“This is the first cruise and just one cruise, but it’s the start of something huge,” said Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of the Royal Caribbean Group, in a recorded video standing on the bridge of the Celebrity Edge docked at Port Everglades.

On Saturday evening the Edge will sail a week-long Caribbean itinerary, the first revenue cruise on a large cruise ship to sail from a U.S. port in 15 months.

Fain will be onboard for the sailing, which will operate at roughly 41 percent occupancy.

An excited Fain said the next big news will be the Freedom of the Seas, which leaves from Miami on her first revenue sailing on July 2. He noted he’ll be sailing on that voyage as well.

Fain did admit, however, there is still confusion over regulations.

“For example, we’re still not 100 percent sure about the specific protocols on specific sailings. Here in Florida we still don’t understand all the implications about the law about vaccination documentation,” Fain said.