It’s time to raise the sails and go full speed ahead for Celebrity Cruises. The cruise line will be the first cruise line to sail from the United States in well over 15 months when Celebrity Edge sets sail on Saturday, June 26, from Fort Lauderdale.
There was a worry with Celebrity guests in the last few days when the CDC put Celebrity Edge on code red on June 21; however, this seems to be the case of one single a-symptomatic crew member who has recently been removed from the vessel. It means the ship, the crew, and the guests can all work towards what will be a momentous day for cruising.
Celebrity Edge the First of Many
Edge will be the first of many ships sailing again from US ports in the coming weeks. Despite talk that Celebrity Cruises could be canceling the voyage, nothing of the sort is happening right now.
The cruise line made a statement only recently that said the following:
“During last week’s routine crew testing, all of our more than 900 crew tested negative, with the exception of one asymptomatic positive crew member. That crew member has since been moved off the ship, and all crew have retested negative within the last 24 hours. We remain in final preparations for Saturday’s sailing, and Celebrity Edge will sail with an approved CDC certificate. We look forward to welcoming our guests back on board.“
In recent weeks it has become clear that COVID cases will be happening onboard, and it’s up to the cruise lines to deal with these cases accordingly. Recently both Celebrity Millenium and Adventure of the Seas have seen COVID-positive guests onboard the ships, despite the strict testing and vaccination requirements.
As long as these cases are found and dealt with, there is nothing to worry about. So far, the cruise lines are doing precisely that, and it looks like these cases are hardly a reason to cancel a voyage.
Celebrity Edge will sail on a weeklong cruise that will see her visit Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico, and Nassau in the Bahamas. The cruise line has not only the support of the highly experienced and knowledgeable Healthy Sail panel behind them, but it now also has the added benefit of being certified with the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ system, in cooperation with Forbes Travel Guide.
Also Read: Things to Do on a Celebrity Edge Cruise
Sharecare Health Security Verified System
Developed by Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide in response to COVID-19, Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED is a tech-based auditing system that works with other existing programs and protocols on board the ships.
Each ship within Celebrity Cruises is linked into the system, and it allows Captains and shoreside monitoring teams to verify the health and safety measures onboard. From employee well-being and safety to onboard sanitization to contactless adaptations for in-room dining – everything can be verified at all times, ensuring the ship is compliant with all the rules and regulations laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises President and CEO:
“We have been extremely impressed with both how comprehensive the Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ system is and how easy it is for our staff to use. As The Celebrity Fleet returns to service, Sharecare will help verify our rigorous ‘Healthy at Sea’ protocols, enabling our guests to simply relax and enjoy their vacation. We thank our partners from Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide for their ongoing support in our quest to return to opening up the world.”
This system also means the cruise line is one of the frontrunners in how sanitation practices are monitored and controlled, which go way above and beyond what most shoreside companies comply with.
When Celebrity Edge sets sail on Saturday, guests can rest assured they are in one of the safest places on earth. A cruise ship.
