The most accomplished gymnast in the history of the sport has been named the godmother of the newest ship in the Celebrity Cruises line, the Celebrity Beyond.
Once upon a time, people who were chosen to serve as the figureheads of ships, sometimes known as godmothers, were actual deities. These godmothers were chosen to bring a vessel both good luck and protection. It would appear that we are not too far off from that age-old maritime custom now that Simone Biles has been selected to serve as the godmother of Celebrity Beyond, the newest ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet.
Following in the footsteps of other women who have broken barriers (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai is the godmother of Celebrity Edge, and Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, is the godmother of Celebrity Apex), the decision to name the greatest gymnast of all time as the godmother of Celebrity Apex was an audacious one for the brand in this redefining moment. Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the sport. She is the most decorated American gymnast in history, having won seven Olympic medals and 19 World Championships. Biles is perhaps the definition of going beyond, which is also the goal of the ship.
According to Jason Liberty, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Caribbean Group, which is the parent company of Celebrity Cruises and was quoted in Travel + Leisure, "Obviously, her accomplishments are just outstanding. However, we did not select her because of her gold medals." "We chose her because of the great fortitude and bravery she displayed in going out into the public eye to talk about her struggle. She is a powerhouse, and she possesses an extraordinary level of self-control; nonetheless, for someone to accomplish what she accomplished while on a public stage, that's a pretty unusual breed."
And, according to what he said, that is precisely the kind of bravery and pluck you want to see in a godmother: "Someone who is willing, regardless of what the winds are, or the waves that are hitting you, to have the courage to be able to rise above and do what you think is best, that's the kind of godmother you want." "An explanation of liberty
A similar attitude was expressed by Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and chief executive officer of Celebrity Cruises. According to what she said with Travel + Leisure, "our pick of godmothers is quite strategic, and I really wanted them to reflect what our aim was in developing these ships: game-changing, transformational, category of one — you know, setting ourselves apart." "[Simone] is not only brave but also highly decorated and successful; just look at what she has accomplished, and consider what it says to young women all around the world."
Humble Biles, despite the fact that she has an unmatched record, expressed her gratitude for the opportunity. During an interview that took place right before the naming ceremony that took place during the ship's first voyage in American waters, Biles stated, "For me, it was just a big honor." "I was like, 'Okay, why me? Are you sure?' However, we couldn't contain our excitement about it. Everyone in [my] family was quite ecstatic. Due to the fact that I have been going on cruises ever since I was a child, I believe that it is really thrilling for me to be in the same realm as all of the other females who have served as godmothers on the ships that came before this one. It is a tremendous privilege to do so.
Celebrity Beyond is the latest example of Celebrity's commitment to uplifting women and prioritizing industry firsts. The ship is captained by Captain Kate McCue, who is the first and only American woman to be named captain of a mega-ship. McCue is also a social media sensation, along with her equally famous hairless cat, Bug Naked.
The company also pioneered the first all-female bridge and officer team, and it is responsible for hiring the first West African woman to work on the bridge of a cruise ship. This was accomplished by petitioning the International Maritime Organization to recognize the Ghana Maritime Academy so that the company could hire graduates of the institution. In addition, Celebrity Cruises was the first cruise company to do away with the practice of using plastic water bottles on board and also claims to have been the first to install solar panels on a cruise ship.
The fact that Biles was going to be sailing with her family and best friend, as well as her parents, brother, and sister, was what she was most looking forward to about the cruise. It is true that this is a line that can be sailed with a sense of pride, but what Biles was most looking forward to was sailing with her loved ones.
She laughed as she explained to T+L that "[We have] quite a gang." They did not place any restrictions on the number of guests that we could bring. [It's like] taking a vacation in the middle of nowhere to go away, have some fun, celebrate, and just be a part of something that's bigger than all of us while also bringing people together.
Biles continued by saying that she was thrilled to welcome aboard both first-time cruisers as well as seasoned cruisers who were interested in trying something new. She giggled as she said, "My parents are here, and they're already trying to schedule another voyage aboard Celebrity." Because my fiance has never been on one, we've been looking into finding one for him to go on while he's off-season. He is quite ecstatic, but at the same time, he can't help but feel a bit anxious. "This will be his first time on a cruise," Jonathan Owens, an NFL player, and Biles are engaged to be married. Cutoff-Perlo dropped hints that the couple would take their honeymoon on Celebrity Beyond after they get married in May 2023.
The unrestricted access to a variety of the best restaurants and bars are, without a doubt, the second-best thing about going on a cruise. Biles has expressed to Travel + Leisure that she enjoys the cuisine served onboard Celebrity ships. Since we have a reservation at Raw on 5, I can't contain my excitement about going there. Raw on 5 is a Japanese specialty restaurant located on Celebrity Beyond. It features a cuisine including of sushi rolls, nigiri, and sashimi, in addition to tantalizing sweets such as caramelized gingerbread with wasabi gelato.
When Biles initially embarked on Beyond, she was completely taken aback by the ship because her previous cruise with Celebrity had been aboard Celebrity Infinity. She revealed that as soon as we boarded the vehicle, her jaw "immediately struck the floor." "That is unbelievable."
She has every reason to be proud of this hotel; it features 32 restaurants and bars, a floating deck called the "Magic Carpet," and vast rooms. Changes can be made to the third and subsequent ships in a series, and that is what passengers will experience aboard Beyond, the third in Celebrity's five-ship Edge series. While it is not possible to significantly alter the second ship in a series due to shipyard timelines, it is possible to make changes to the third and subsequent ships. Anyone who has played Edge or Apex will immediately feel at home in Beyond, although the entire experience has been improved by some subtle changes.
Celebrity was able to let in more light, expand the rooftop garden and suite-exclusive Retreat space, perfect the Grand Plaza and Sunset Bar, and add a World Class Bar and Le Voyage, a specialty restaurant by chef Daniel Boulud by elongating the ship by 20 meters and elevating it by one deck. All of these enhancements were made possible by elevating the ship by one deck. And because Elon Musk's Starlink is the only internet service on cruises that is capable of streaming video in its entirety, you will be able to share every last detail of your experience with your friends and followers.
When it is finally released in 2023, the next ship in the series, which is going to be called Ascent, will be an exact replica of Beyond. However, according to Liberty, Celebrity has "a few more surprises" in store for the unnamed final ship of the Edge series, which is anticipated to launch in 2025. Liberty also pledges that an even greater emphasis will be placed on sustainability.
From its current homeport of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Celebrity Beyond will continue to traverse both the eastern and western sides of the Caribbean until April 2023, at which point it will sail to Europe for the spring and summer months.