The Instagram-famous Captain Kate McCue is bidding a fond farewell to Celebrity Cruises.
Captain Kate shared the news on her Instagram on Monday, February 24.
"Today, I saw farewell to Celebrity," she begins, "I've spent the last 22 years on 11 ships in the Royal Caribbean Group, from 2nd Officer to Captain. I have seen some of the most beautiful places, met inspiring and wonderful people, and had opportunities to live my 12-year-old dream out loud!"
In 2003, Captain Kate began working for Royal Caribbean Group as 2nd Officer onboard Nordic Empress. Then, she became a 1st Officer on Brilliance, Mariner, and Independence of the Seas, according to her LinkedIn.
However, she rose to prominence when she became the Captain of the Celebrity Summit at 37 years old in 2015. It was the first time an American woman had been named Captain of a mega cruise ship, and she has been with Celebrity Cruises ever since.
Throughout her time as a Captain, she gained notoriety online. As of February 2025, she has over 4.6 million combined followers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, where she gives glimpses into the daily life of a cruise ship Captain.
For example, she gave behind-the-scenes footage of the Celebrity Beyond's development during the ship's construction, as well as filmed a video showing what her living quarters looked like. Spoiler alert: it wasn't an average cruise ship cabin!
She also used her platform to help cruisers understand the not-so-fun parts of being a Captain, such as making the disappointing decision to cancel ports of call due to weather.
Captain Kate was also famous for her sphynx cat who lived with her onboard while at sea. Unfortunately, the 8-year-old Bug Naked passed away from complications following a routine dental surgery the day after Christmas.
Celebrity Cruises' social media team shared a heartfelt comment on Captain Kate's post: "The journey we have shared together has been absolutely amazing. You brought passion and heart to everything you did, inspiring so many along the way, and leaving a lasting mark on our industry. We wish you fair winds and following seas, always. 💙 ⚓️"
Other users took to the comments to wish Captain Kate the best in her future endeavors.
"Captain you’re gonna be so missed! You’re such an inspiration and I hope our paths will cross again❤️ Wishing you all the best!!" wrote bettinald.
meredithreese added, "@captainkatemccue you are just an absolute gem of a human. So grateful our souls crossed!! Wishing you blessings and amazing energy on your continued journeys!! 🩵🩵🩵"
"Captain, you are such an inspiration to us all and easily one of the most impressive humans we’ve ever met," said cruisewithjj.
"We will all miss you but are also so grateful for the times we had sailing the seas together under your leadership, witty humor, and genuine kindness for us all. ❤️"
She's not retiring
Per Captain Kate's Instagram post, she isn't ready for life on land.
"You might be wondering why I am leaving," she continues, "Simply put, life has an incredible way of reminding us what's important and changing up priorities. I've recently had some big life changes, and this just happens to be one of those."
"Are my sailing days over? Absolutely not. I've got too much salt in my veins to leave the sea behind."
Though she doesn't disclose what her next steps are, she could be transitioning to a new company.
Her deep love for the ocean suggests that, while her time with Celebrity Cruises has come to an end, her journey at sea is far from over.
Captain Kate longed for life at sea from a young age
She dreamed of being a Cruise Director after her first cruise at 12 years old. Her father supported her aspirations but also encouraged her to dream bigger.
After graduating from California State University's Maritime Academy with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, she moved to Hawaii and worked as a general deckhand on a catamaran. She finally got a job onboard a cruise ship with Disney Cruise Line in 2002 aboard the Disney Magic.
In 2003, she was offered a job for Royal Caribbean, a company she stayed with until 2015. She worked as a 2nd Officer, traveling the world and visiting Asia, Alaska, Australia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean.
Read more: Take a look inside a cruise ship captain's living quarters
While working with Royal Caribbean, she obtained her Chief Mate and Master's License in 2009 from the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies, which gave her the necessary qualifications to take command of a vessel.
She then became a Chief Officer for Royal Caribbean, working aboard ships like Mariner of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
A few years later, she was asked to apply to Celebrity Cruises, a sister brand to Royal Caribbean owned by Royal Caribbean Group, by then-President Lisa Lutoff-Perlo and accepted the position of cruise ship Captain in 2015.
She started on Celebrity Summit, one of the line's smallest ships that debuted in 2001, and remained there until 2018 when she became the commanding officer aboard the Celebrity Equinox.
Captain Kate moved to Celebrity Edge in 2019, where she became the first female Captain to command one of the line’s newest and most innovative ships.
She ended her time with Celebrity Cruises as the Captain of Celebrity Beyond, a mega-ship measuring 140,600 gross registered tons and 1,073 feet long.
