How Does a Cruise Ship Captain Spend a Workday?

A captain of a cruise ship gets to meet new and interesting people as well as sail around the world. Unlike everyday jobs, a cruise ship captain's workday is quite unique. A cruise ship captain comes with a lot of responsibility. This is why they must have an extensive background with multiple skills. Cruise ship captains must have all required licenses and certifications by a recognized maritime government body. They usually are also required to have 5 to 9 years of experience as deck personnel on a ship but within a lower status capacity, such as a staff captain. They also must have graduated from a maritime training school and may have been a member of the military in a sailing capacity such as the Coast Guard or Navy.

What Is Their Day Like?

A cruise ship captain wears many hats. Not only is he responsible for the ship's speed and position, he must also keep a daily log of the ship's location, cargo and passengers. A cruise ship captain is also a people person. He has the responsibility of holding meetings, attending dinners with guests and having his picture taken with guests. A captain is the most important member of the cruise staff and the person whom everyone looks to when there is a problem. He is sailing constantly and gets breaks only when the ship is in port. Even then he has the responsibility of keeping the ship docked properly and safe to board. An average day starts with preparing the ship to sail. The captain must know the navigational information and which ports the ship will docking at. He will attend the ceremonies where passengers get to meet the captain and have dinner, all the while making sure the ship is on course and being aware of any no extreme conditions. The cruise ship's captain is also responsible for making sure the passengers are safe at all times. This means that he will conduct safety drills soon after the passengers board the boat. He also must be aware of any protocol where extraordinary conditions are underway such as fire, terrorist threat, weather and ship damage.

How Are Captains Paid?

The average pay for a cruise ship captain is $5,000 to $11,000 per month, depending on experience. While cruise ship jobs are hard to get on a usual basis, ship captains can be in high demand if they have the right experience and skills.

Resources

• Cruise Job Online