Celebrity Cruises Announces Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code and Best-Selling Author of "Brave, Not Perfect," as Godmother of Celebrity Apex

Organizations Will Also Collaborate on Onboard Coding Experience

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Jan 16, 2020, 08:30 ET

MIAMI, Jan. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrity Cruises today announced Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of international nonprofit Girls Who Code and author of international bestseller, "Brave, Not Perfect," as the Godmother for Celebrity Apex, the second ship in the brand's industry-changing Edge Series of vessels. She will name the new ship at the official inaugural ceremony in Southampton, UK, on March 30, 2020.

Traditionally, the Godmother is the spiritual embodiment of a vessel and she inspires, protects and touches the lives of everyone who sails onboard. With its groundbreaking Edge Series ships, Celebrity is selecting Godmothers who are breaking ground in their respective fields for people around the world. The first Edge Series Godmother, who inaugurated Celebrity Edge in November 2018, was Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, renowned for her advocacy of educational opportunities for girls everywhere.

Since launching in the U.S. in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 185,000 girls at nearly every stage of their educational journey The organization is on pace to close the gender gap in new entry-level computer science jobs by 2027, with college-aged alumni of Girls Who Code majoring in computer science and related fields at 15 times the national average. In 2019, Girls Who Code was named the #1 Non-Profit on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list.

In addition to being the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, Reshma 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. 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.

"Reshma is bridging the gap in the historically male-dominated technology industry," said Celebrity President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "She is evolving the image of what a computer programmer looks like and does, inspiring a whole new generation of girls and women to bravely pursue this field. Because she is a game-changing visionary, she is the perfect godmother for a game-changing ship like Celebrity Apex."

"Girls Who Code is committed to giving girls more visible role models in computer science and helping them see that this is a field where they can really thrive," said Saujani. "Just as we are on a mission to close the gender gap in tech in our lifetimes, Celebrity Cruises' is leading the way to create a more diverse future in the maritime industry. It is an honor to have the support of Celebrity Cruises in our work, and to be named as the Godmother for Celebrity Apex."

In addition, Celebrity will also collaborate with Girls Who Code to offer educational coding programs as part of the cruise line's Camp at Sea S.T.E.M. experiences onboard Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Edge, along with related experiential offerings and products.

Celebrity Apex will begin its inaugural season in April 2020 with a mini-season of five sailings to Northern Europe destinations and then spend the summer sailing seven-to-12-night itineraries in the Mediterranean. In November, Celebrity Apex will reposition to Fort Lauderdale for a winter season of week-long Caribbean sailings.

For more details on Celebrity Apex offerings and destinations, visit www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-ships/celebrity-apex. For more information on all Celebrity Cruises offerings, call 1-800-437-3111, visit www.celebritycruises.com, or speak with a travel advisor.

About Girls Who Code:
Girls Who Code is an international non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like and does. With their 7-week Summer Immersion Program, after school Clubs, and College Loops program, they are leading the movement to inspire, educate and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21^st century opportunities. Girls Who Code has reached 185,000 girls to date through its programs and 100 million people through campaigns, advocacy work and New York Times best-selling series.

To join the movement or learn more, visit girlswhocode.com. Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.

About Celebrity Cruises:
Celebrity Cruises' iconic "X" is the mark of modern luxury, with its cool, contemporary design and warm spaces; dining experiences where the design of the venues is as important as the cuisine; and the amazing service that only Celebrity can provide, all created to provide an unmatchable experience for vacationers' precious time. Celebrity Cruises' 13 ships offer modern luxury vacations visiting all seven continents. Celebrity also presents incredible Cruisetour experiences in Alaska and Canada. Celebrity is one of six cruise brands operated by global cruise vacation company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL).

SOURCE Celebrity Cruises