How Much Does a Cruise Ship Captain Make?

Table Of Content

• Best Clearwater Dinner Cruises For Delightful Evening
• The Reality of Being a Captain – Is The Salary of a Cruise Ship Captain Worth It?
• How much do Cruise Ship Captains get Paid?
• What is a Typical Cruise Ship Captain Salary?
• All About Carnival Cruise Line & Destinations And Departure All Cruise Ships
• Security

In fact, on some cruise lines, one of the highest-paid employees is actually the Cruise Director. The average monthly income of a cruise ship captain is approximately $8,000 per month. Captains in Celebrity Cruises, like Captain Kate McCue can earn an average salary of $150,000 per year, with similar benefits as Royal Caribbean. The captain’s main responsibility is to navigate the ship safely to its destination. The hotel manager, cruise director and chief engineer all report to the captain. He (or she) is responsible for the safety of the ship and everyone onboard, putting them on-call 24/7 during their tour of duty that lasts for months.

Best Clearwater Dinner Cruises For Delightful Evening

On top of that, some additional perks, luxury accommodation, and food are also included. You’re in the right place if you’re searching for how much a cruise ship captain makes. In today’s guide, I will explain the paychecks of cruise captains and tell you whether this career is worth considering for you and how you can become a successful cruise captain. Captains are the leaders of the onboard crew, ensuring they receive proper training and follow all safety procedures as determined by maritime law.

The Reality of Being a Captain – Is The Salary of a Cruise Ship Captain Worth It?

Risks and reward: How harbor pilots make the rounds for $400,000 a year - The Florida Times-Union

Risks and reward: How harbor pilots make the rounds for $400,000 a year.

Posted: Tue, 30 Nov 2021 01:58:50 GMT [source]

In this article, we will look at how much he gets per month and how the salary can change based on different cruise lines and locations. It’s important to recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication that captains put into their roles. So next time you see the Captain, remember it’s not all hand-shaking and glamour. The demanding schedule means captains may miss out on important family events and holidays due to being on call at all times. Captains oversee the ship’s hotel operations, including housekeeping, food and beverage, and guest services. This allows them to work with a team of professionals and manage various tasks.

How much do Cruise Ship Captains get Paid?

This means they may be called upon at any time to deal with an emergency or problem. However, it is important to note that not all captains are legally able to perform marriages. The captain will also need to deal with any disciplinary issues that may arise amongst the crew.

Additionally, they work longer hours, which means more income if your wage is hourly. Highly discounted cruise ship rates are also available for workers and their families. On every majestic cruise ship, there is always one figure who stands out as the ultimate authority with crisp uniform and commanding presence. You’ll surely reach your dream destination if you’re dedicated to becoming a successful cruise captain and truly passionate about your work. The more stripes you see on an officer’s epaulet, the higher the officer’s rank. The Captain can give positions to some crew members and officers whenever they make significant achievements or attain specific goals.

All About Carnival Cruise Line & Destinations And Departure All Cruise Ships

Cruise ship Captains have to have a wide knowledge on a variety of subjects. On a cruise ship, you’ll find various teams who will look after different parts of the ship, the engines, and navigational equipment, for example. Once again, this wasn’t the case in the Costa Concordia disaster, captain Francesco Schettino abandoned the ship with guests still onboard. Captains will need to have passed the Federal Maritime Authority captain’s license exam once they have 10 years of experience.

Understanding Cruise Ship Captain Salaries

The exact amount can vary depending on several factors, including experience, the size and prestige of the ship, and more. The primary focus of a cruise ship captain is to make sure that all guests and crew get from point A to point B safely. Safety is the primary motivator behind everything that a cruise ship captain does. In some cases, a cruise ship captain also interacts with passengers and hosts social events during each voyage.

The executive chef on a cruise ship can make up to $6,500 per month, depending on the ship. However, cruise ship waiters may only make $1,200 per month for a junior position or $5,000 per month for the head waiter on an ultra-luxury cruise ship. All crew members onboard cruise ships have drills and procedures that they have to practice in case of emergency. On cruise ships, there are drills for almost anything that you can think of. In this article, we explore everything that a cruise ship Captain does and look at how much a cruise captain can expect to earn. In the event of a  disaster, it is the captain’s obligation and legal duty to be the last man off the ship.

Security

The cameras are not there to spy on you but are rather there for emergency purposes. This is so that if something should occur, the captain will have footage. Additionally, captains oversee the ship’s transportation plus operation which includes crew, passengers, and cargo. Captains need to document the movement of the ship, cargo, and passengers, as well as provide and exchange information with other ships. Aside from the captain, other high-paid employees include staff in charge of food and beverages, such as the Executive chef.

Training is provided on board and may include safety, hospitality, and job-specific skills. The safety of the guests and crew is primarily the responsibility of the captain and the captain is in charge of sailing the cruise ship between ports. Females can become cruise ship captains, although the numbers are very low.

In such a scenario, the guests are asked to attend the muster drill by the Captain, who communicates to everyone via the overhead tannoy. The Captain must ensure everyone complies with the legalities of being on a cruise. It’s, therefore, mandatory for all guests and crew to participate in drills. Without proper and frequent maintenance, these parts will break down and cause great inconvenience. A section of the crew works round the clock to ensure different parts of the ship, like the navigational equipment and engines, are working as expected. If the ship is in danger and guests need evacuating, the Captain’s role is to stay put and ensure everyone leaves the ship safely before they can leave.

To become a cruise director, one typically needs several years of experience in the entertainment industry, as well as strong leadership and organizational skills. They must have the ability to manage a large team of staff and work collaboratively with other departments on the ship. From my research, the cruise director position seems to offer a decent salary with the potential for growth.

And often become the chief guest at the exclusive ship’s events, cocktail parties, captain’s dinners, and other events. I have seen captains from Europe and North America have higher wages than Australian cruise captains. Similarly, the wages of cruise captains in Asian countries are also lower. Contrary to what many think, a captain’s responsibility goes beyond steering the ship. The Captain is the boss who ensures various critical operations run smoothly and that everyone aboard is safe.