How much cruise staff are paid, or realistically, how little, is a topic of much discussion. However, one of the other major questions we get asked is, “What do cruise ship captains get paid?” The straightforward response is that it can vary depending on a number of variables, including the length of service, cruise line, education, and size of the ship. Let’s examine the factors that go into a cruise ship captain’s pay.
What Is A Cruise Captain
A cruise captain is in charge of running the entire ship. The captain is in charge of steering the cruise ship between ports and is primarily responsible for the safety of the passengers and crew. The captain is frequently a familiar face on most cruises and is also in charge of a number of social activities onboard.
Cruise captains frequently work for extended periods of time and are in charge of a variety of tasks on board the ship, making it a very challenging and demanding job.
Piloting The Ship And Avoiding Hazards
Getting all passengers and crew from point A to point B safely is the captain’s main concern while operating a cruise ship. Everything a cruise ship captain does is primarily driven by concern for safety.
When the captain of the Costa Concordia chose to take a different route that was closer to land, the disaster that occurred that year shows that this wasn’t the case. 32 people perished when the cruise ship slammed into a rocky seabed and capsized. According to tradition, a captain must always “go down with the ship,” which means he or she shouldn’t leave the ship until the last passenger has departed. Again, in the case of the Costa Concordia, this was not the case; captain Francesco Schettino left the ship while passengers were still inside.
What Tasks Do Cruise Ship Captains Have?
To be regarded as the ship’s commander, cruise ship captains must hold a valid license. For everything that happens on the ship, they are solely responsible.
There are many moving parts involved in this enormous responsibility. The salary of a cruise ship captain is well deserved, and this position requires a passion for the sea.
The cruise director, hotel manager, and chief engineer are just a few of the many people who report to the captain of a ship.
The safety of those on board the ship is also your responsibility, in addition to adhering to the schedule and adjusting for weather changes. For several months at a time, you are always on call.
How Much Does A Cruise Ship Captain Get Paid?
ZipRecruiter reports that the annual pay for 2022 for cruise ship captains is $54,229 per year. It also states that salaries can range from $17,500 to $100,000 per year. The skill level, years of experience, location, and cruise line all have an impact on salary, which varies greatly.
- San Mateo, California ($65,871 annually)
- Berkeley, California ($63,567 annually)
- Daly City, California ($63,389 annually)
- Richmond, California ($61,874 annually)
- Irvine, California ($61,498 annually)
- Odessa, Texas ($60,539 annually)
- Stamford, Connecticut ($60,250 annually)
- Bellevue, Washington ($60,079 annually)
- Orange, California ($60,070 annually)
- San Francisco, California ($59,961 annually)
What Role Does Location Play In Pay?
The pay of a ship captain varies depending on the cost of living in each city. Certain cities have higher costs, so the wages there will also be higher. The ability to live there and avoid having to travel or be flown in each time they are called to work allows ship captains to do so. Because of this, captains who operate out of bustling ports in big cities earn more money than other captains.
The fact that other jobs pay more than a cruise ship captain is also interesting to note. Captains of international cruise ships earn $82,873 annually, while architects make $91,389, and port captains make $76,894 annually.
There is a benefit to being a captain, even though the pay may initially seem low given the enormous responsibility he or she bears. The average wage does increase as experience increases, according to Payscale.
- For 0-5 years, the annual salary is $59,00 USD
- 5-10 years of experience earns a yearly salary of $80,000 USD
- For 10-20 years’ experience working on a cruise ship, you will earn $97,000 USD
- Over 20 years will potentially obtain a salary of $113,000 USD
The size of the ship and the company will also have an impact on salary-related factors. Day-trip military boat captains can make $50,000 USD while running a top-notch luxury cruise can bring in $150,000 USD.
What Does A Captain Of A Cruise Ship Do?
The Captain is in charge of the whole ship and every person on it. As a result, he is also in charge of ensuring the security of every crew member and passenger on board. The safety of the group is the captain’s top concern when making decisions. The ship’s security is also under the captain’s control, and he makes important decisions like who gets thrown in the jail and who gets kicked off the ship (at a port, of course!).
Working with the officers and crew and delegating decisions to the appropriate departments are among the captain’s duties. In an emergency, the captain must be able to act swiftly and decisively because he is frequently required to make decisions quickly.
The captain is in charge of the ship’s navigation and management, and he is constantly required to keep track of its location to make sure it is on course. They must also choose and set the ship’s speed to make sure it is moving at the best possible speed to reach its destination without idly wasting fuel.
Naturally, it is the captain’s duty to see that the ship stays clear of dangers at sea, and they must also keep an eye on the upkeep and maintenance of the engines and all other equipment on the ship.
The ship’s captain is responsible for making sure that safety procedures are followed at all times and that ship operations consistently abide by local, national, and international, customs, and immigration laws.
The captain is also expected to interact with passengers and attends shipboard social events in addition to all of the aforementioned duties.
The Benefits Of Being A Cruise Ship Captain
There are a number of additional benefits that make being a cruise ship captain very alluring, in addition to the high pay and prestige attached to the position. The captain of a ship lives in a full suite with all the amenities of a luxury apartment, including a spare bedroom for visitors.
Five-star accommodations are provided for the captain, and all of their needs are met, including all meals, laundry, housekeeping, room service, and even coffee on demand.
When leaving the ship at the conclusion of a contract, the captain frequently takes first-class flights to his preferred location. The contracts typically last for three months, with three of those months spent on vacation at home. When you are the captain of a ship, paid holidays are also typical.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, being the captain of a cruise ship is a very lucrative job, but it also entails a lot of responsibility, a very stressful work environment, and long hours. All told, it can take a prospective captain up to twenty years to advance to the position, and the field is very cutthroat.
