In an industry dominated by men, Captain Kate McCue made waves as the first American female captain of a mega cruise ship. She is a trailblazer and pioneer in the cruise industry, breaking the gender barrier and proving that women can take leadership roles in the same way that men can.
In 2015, McCue made history when she became captain of the Celebrity Edge at just 37 years old. Captain McCue was also the first commanding officer to sail from a U.S. port following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, which left the cruise industry crippled for over twelve months.
Although McCue no longer operates mega-ships, her influence on the cruise industry continues, with her popularity skyrocketing thanks to her social media accounts.
McCue always had the desire to sail
McCue wanted to become a Cruise Director after she sailed on her first cruise at 12. She remembers distinctly how her father supported her aspirations, but he encouraged her to dream even bigger. He suggested that she could do anything she wanted — even run the whole ship!
After graduating from high school, she attended college at the California State University’s Maritime Academy. McCue graduated with a degree in Business Administration while also studying celestial navigation during summer breaks.
During her time at the university, she landed an internship for Chiquita Brands International, working on one of their cargo ships transporting bananas between Ecuador and Los Angeles.
She then moved to Hawaii to work as a general deckhand on a catamaran, working hard to gain valuable industry experience while living with her cousins for six months.
Landing a job with a cruise line wasn't as easy as she had hoped
After her time in Hawaii came to an end, McCue applied to cruise lines for nearly nine months before landing a position with Disney Cruise Line: an entry-level position as Third Mate. While in that role, she mainly sailed around the Caribbean.
Then, in 2003, McCue was offered a job as a Second Officer for Royal Caribbean, which allowed her to travel the world, visiting places like Asia, Alaska, Australia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean!
She was eventually promoted to First Officer in 2004 for Royal Caribbean, which was a huge accomplishment for the female sailor.
To further her education, McCue earned her Chief Mate and Master’s License in 2009 from the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies. This brought her one step closer to her dream, as she was now fully qualified to take command of a vessel.
Royal Caribbean promoted Kate to Chief Officer, which is considered a Senior First Officer, and later to Staff Captain. This promotion placed Kate as second in command by 2011.
Captain Kate McCue and Celebrity Cruises
In 2015, Celebrity Cruises (which is owned by Royal Caribbean Group) asked Kate to apply for a captain’s position. She accepted the highly coveted role of commanding officer for Celebrity Summit in September 2015.
This role solidified her place in maritime history books as the first female commanding officer of a mega-ship in the United States. As Captain of Celebrity Summit, McCue was in charge of navigation, operations, safety, and passenger service onboard the vessel, along with nearly 1,200 crew members.
Since then, she has also commanded the Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Edge, and Celebrity Beyond ships.
Read more: Take a look inside a cruise ship captain's living quarters
Where is Captain Kate McCue now?
After nearly a decade with Celebrity Cruises, Captain Kate McCue left Royal Caribbean Group to work with Four Seasons Yachts.
Today, she's entrusted with Four Seasons I, presiding over an impressive one-to-one guest-to-staff environment.
"It's time for a new season!" Captain Kate shared on Instagram, "I'm thrilled to join an amazing team, introducing a new category of luxury and excellence to our guests at sea."
"A new build vessel is one thing. A start-up with an incredible prototype vessel is a whole new opportunity to grow with an iconic brand like Four Seasons! It's yacht like anything you've seen before!"
Rainer Stampfer, President, Global Operations, Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons, added, "Captain Kate McCue is the ideal leader to helm Four Seasons I as we embark on this exciting new chapter in luxury yachting."
"Her passion for hospitality, commitment to excellence, and trailblazing leadership align perfectly with our vision to reimagine the yachting experience. We are thrilled to welcome her aboard as we prepare to set sail in 2026, knowing she will inspire both our guests and employees alike."
Read more: The most famous cruise ship Captain is joining a brand-new luxury line
You can continue to keep up with her travels via her social media accounts:
- Instagram, @captainkatemccue (1M followers)
- TikTok, @captainkatemccue (3.6M followers)
- Facebook, @kate.mccue.902 (46K followers)
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Having sailed on over 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, Margaritaville at Sea, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
In addition to writing for Cruise.Blog, Elizabeth has bylines in Business Insider, Royal Caribbean Blog, and Cruiseshipfood.com.
