Who is Captain Kate McCue?
Captain Kate McCue -First US Female Captain. Image: Celebrity Cruises
Who is Celebrity Cruises Captain Kate McCue?
If you have ever taken a Celebrity cruise and chatted to repeat Celebrity guests, chances are you may have heard them fondly mention a certain “Captain Kate”. Some of you may even have had the great pleasure of sailing with Captain Kate at the helm, as we did back in 2017 when we met her on Celebrity Summit. However, some of you may not have heard of her - YET, so this post is for you.
Captain Kate McCue’s Maritime Career
Captain Kate McCue Is a trailblazer in the maritime industry, and is the first American female to take the helm of a mega cruise ship, but she is so much more!
Originally from San Francisco, Captain McCue decided to pursue a life at sea at the tender age of 12, following a family cruise to The Bahamas. She took maritime-related courses of study, and following her graduation she eventually fulfilled her dream, working her way successfully up through the ranks from apprentice officer to Master Mariner. Captain McCue started with Disney Cruise Line sailing the Caribbean as third mate, and later sailed around the world with Royal Caribbean where she was promoted to first officer.
In 2009 Captain Kate attended the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies in Baltimore, and after gaining her Chief Mate and Master's Licence, she returned to Royal Caribbean as chief officer (the senior first officer) and then, in 2011, as staff captain (the second in command).
In 2015 Captain McCue was head-hunted by by Celebrity Cruises' first female president and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who appointed her to Master of Celebrity Summit in September 2015, making her the first American woman to command a modern "mega ship".
In 2018, she left the Summit to become the commanding officer on Celebrity Equinox before being appointed Master of Celebrity Cruise's $1.2 billion dollar flagship, Celebrity Edge - a 130,818-ton, 306-metre sailing year-round to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. As Captain, she is responsible for the safe navigation of the ship and the onboard experience for its 3,405 guests and 1,350 crew members.
During her tenure, Captain McCue has managed ship logistics while sailing worldwide itineraries, including Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and along the Panama Canal. Captain McCue has also served as a maritime leader while sailing several transatlantic and repositioning cruises and played a notable role in ship ‘revitalisation’.
In April 2022, she will take the helm of Celebrity's newest Edge Series ship, the transformational Celebrity Beyond.
Captain Kate - The Person
Known fondly as "Captain Kate" to colleagues, guests and her nearly 3 million social media followers, Captain Kate McCue is a distinguished role-model and frequent spokesperson (and excellent ambassador) for Celebrity Cruises, serving in a leadership role in the maritime industry and encouraging young women to pursue their dreams with the motto “if you can SEA it, you can BE it."
My first experience of Captain Kate was over the tannoy when we fiwrst came aboard Celebrity Summit. She offered a warm welcome and it was clear she had a sense of humour. She was a visible presence on board and would regularly be seen on deck and in public areas, stopping to exchange pleasantries with guests, so that each of us felt special. We eagerly waited the daily Captain’s Report which quickly became a highlight of our day as it was always so humorous. At the end of that cruise my overriding memory was of Captain Kate and how special she had made our vacation. When planning future cruises, I always checked to see if there was a “Captain Kate” ship that fitted our schedule, and I know I’m not alone in this - in fact there is an actual Captain Kate McCue Fan Club!
Captain Kate McCue checks out her next command, Celebrity Beyond. Image: Celebrity Cruises
As I mentioned above, Captain Kate has a huge social media following and justifiably so. Her Instagram feed captures life on the bridge perfectly and is informative and fun. She has also become a bit of a tik-tok star (just the 2.9 million followers) where her personality shines out.
When not sailing the world, Captain McCue seeks-out adventures with her husband, Nikola Petrovic, a Fleet Chief Engineer at Virgin Voyages, and her trusty sidekick, a hairless Sphinx Cat named Bug Naked, who keeps her company onboard and has his own Instagram account.
Social Media Links for Captain Kate McCue
To capture the essence of Captain Kate, I highly recommend you check out her social feeds:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/captainkatemccue/
Bug Naked Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/bugnaked/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mccuecaptain
Tiktok: @CaptainKateMcCue