Edge (2018) and Celebrity Apex (2020). It will have the signature orange Magic Carpet®, an engineering feat soaring cantilevered above the sea, offering guests panoramic views while sipping cocktails or having dinner.

Photo by Jill Weinlein

Celebrity Cruises’ iconic “X” is the mark of each of the 14 award-winning ships. The cruise line offers many industry firsts at sea, including the first use of solar panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles; the first American female captain of a cruise ship; the first-ever all-female bridge and officer team sailing; the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship; and one of the first legal same-sex weddings performed at sea.

The dream team working in design, culinary offerings and wellness include multi-award-winning British designer Kelly Hoppen CBE; celebrated American designer Nate Berkus; Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud; and goop CEO and founder Gwyneth Paltrow, the brand’s Well-Being Advisor.

Captain Kate broke the gender barrier in 2015 when Lutoff-Perlo named her to be the first — and still only — American female to captain a major cruise ship – Celebrity Summit. She quickly moved on to the Celebrity Equinox, and then in September 2019, was the appointed captain for the brand new and exquisite Celebrity Edge. Her leadership earned accolades in March 8, 2020, when McCue sailed a history-making, barrier-breaking first-ever all-female bridge and officer team on the Edge.

Celebrity Edge – photo Jill Weinlein

Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world again, Captain Kate led the Celebrity fleet – and the cruise industry on June 26, 2021, when the Celebrity Edge became the first American cruise ship to sail with guests from Port Everglades on a 7-night cruise. This momentous cruise was the first in more than a year due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

She inspires young girls and cruise passengers to follow their dreams. Known for her kindness, beauty and charisma, Captain Kate has become a social media darling amassing nearly 3.5 million followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Sharing her captain quarters is her hairless cat named “Lady” Bug Naked. Together they humanize life at sea, at port and inside the bridge.

Captain Kate & Bug Naked

“To be the ‘take out’ captain for a new vessel is an honor for any captain and it is an absolute dream come true for me. I always say that if you see it, you can be it and I hope that Celebrity Beyond sails as an inspiration for all to see past convention in pursuit of any goal in life,” said Captain Kate McCue. “I’m forever grateful to Lisa for entrusting this labor of love to me to captain. The thoughtfulness and imagination she put into this ship is only matched by her forward thinking to move the industry beyond what it is now and see what it should be.”

Photo Jill Weinlein

Celebrity Beyond is being built right now as the largest and most luxurious ship in the fleet. It is set to sail it’s maiden voyage departing on April 27, 2022, from Southampton, England, for a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting Bordeaux, France; Lisbon, Portugal; and Seville, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona, Spain. From late October through April 2022-2023, the Celebrity Beyond will journey to the Caribbean, stopping in the Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Mexico, and the Cayman Islands. Transatlantic journeys visit Spain, Portugal, and the Azores.

For more information on all Celebrity  Beyond inaugural 2022-2023 season sailings, visit https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-beyond.