What is the salary of a cruise ship captain?

A cruise ship captain salary will vary depending on several factors. The amount of experience, the level of education, the grades they received, location, and company all can determine the year's salary. In general, a cruise ship captain salary ranges between $54,000 and more than $100,000.



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The salaries of Cruise Ship Captains in the US range from $18,053 to $476,518 , with a median salary of $86,503 . The middle 57% of Cruise Ship Captains makes between $86,503 and $216,093, with the top 86% making $476,518.

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It comes as no surprise that the ship's captain has the biggest salary from working on a cruise ship. The master of the vessel has a huge responsibility for ship safety for crew and passengers along with navigation. The captain can earn almost $100,000 manually depending on the cruise line and experience.

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The average RCL salary in the United States is $47,500 per year. RCL salaries range between $24,000 a year in the bottom 10th percentile to $90,000 in the top 90th percentile. RCL pays $22.84 an hour on average. RCL salaries vary by department as well.

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High Paying Ship Captain Jobs
  • Tugboat Captain. Salary range: $77,500-$118,000 per year. ...
  • Marine Superintendent. Salary range: $36,000-$109,000 per year. ...
  • Port Captain. Salary range: $62,000-$100,000 per year. ...
  • Captain. Salary range: $51,500-$90,000 per year. ...
  • Boat Pilot. Salary range: $76,500-$87,000 per year. ...
  • Vessel Master.


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Among many difficult jobs on cruise ships, handpicking the toughest one is tricky. Still, one job will stand out in terms of horrific working conditions and cruel working hours-the galley steward.

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A majority of cruise ship lines offer their employees free food throughout the duration of their contracts. There's typically a special kitchen on the boat that prepares food for staff members. Employees may eat in separate dining areas, depending on their classifications.

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There are no holiday entitlements, but crew members can choose when they take the six- to eight-week break that automatically comes with longer contracts.

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High Paying Maritime Jobs
  • Port Engineer. Salary range: $92,000-$187,000 per year. ...
  • Naval Architect. Salary range: $64,500-$132,000 per year. ...
  • Ship Engineer. Salary range: $129,000-$129,000 per year. ...
  • Tugboat Captain. Salary range: $77,500-$118,000 per year. ...
  • Cruise Director. ...
  • Marine Superintendent. ...
  • Ferry Pilot. ...
  • Port Captain.


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There are two captains on any cruise ship at all times. One is the Ship's Captain, and the second captain in command is called the Staff Captain. The Staff Captain will be on duty when the Captain is sleeping or needs to do an inspection, for example. The main authority will, however, always rest with the Captain.

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In addition to salary cruise captains receive a number of other perks:
  • Accommodation on the ship free of charge.
  • Family staying onboard.
  • Meals onboard.
  • Laundry and Housekeeping.
  • Discounts, often on cruises and/or shops onboard.


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Oceania Cruises are known to use “Code Mike” instead of Alpha to signify a medical emergency. Celebrity Cruises use “Star Code, Star Code, Star Code”. Code alpha is a medical emergency.

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After each contract you will receive approximately 60 days of vacation before your next assignment. Your daily work schedule while onboard will depend on your particular position, but you can expect to work seven days a week and anywhere between 10-13 hours per day.

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But sometimes, chatting with family online isn't enough – so one of the best perks captains enjoy is having their family onboard the ship. Individual cruise lines will set their own policies on this but they may allow families to be onboard for extended periods of time, or to make occasional visits.

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A captain's license obtained by a federal maritime authority is required for the position. Obtaining this license may take 10 years. To put it in perspective, it takes longer to become a cruise ship captain than a brain surgeon. Most captains earn their bars in 18 to 22 years.

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Ship captains earn an average yearly salary of $81,640. Wages typically start from $37,240 and go up to $159,690.

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Do all cruise crew members receive tips? As mentioned above, not all members of the ship staff receive a share of the gratuities paid by passengers. Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones.

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The estimated total pay for a Waiter at Royal Caribbean Group is $3,584 per month. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $3,002 per month.

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