For the first time in the cruise industry and in the history of Celebrity Cruises, an American woman will become captain of a large ship. Thirty-seven-year-old San Francisco native Kate McCue will command the Celebrity Summit—a 91,000-ton ship in the Celebrity Cruises fleet—which will sail along the U.S. East Coast and to Bermuda. As captain, she will be responsible for the ship's navigation and the onboard experience for its 2,158 passengers and 952 crew members.
Celebrity Cruises, the brand that coined the term “modern luxury” and operates a fleet of 10 ships, has appointed McCue as Captain after 15 years of successful experience and leadership in the maritime industry. McCue has commanded logistics ships that have sailed the globe: Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Alaska, as well as the Panama Canal. Captain McCue has also played a key role in transatlantic voyages, repositioning cruises, and ship revitalization projects in Singapore.
Her appointment marks another step in Celebrity Cruises' efforts to promote female leadership (her appointment follows that of Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of Celebrity Cruises since last December).
Kate McCue graduated from the California Maritime Academy (California State University) and has held a large number of positions, most recently as “Master Mariner” at Royal Caribbean International.
“Becoming the first American female cruise ship captain has been my goal for as long as I can remember,” McCue said. “And to be the first with a company like Celebrity Cruises is an even greater honor.”
McCue will begin working aboard the Celebrity Summit in August.
