How Do You Become A Cruise Ship Captain?
A cruise ship captain is the master of his vessel, and lives his life on a luxury cruise liner with high pay and many benefits. He has complete authority over every aspect of life on a cruise liner, including all rules, regulations, people and activities. Because there are so many responsibilities, becoming a cruise ship captain requires education, experience, licensures and certifications. Step 1 Study hard and get good grades in high school. Most students at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy are in the top fifth of their graduating class in high school. You’ll need to take as many courses as you can in math, science, English and computers. Step 2 Apply to, attend and graduate from one of the seven colleges that offer a degree-granting maritime program. The most popular is the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, but several state universities offer programs well. See “Resources” below for links to these programs. Step 3 Earn your certification for Basic Safety Training (BST). Step 4 Sit for
