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.
Curious about joining the cruise ship captain bandwagon? If yes, you must be wondering how much they earn.
Below is a glimpse into the life of a cruise ship captain. What do they do? How much does a cruise ship captain make? Read on to find out.
What Is a Typical Cruise Ship Captain’s Salary?
One Captain’s salary can be different from the other. Factors that determine how much you earn include the size of your cruise ship, country of origin, level of experience, cruise line company, and so on.
A captain’s salary falls between $48,000 and $180,000 per year. On average, cruise ship captains earn $98,000 annually. The Captain is the highest-paid member of the crew.
What Is a Cruise Ship Captain?
A cruise captain traverses the seas leading the ship from point A to point B. The Captain is responsible for various operations, including the safety of the guests and crew.
The cruise captain job is super demanding and challenging. While navigating between ports, the Captain must work and engage in social activities.
A Captain is almost always tired. After all, they must adapt to life on the go, where one gets little rest, never gets enough sleep, and stays updated on all the ship’s activities.
Qualifications Required to Become a Cruise Ship Captain
Your quest to become a cruise ship captain has to start at some point. Usually, that means attending school and acquiring the necessary certifications, knowledge, and experience.
The basic entry requirements of a cruise ship captain include
- Strong leadership qualities
- Excellent communication skills
- Organized
- Attentive to detail
- Stays calm and works well under pressure
- Great at multi-tasking
Often, the Captain finds themselves needing to address guests and crew on various professional and social matters. Therefore, a captain must have no problem working long hours.
Cruise captains spend more time on the water than on the ground. They are almost always on the clock. To become a captain, you must sacrifice certain comforts and privileges for a successful cruise.
Cruise Ship Captain Roles and Responsibilities
Now that you know the answer to “How much does a cruise ship captain make?” let’s talk about their responsibilities. You thought wrong if you assumed that all a captain does is stand behind the wheel and navigate the seas with a pair of binoculars. A cruise captain works like an ant to keep everyone safe and happy. A captain’s roles and responsibilities include
Piloting the Ship
The Captain’s primary role is to ensure the crew and guests get to their destination safely. Safety here is of great importance. In history, a few captains thought it was a great idea to take shorter routes to get to different islands and ports, only for the ship to suffer massive damage. In a few cases, the ship would encounter hazards like hitting a rocky sea bed which caused the boat to capsize, leading to loss of life.
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.
Marrying Couples
Sometimes, the cruise experience is so great that some couples want to celebrate and honor this special moment by getting married on board. Without a priest or a judge, the Captain can take up the role of marrying the couple.
Oversee and Supervise the Maintenance of Equipment
The ship has many moving parts. 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.
The Captain constantly gets updates from the maintenance teams daily throughout the trip. The Captain approves many repairs and significant maintenance work on the ship.
Having spent plenty of time on the ship, the Captain always knows when something is off. They work with the technical team to restore normalcy and avoid delays and accidents throughout the cruise.
Enforcing Security
The Captain’s goal is to anticipate danger and ensure everyone on board knows what to do. This explains why crew members often perform drills and procedures during a cruise to equip them with the knowledge of measures to follow in an emergency.
On a particular day, the Captain may decide to set up a drill for a typical situation like a fire or flood. Other drills are curated to equip crew members with responsive knowledge in a pirate attack.
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.
Team Manager
Managing a large team of crew and ship officers is another responsibility for the ship captain. Cadets, safety officers, and other crew members work harmoniously to ensure smooth sailing. They all work closely with the Captain to oversee various activities aboard the ship.
For instance, the staff members working on the bridge require a few changes to the program to give time for some other important activity that takes precedence. The officer in charge alerts the Captain and sends the message to the subordinate crew members with their go-ahead. After that, each member takes up specific tasks to ensure that the bridge runs smoothly.
Crew Ranks
The Captain and several officers wear a uniform with a distinctive feature on their shoulder called an epaulet. An epaulet is a piece of clothing attached to the shirt with one or more stripes. Each of these stripes is a rank that the officer has earned.
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.
Attend Social Events
There’s plenty of merry-making that goes on during the cruise. Besides navigating the ship and managing various operations, the Captain’s other role is welcome guests on board and attend social events. Interacting with the passengers is part of the Captain’s duties.
Often the Captain arranges for a ‘welcome drink’ to invite everyone aboard and to set the mood for a great cruise. During social gatherings, the Captain takes photos with guests and may dine with some of them.
Tannoy Announcements
Tannoy announcements are curated to keep the guests informed and aware of various types of information. The Captain speaks to guests about the speed, weather conditions, and cruise route.
Besides the Captain, the cruise director and crew members may also speak over the tannoy whenever guests need information on issues like entertainment and other onboard events.
Perks and Benefits
Working as a captain is no easy feat. But it comes with a set of irresistible perks. They include
- The Captain’s family can stay on board
- The Captain gets free accommodation on the ship
- All the Captain’s meals are catered for
- The Captain gets access to round-the-clock laundry and housekeeping
- The Captain has access to discounts in shops on the ship. They also get discounts should they want to book a cruise.
A good fraction of the Captain’s salary is sent home to their family. Thanks to the perks available to the Captain, they almost do not need to spend money on the ship.
Other Opportunities for Employment on a Cruise Ship
If you don’t think that being a ship captain is for you, there are many other jobs available inside a cruise ship.
- Expedition Leader
- Shore Excursion Manager
- Deck Crew
- Youth Counselor
- Water Sports Instructor
- Hosts and Hostess
- Air/Sea Reservation Agent
- Naturalist
- Medical Staff
- Executive chef
To be eligible for the above employment opportunities, you must have at least five years’ experience and a degree from a recognized Maritime Educational Institution.
Conclusion
Whether you were thinking about being a cruise ship captain in the future or you were just curious, now you know the answer to “how much does a cruise ship captain make?” And you also know that being a captain involves many responsibilities and a big commitment to your job. We hope that you now have all you need to make an informed decision.
