Edge has been cleared to sail from Fort Lauderdale in June. The ship will depart Port Everglades on 26 June.
“For the past 15 months, our conversations with friends and loved ones about seeing the world have been accompanied by the phrase ’someday’," said Celebrity president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "I’m beyond proud and excited to say that day has arrived."
Richard Fain, chair and chief executive of Celebrity parent Royal Caribbean Group, added: "Today’s exciting news is the result of a collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), our elected officials at the local, state and national levels, and our industry partners at Clia.
"We’ve consulted with the brightest minds in the health industry to ensure that our passengers and crew feel safe and comfortable on our ships while enjoying the uncompromised experience they know and love.”
In a statement, Royal said the sailing "set the stage" for the group to announce more sailings and kick-start a rebound in cruise tourism.
Celebrity said Edge would sail a seven-night Caribbean cruise when it departs Port Everglades next month. The Miami Herald reports the cruise will visit Mexico and the Bahamas.
Under CDC rules, lines must either complete trial cruises replicating real-world cruising conditions to prove their readiness to safely restart operations, or comply with the CDC’s vaccination requirements.
While the CDC recommends all cruise passengers be vaccinated, it has set thresholds of 98% vaccination among crew and 95% among passengers.
Celebrity has confirmed all its ships will sail with a fully vaccinated crew, with US guests aged 16 and above required to be fully vaccinated.
From 1 August, all US guests aged 12 and above will also have to be fully vaccinated. Requirements for non-US guests vary, it said, and advised anyone affected to check its Healthy At Sea policies online.
Earlier this week, Celebrity confirmed it would resume sailing to Alaska in July. Eight of the line’s 15 ships are now scheduled to resume sailing this year.
