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Kate McCue

Captain with Celebrity Cruises; First Ever Female Captain of a Mega Ship

Captain with Celebrity Cruises; First Ever Female Captain of a Mega Ship

Travels From Travels From:
Las Vegas, NV, USA
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Kate McCue Biography

Kate McCue is an American cruise ship captain. She is currently employed by Celebrity Cruises and is the captain of the Celebrity Beyond. When she became the commanding officer of Celebrity Summit in 2015, it was the first time that an American woman had been named captain of a "Mega" cruise ship.

McCue attended the California State University Maritime Academy, then California Maritime Academy, in 1996. McCue graduated with a Bachelor's degree in business administration in 1999, and also studied celestial navigation during sailing trips in the summer breaks. While working towards her degree, she undertook an internship for Chiquita Brands International working on one of their cargo ships, transporting bananas from Ecuador to Long Beach, California. After graduation, she moved to Maui in the Hawaiian Islands where she stayed with her cousins for six months, working as a general deck hand on a catamaran undertaking tourist cruises to the Molokini crater. McCue then became a logistics manager to Maersk Sealand in Los Angeles, but wanted to return to sea.

After applying to cruise lines for nine months, she gained a job with Disney Cruise Line in an entry-level position as a third mate. In 2003, she became a second officer for Royal Caribbean. While her role on Disney saw her travel around the Caribbean, her new posting saw her travel all over the world. After a year, she was promoted to first officer. She attended the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies in Baltimore in 2009 where she earned her Chief Mate and Master's License to enable her to take command of a vessel. When she returned to Royal Caribbean, she was promoted first to chief officer (the senior first officer) and then to staff captain (the second in command) in 2011.

The president of Celebrity Cruises, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, contacted McCue in 2015 and asked her to apply for a role of captain with them. McCue duly applied and was appointed the commanding officer of Celebrity Summit on September 13, 2015, making her the first American woman to command a modern "mega ship". Lutoff-Perlo later said that "Kate was the first opportunity to make significant change at Celebrity related to gender equality." In 2018, she left the Summit to become the commanding officer on Celebrity Equinox and subsequently moved to the Celebrity Edge in 2019. On October 14, 2021 Celebrity Cruises announced that McCue will take the helm of Celebrity Beyond, their newest ship debuting spring 2022.

McCue follows in the footsteps of other female cruise ship captains, including Swedish captain Karin Stahre-Janson who was placed in command of a Royal Caribbean vessel in 2007. Other women such as Inger Klein Thorhauge for Cunard Line (2010), Sarah Breton for P&O Cruises (2010), Lis Lauritzen for Royal Caribbean, and Margrith Ettlin for Silversea Cruises (2013) each preceded McCue.

Her sphynx cat, Bug Naked, sails with her aboard and has attracted media attention.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 05/15/2024.

Kate McCue Videos

  • Part 1: Behind the Scenes Tour of Beyond with Captain Kate McCue ...
    Explore our newest ship, Beyond, with her captain, Kate McCue, and see the ship getting ready for the inaugural sailing on Apr. 27, 2022.
  • Meet Captain Kate McCue - YouTube
    Updated version!This was originally published on March 5th, 2020. If you've ever sailed on a cruise ship, you could almost count on the fact ...
  • Kate McCue becomes first American woman to captain cruise ship ...

FAQs on booking Kate McCue

  • How do I book Kate McCue to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Kate McCue for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Kate McCue, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Kate McCue or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Kate McCue

    Speaking fees for Kate McCue, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Kate McCue are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Kate McCue, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Kate McCue speak about?

    Kate McCue is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Culture, Female Leadership, Innovation, Leadership, Military, Navy, Thought Leadership.
  • Where does Kate McCue travel from?

    Kate McCue generally travels from Las Vegas, NV, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Kate McCue’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Kate McCue for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Kate McCue for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Kate McCue or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Kate McCue is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Kate McCue for your event is $50,000 - $100,000. Kate McCue generally travels from Las Vegas, NV, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Gen. Lori Robinson, Denise Juneau, Jean Oelwang, Camille Preston and Gail Christopher. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Kate McCue for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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