Captain on the bridge! Kate McCue just made history. (Photo: Celebrity Cruises/PR Newswire)

Celebrity Cruises has just made an instant celebrity out of its newest captain.

The cruise line announced this morning that Kate McCue will be the new skipper of the Celebrity Summit. That makes her the cruise line’s first-ever female captain — and the first American woman ever to captain a ship at a major cruise line.

McCue’s new job puts her in charge of the 14-year-old Summit and its 2,158 passengers and 952 crew members. She’s a 15-year sea veteran, most recently serving as Master Mariner with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity’s parent company.

McCue’s new ship, the Celebrity Summit, carries 2,158 passengers and 952 crew members. (Photo: AP)

“Becoming the first female American captain of a cruise ship has been a goal of mine for as long as I can remember,” said McCue, a 37-year-old native of San Francisco, says in a statement. “The honor is amplified by being the first at a company like Celebrity Cruises. The cruise industry is ever-evolving, from the ships and the itineraries, to our guests’ expectations for vacation experiences. Celebrity has a history of delivering on each of these and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I look forward to working with an amazing team and the exceptional leadership who bring the Celebrity Cruises vision to life every day.”

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Celebrity Cruises President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo opened a new Twitter account Monday morning and her first tweet was the groundbreaking announcement:

Celebrity Cruises’ president was so excited about this appointment, she made it her first tweet. (Twitter/@LisaLutoffPerlo)



“From the first time I met Kate, I looked forward to this moment, when I could extend my congratulations to her for being such a dynamic and highly respected leader who will continue to pave the way for women in the maritime industry,” Lutoff-Perlo said in a statement. “Of all the great moments throughout my career, this is at the top of my list.”

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While McCue is a first for the United States, women from other nations have preceded her to the captain’s chair. Swedish mariner Karin Stahre-Janson became the first woman in history to command a major cruise ship when Royal Caribbean put her in charge of the Monarch of the Seas in 2007. Englishwoman Sarah Breton followed in 2010 when she was named captain of P&O’s Artemis. Later that same year, Faroe Islands native Inger Klein Olse took command of Cunard’s Queen Victoria.

But now, an American will soon join that exclusive club. Celebrity says McCue will take command of the Summit next month.

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