Episode 2: Why did I want to be a Cruise Ship Captain?

Editorial Summary

The creator reflects on the origins of her maritime career, tracing her passion back to a childhood cruise in 1990. While playing hide and seek at age twelve, she discovered a brochure for Premier Cruise Lines. Her family embarked on a Thanksgiving voyage aboard the Atlantic, a ship known as the big red boat that offered Disney land and sea packages. The creator describes her awe at the scale of the vessel and the various activities available for children, such as theme nights and treasure hunts. She recalls specific memories of the ship's amenities and the social atmosphere of the voyage. During the trip, she expressed a desire to become a cruise director, though her father encouraged her to pursue any ambition, including driving the ship. After spending nearly two decades at sea, she was promoted to captain with Celebrity Cruises in 2015. This achievement made her the first female captain for the company and the first American woman to command a mega cruise ship. She concludes by noting that she still keeps her junior cruiser certificate in her office as a reminder of the experience that shaped her life.

Written by TripBacon from this video's transcript.