Celebrity Edge has received approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to return to service from Fort Lauderdale on June 26, making it the first ship scheduled to sail out of an American homeport since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The ship will require U.S. passengers over 16 to be fully vaccinated, with the requirement adjusting to guests 12 and older on August 1, 2021. The crew will be fully vaccinated, and it will be captained by Kate McCue, the first American female cruise ship captain (and a social media star in her own right).
Celebrity Edge will alternate Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
The line also announced that Celebrity Equinox will sail from the U.S. to the Caribbean beginning July 18, although it didn’t release a homeport.
The news marks a milestone for an industry that has been shut down in the United States since March 2020.
