Cruise captain Kate McCue on her life at sea with Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises’ Kate McCue, the first American woman to captain a cruise ship, adheres to a host of maritime superstitions and always sails with a four-legged friend.
As the first American woman to captain a cruise ship, Kate McCue has been at the forefront of enormous change in the maritime industry. Under the stewardship of Celebrity Cruises’ president and chief executive Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, McCue has watched representation of women on the bridges of the line’s ships increase from 2 per cent in 2014 to more than 32 per cent today. “It’s definitely an accomplishment I’m extremely proud of,” she says.
When she packs for a voyage – where she spends three consecutive months at sea – she always includes her “blankie”.
“Yep, I’m one of those people,” she says. “My grandma gave it to me when I was born, and I never spend the night anywhere without it.”
Her regular cruise companion is her pet hairless Sphinx cat called Bug Naked. She also likes to bring a couple of mermaid tails (made by Mertailor and Fin Fun Mermaid) for ocean swimming. “It’s fun to pop up under glass-bottom boats carrying our guests on shore excursions.”
Favourite port to sail into
“There are ports like Sydney, Australia with their iconic sail-ins where we dock between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House or New York City where we sail up the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. But one of my favourite ports is Valletta, Malta; think Game of Thrones backdrop on steroids. Depending on the weather, it can also be one of the most difficult ports to manoeuvre in because of the limited space and tight turns as you sail past the ancient city walls of the historic Old Town.
The stretch of water that is the most challenging to navigate
The Singapore Strait because of the busy shipping lanes with thousands of vessels transiting at any given time.
The personal items always taken on a voyage
My travel must-haves are pretty simple: my cat (and food, travel litter box), shoes, jewellery, sentimental items. Christian Louboutin’s are my signature “standard uniform issue” shoe both for day (lug boots) and evening (patent leather heels). A scarf my mum made me – if I ever need a hug, I just wrap it around me. I also have cards written over the years by my mum, dad and husband.
Abingdon Marina watch: designed by a woman (airline pilot) for women. It’s the only quality watch brand for adventurous women and it’s a perfect dive watch.
“Thank you” cards: because kindness is everywhere and should be recognised.
A fidget ring by CONQUERing: another woman-owned and operated business. It helps to brings calm, focus and inspiration.
GoPro camera: it can take a beating and still gets the best videos and underwater shots.
Mini-medicine bag: filled with sample sizes of everything from aspirin to insect repellant, cough drops and sunscreen.
Kallati “Live your Legacy” bracelet: my friends Reout and Orly Kallati are sisters, attorneys, and the best jewellery designers. They created a Captain’s Collection based on my story of becoming a captain. “Live your Legacy” is their motto and I love the idea of living each day with purpose.
Niyama Sol: the most comfortable yoga pants out there. Another women-owned and operated business I discovered during the pandemic. Now I have so many pairs I could open my own store.
Last but not least, I don’t go anywhere without my phone (Samsung S22Ultra).
Best binoculars for work
“Fujinon 7x50 FMTR-SX Field 7º30’ because size matters and they have huge 50mm objective lenses that boost light-gathering ability for brighter views in challenging conditions such as at dawn and dusk or in heavy fog.”
The great expedition voyage I would join
“If I could join any great expedition in history, it would be Charles Darwin’s Beagle Voyage where he explored his theory of natural selection while visiting the Galapagos Islands, which is my bucket list location.”
The book that captures the way I feel about the ocean
The word comes that to mind when I think about the ocean is “respect”. There are many things we can control on a ship, but mother nature is not one of them. A book and movie that captures this is The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger. I respect the ocean’s beauty in its calmest, most serene form and I respect the ocean’s power in its worst hurricane conditions.
The maritime superstitions I follow
Sailors are big on superstitions, and regardless of culture or religion, I’m open to whatever will bring fair winds and following seas. That’s why you’ll find the icon of St Nikolas, patron saint of seafarers, displayed on the bridge and in the engine control room. Our ship’s wheel, or helm, is made out of wood so we can “knock on wood” for good luck. A black cat statue is hidden in the cockpit because cats are said to have mystical weather powers. We have a pink plastic army woman in the bridge console to “protect us” as seen in the TV series Ted Lasso, and I have a figurine of baby Jesus in the airconditioning duct above my bed in the captain’s cabin.
My ideal holiday is
As a cruise ship captain, I work three months on board then three months off. Believe it or not, my ideal vacation is taking a cruise. I spent eight of my last 12 weeks “off” sailing as guest on my ship, Celebrity Beyond. Cruise vacations aren’t just convenient because you only unpack once and get to travel to so many different destinations, but they’re incredibly good value, considering what you get. Throw in the fact many include drinks, gratuities and internet along with the stateroom and food. The cherry on top is being surrounded by amazing service professionals who know your personal preferences.
The most luxurious hotel I’ve ever stayed in
In 2021 I was given the opportunity to be the “take-out” captain and deliver of Celebrity’s most luxurious new-build ship, the $US1.3bn ($2bn) Celebrity Beyond in Saint Nazaire, France. This made me the first woman to take a new ship out of the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard since it was founded in 1862. After my initial visit to the shipyard, my husband and I drove to Paris to spend a long weekend celebrating this achievement and our anniversary at the Ritz Paris.
On being part of change in the maritime industry
For International Women’s Day in 2020, we sailed a barrier-breaking, history-making voyage with an all-female bridge and hotel leadership team, because we have so many qualified women in leadership roles. One of the greatest joys is to be able to pay it forward with opportunities for well-deserving individuals who previously may not have had chances to get their foot in the door.
My favourite thing to do ashore during a voyage
My favourite thing to do each time I go ashore, is to get a taste of the destination by trying local cuisine. It can be anything from a cappuccino to a full-blown meal but the goal is the same: get a flavour of the place we visit, with bonus points if it’s off the beaten path and frequented by locals.
What a first-time cruiser should always pack
I like to flip this question and ask: “What should a first-time cruiser not pack?” Don’t overthink and don’t over pack. Take the basics and don’t stress about having a million options with clothes, accessories, or toiletries. Some of my favourite souvenirs have come out of necessity because I forgot something. If there’s anything you need or forgot to bring, you can usually find it, or something better. Come with space in your luggage and take home the unique bits and bobs you find along the way, such as leather goods in Turkey, fabulous skincare products from French pharmacies, or a stunning sundress from Santorini.
