Christina Falcone and Michelle Homoky
Cruise Lines
The cruise industry used to be dominated by males. Thanks to Celebrity Cruises, women have been infiltrating the cruising ranks. Celebrity has the first woman president at the company, first American woman captain and female changemakers, like Simone Biles, as ship godmothers.
“When I started 30 years ago, this was a male-dominated industry,” says Michelle Homoky, sales director, southeast, for Celebrity Cruises. “Now we see women in this industry on both the shore side and ship side. Celebrity has really broken the barriers with diversity and inclusion. We’ve trailblazed and come a long way.”
Celebrity is also transforming the cruise ship experience and redefining luxury at sea in the process. Its brand-new ship, Celebrity Beyond, is launching in November from Fort Lauderdale and it literally goes beyond expectations with forward-thinking design, culinary experiences from Michelin-starred chefs and incomparable service.
“This is a next generation ship with so much light and spaciousness. You can take a deep breath and sink into the relaxed luxury all around you,” says Homoky.
The ship is sailing its inaugural winter season in the Caribbean before heading to the Mediterranean in late Spring 2023. Christina Falcone, field sales manager, Palm Beach and Central Florida, for Celebrity Cruises, says cruising reaps benefits.
“Cruising gives you the ability to experience different cultures,” says Falcone. “You get to experience traveling as a traveler, not a tourist.”
For Homoky, it’s all about the convenience. No lugging suitcases or bringing extra money to pay for food. “You unpack once, and everything is at your fingertips.”
“It truly is the best way to vacation.” Falcone adds, “It’s a relaxed way of living. It’s like a city at sea. It’s like Boca Raton on a ship.”
Celebrity Cruises Inc., 1080 Caribbean Way, 6th Floor, Miami, 888-751-7804, celebritycruises.com
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