Also called: Cruise Ship Master
Commands a floating city of 5,000+ passengers and 2,000 crew.
The cruise captain is responsible for every person aboard: navigating into crowded ports, deciding whether to skip a stop for weather, and hosting VIP dinners. Big moments mean the bridge; quiet ones mean meetings with the hotel and engineering chiefs.
Estimate from industry reports. Cruise crew get free cabins and meals and work contracts of about 4-9 months followed by time off; many lines are headquartered in Miami.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 15 years after high school. Maritime academy degree (Kings Point, Cal Maritime, Maine Maritime, Mass Maritime, SUNY, Texas A&M) or European equivalent plus 15-20 years rising through officer ranks.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Marine Transportation, Nautical Science.
Growing faster than average. Cruise industry is growing, with new ships launching yearly.
Low risk for 10 years. Navigation tech improves, but command of 7,000 lives in storms and crowded ports stays a human responsibility.
Classes: Physics, Trigonometry, Speech.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-5021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.