A major step forward for the return of cruises in the US as Celebrity Edge, a cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises will resume operations from Florida on June 26. The vessel has received approval from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will become the first cruise ship to restart regular sailings in the US since suspensions first started 15 months ago.
Celebrity Edge is First to Resume US Cruises
Celebrity Cruises will restart US operations out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida on June 26 with Celebrity Edge on a seven-day cruise. The ship is the first to get CDC approval for regular sailings with passengers. She is the first vessel to sail from the US since the cruise industry suspended operations in March 2020.
Celebrity Cruises President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo tweeted with an image that “Someday is Here” meaning that day of restarting cruises is finally going to arrive. She said:
“For the past 15 months our conversations with friends and loved ones about seeing the world have been accompanied by the phrase ‘someday.’ I’m beyond proud and excited to say that day has arrived.”
“The power of travel has a way of healing our souls as we connect with cultures, sights, and experiences that bring greater joy and renewed energy to our lives. Nothing compares to these experiences at sea and now the wonder of these journeys returns. 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!”
When Celebrity Edge does resume cruises in June it will be for fully vaccinated guests only aged 16 or above. The cruise line has also already started crew vaccinations to provide a safe cruise experience and to make sure everyone onboard is protected.
Also Read: Things to Do on a Celebrity Edge Cruise
Richard Fain, Chairman of Royal Caribbean Group, parent company of Celebrity Cruises, said:
“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.”
“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.”
In recent weeks there had been questions about how cruise lines will not just be able to deal with the CDC’s Conditional Sailing Order but also Florida’s ban on a vaccine passport. Well, Celebrity Cruises has been working hard behind the scenes with the CDC and local officials to restart operations.
The CDC also has completely relaxed rules for fully vaccinated sailings from the US, with the crew and passengers no longer needing to wear a mask or social distance. The US cruise industry has been hit hard during the pandemic, but the cruise industry is actually making a comeback for the first time in more than a year.
Celebrity Edge is not the only ship in the fleet to restart operations. The Royal Caribbean-owned cruise line has eight ships now planning a return to service including Celebrity Silhouette in the UK starting in July and cruises from Seattle to Alaska starting in July with Celebrity Summit.
