First American Female Cruise Ship Captain Completes Maiden Voyage
BOSTON (CBS) -- The first American woman to helm a cruise ship completed her maiden voyage in Boston Tuesday morning.
Kate McCue guided the "Celebrity Summit" into Boston harbor to complete a 14-day cruise across New England and Canada.
The ship carries more than 2,000 passengers and a crew of nearly 1,000.
"Everyone has a stereotypical idea of a captain," McCue told CBS News. "I don't have a beard or a parrot, but I think when the guests meet me they're pleasantly surprised."
She says she's been dreaming of becoming a captain since she was 12 years old and on her first cruise with her family to the Bahamas.
History making Capt. Kate McCue. 1st female captain of a giant ship enters the port of Boston. @CelebrityCruise #WBZ pic.twitter.com/hq2uhvEWRf
— Nicole Jacobs (@NicoleJacobsTV) September 22, 2015
It took 19 years of work in the industry before she could command her own ship. She's also following an old sailor's tradition of getting a tattoo.
"This is my anchoring to keep me grounded," she said. "And then I have my compass rose, my ship's wheel, see where I'm going."