This month, Olympic medalist Adam Rippon reprised his role as Grand Marshal for as Celebrity Cruises celebrates Pride Month across the brand’s fleet.
Celebrity’s 30 Days of Pride have been ongoing since the first of the month, with a variety of multi-generational LGBTQ+-focused programming happening each day of the week across Celebrity ships. Together, Officers, staff and guests around the world have been participating in signature Pride programming such as The Largest Kiki At Sea, Silent Disco Pride, and Pride Art Hour.
“We are passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion year-round, but Pride Month provides a special opportunity not only to promote Pride, but also to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and honor all they’ve fought for and accomplished,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO, Celebrity Cruises.
Rippon, who is currently sailing onboard Celebrity Edge for the celebration, which took place last night in Ibiza, Spain, said: “I’m so incredibly honored and excited to be back again celebrating Pride Month with Celebrity Cruises as Grand Marshal for the third annual Pride Party at Sea! I love having the opportunity to partner with brands who genuinely care for and joyfully celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.”
The party took place in tandem across the award-winning Celebrity fleet, with each ship “handing off the party baton” to the next to keep the festivities running across hemispheres and time zones. In the end, the party traveled more than 10,000 miles to ten ships around the world.
Thousands of guests have attended the event – which the brand planned as a show of solidarity with and an effort to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community – since its inception in 2017.
Billy's Take
Any company risks looking like they're buying publicity when participating in social movements and similar activities. That said, this year Pride Month has seemed bigger than ever, at least in the US, and Celebrity has taken part as they did last year. Anecdotally, it seems to work well from them based on feedback I've heard from others while cruising Celebrity - where we've found some of the largest LGBTQ+ meets at sea. The brand has benefited from an increasingly loyal following in the LGBTQ+ market, a demographic that, painting with a broad brush, tends to spend more on travel than some other groups. As I see it personally, if a brand can increase their own success while legitimately spreading a positive message, then everyone wins.
Celebrity has been doing an Instagram takeover (follow Celebrity on Instagram here), where each day a guest on Edge's pride sailing makes their own instagram story, highlighting their trip, their family, the port, and of course, Celebrity. Our big takeaway? The geometric light sculpture by the main pool on Edge looks amazing when lit up as a rainbow (check out the second photo in this post)! Now, if anyone saved a photo of that from Monday's Instagram story, that'd be great.
Net proceeds from the CruiseHabit LBGTQ+ Pride & Equality shirts go to Equality Florida, an organization which aims to secure equality and justice for Florida's lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender community. Please visit them at www.eqfl.org.