By
Rebecca Gibson |
Celebrity Cruises has named Nathaly Albán as its first-ever female captain in the Galapagos.
Albán was only one of six women in her graduating class at La Escuela de la Marina Mercante Nacional in Ecuador. Prior to graduating, she held a variety of roles in the maritime industry, most notably serving in the FLOPEC Tanker Fleet of the Ecuadorian Navy. Following her graduation, Albán spent 12 years working on several ships in the Galapagos region, joining Celebrity Cruises as a third officer on Celebrity Xpedition in 2006.
“Simply put, Captain Nathaly Albán was the ideal candidate for the job and we believe in celebrating and advancing our brightest talent,” said Patrik Dahlgren, senior vice president of Global Marine Operations at Celebrity Cruises. “Our goal is to attract, develop and retain the best people from many different regions of the world and backgrounds. Our industry has typically been very male dominated - yet we believe in inclusiveness and opening up opportunities for all.”
Albán will start her new role as captain of Celebrity Xploration in August 2017.
“It is a great honour and privilege – I'm overwhelmed with positive emotion,” said Albán. “I told my family many times that I would be wearing white one day and be the first woman to serve as a captain on a ship in the Galapagos, now it’s happening and I’m committed to delivering the very best experience for all guests onboard.”
Albán is the second woman to be appointed captain by Celebrity Cruises, following Kate McCue’s appointment as captain of Celebrity Summit in July 2015.
“Empowering strong women and elevating them to deserved leadership roles is a cause that is close to my heart, and one that Celebrity Cruises truly values,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, president and CEO of Celebrity Cruises. “When the opportunity presented itself to promote Nathaly, who radiates passion and love for her job and for Celebrity, to captain, the decision was easy.”