FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the exquisite Celebrity Apex sailed into the setting sun from Port Everglades, the moment was made sweeter as the ship's Godmother, Reshma Saujani, the inspiring the founder of groundbreaking non-profit Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms and author of bestseller, "Brave, Not Perfect" joined Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises' President and CEO, and Richard Fain, Chairman of the Royal Caribbean Group and hundreds of guests including local dignitaries and media and influencers in an official naming ceremony of the stunning vessel.

Saujani is a lifelong activist who surged onto the political scene as the first Indian American woman to run for U.S. Congress in 2010. Her viral TED Talk and international bestseller "Brave, Not Perfect" have sparked a worldwide conversation about how we're raising our girls and inspired countless women to fear less, fail more and live better.

"This is a day that I've been looking forward to for years. Reshma is someone that I've admired deeply. She is an industry trailblazer that encapsulates what Apex stands for: pushing the boundaries of what's possible, challenging stereotypes, and making everyone feel included," said Celebrity Cruises' President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "Her work championing the advancement of women in an industry dominated by males has been nothing short of inspiring. It was deeply moving to watch as Reshma flawlessly executed her first official duty as Celebrity Apex's Godmother, leading the ship's naming ceremony that has been on hold since March 2020."

Since launching in the U.S. in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 450,000 girls across the globe at nearly every stage of their educational journey. With a presence in the UK, U.S., India, and Canada the organization runs free programming for girls from ages 11-18, to inspire them to get excited about coding and computer science by providing learning opportunities, clear career pathways and a supportive sisterhood of peers and role models. In 2019, Girls Who Code was named the No.1 Non-Profit on Fast Company's The World's Most Innovative Companies list.

Building on her work to empower women and girls, Reshma has most recently founded the Marshall Plan for Moms, a campaign to put women at the center of our nation's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. After witnessing the impact the pandemic had on working mothers, millions of whom were pushed out of the workforce to care for children and take on increased labor at home, she built a movement to champion public and private sector policies to support all moms. Her efforts have led lawmakers to introduce resolutions in support of the plan.

"It's been both thrilling and humbling to serve as the Godmother of Celebrity Apex," said Saujani. "Similar to the mission of Girls Who Code, which is centered around closing the gender gap in tech, Celebrity is leading the way to create a more diverse future in the cruise industry. The brand's commitment to the cause is clear not only through the leadership of its CEO and President, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, but in its incorporation of on-board STEM programming. I can't think of a more inspiring place to learn about the wonders of the maritime industry than on board Celebrity Apex and Girls Who Code is honored to help in this effort."

Saujani's work on behalf of women and girls has earned her broad recognition including: Fortune World's Greatest Leaders; Fortune 40 Under 40; WSJ Magazine Innovator of the Year; Forbes Most Powerful Women Changing the World; and Fast Company 100 Most Creative People, among others. She is the winner of the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education.

In addition to her responsibilities as Godmother of Celebrity Apex, Girls Who Code and Celebrity will collaborate to offer Girls Who Code at Sea, an educational coding program, as part of the brand's Camp at Sea S.T.E.M. experiences onboard Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge, along with related experiential offerings and products. While aboard Apex and Edge, children ages 6-17 will be able to design and develop two modules based on basic computer science and coding modules covering topics within the Marine Life and Bioluminescence fields.

Celebrity Apex's much-anticipated arrival to U.S ports is a landmark moment for the brand, as the vessel's launch was originally planned for March 2020. Following a short run of Greek Island sailings this past summer, the ship now embarks for the first time from U.S shores on rotating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, where guests will visit the picturesque islands of Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Belize, Grand Caymans and more.

For more details on Celebrity Apex offerings and destinations, visit www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-apex. Connect with Celebrity Cruises on social media at:

Instagram: Instagram.com/CelebrityCruises

Facebook: Facebook.com/CelebrityCruises

Twitter: Twitter.com/CelebrityCruise

About Girls Who Code:

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 450,000 girls through our in-person programming and we have nearly 90,000 college-aged alumni. We have sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 13 billion engagements globally. In 2018, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list.

Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.

About Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of a fleet of 14 award-winning ships redefining luxury cruise travel with cool, contemporary design and accommodation; dining, spa and entertainment experiences for modern tastes; and culturally rich and diverse destination experiences, all complemented by warm, personalised service. Celebrity has pioneered many industry firsts at sea, including: the first use of solar panels on a cruise ship; the first to eliminate 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. Driven by wanderlust and a passion for opening the world, Celebrity journeys to all seven continents, visiting nearly 300 destinations in more than 70 countries. Celebrity Cruises is one of five cruise brands operated by global cruise company Royal Caribbean Group. (NYSE: RCL).

Health and safety protocols, guest conduct rules, and regional travel restrictions vary by ship and destination, and are subject to change without notice. Due to evolving health protocols, imagery and messaging may not accurately reflect onboard and destination experiences, offerings, features, or itineraries. These may not be available during your voyage, may vary by ship and destination, and may be subject to change without notice.  

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SOURCE Celebrity Cruises