HOW I CARRY ON
MEET CAPTAIN KATE MCCUE
Celebrity Cruises ’ captain of Celebrity Beyond shares details of her life at sea .
WORDS / CODIE LIERMANN
COURTESY OF CELEBRITY CRUISES
Inset : Captain Kate McCue ; above : Captain Kate and officers on the Celebrity Edge bridge .
In addition to being a “ modern mermaid , red sole rockin ’ Mum to wanderluster @ bugnaked ” and the captain of Celebrity Beyond , Captain Kate McCue has taken on the role of inspiring and entertaining her more than 3.7 million social media followers . She provides glimpses into her everyday life as a mega cruise ship captain , and the energy she shares with her audience is contagious .
Eager to learn more , The Compass caught up with Captain Kate McCue to hear about her experience as a captain and her journey to get there .
Q : Can you tell me a bit about your career path and how you got started in the cruise industry ?
A : First , let me say : expect a marathon , not a sprint . Good things come to those who put in the time and effort .
I went to California State University Vallejo , California Maritime Academy , a four-year university ( that is ) part of the Cal State University system , which has a program on Marine Transportation , and graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a 3rd Mate unlimited license to sail anything from a tug boat to the world ’ s largest super tanker and everything in between .
Similar to the aviation industry , the maritime industry requires that we accrue a certain amount of time in order to upgrade to our next licenses . Where aviation pilots require flight hours , seafarers require a certain amount of sailing days which varies
depending on the country you are in .
Since beginning my career at sea as a Cadet at California Maritime Academy in 1996 , I have worked my way up the ranks from Apprentice Officer , 3rd Officer , 2nd Officer , 1st Officer Deck , 1st Officer Safety , 1st Officer Navigation , Chief Officer Safety , Staff Captain , all the way to Captain .
Advancement and positions depend on the segment of the industry you sail in and the company you sail with . It took me 19 years to be promoted to Captain , which is pretty typical in the cruise industry . Promotions depend on availability .
Q : What made you want to become a Captain of a cruise ship ?
A : When I was 12 years old , my parents
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