The Role of Ships Captain

A cruise, passenger, or cargo ships captain is among the most esteemed jobs a person could have today. The crisp white epaulet shirt and its accessories, the hat, and the stands fit for ships captain – not to mention the heavy check – all signifies the responsibility and honor that the deck bestows on its master. There is no wonder many if not all mariners aim to become captains someday. So what are the exact privileges as well as responsibilities that ships captain handles that make them the object of admiration (some envy) among mariners?

The captain’s responsibility

Whether he or she be a cruise, passenger, or cargo ships captain, the person is responsible for all the souls and the properties onboard the ship and the ship itself. The person represents the interest of the ship owner and the interest of his or her flag state. From the administrative work such as the ship’s accounting and payroll to the gubernatorial work such as immigration, customs, peace-keeping, and diplomatic to technical work such as plotting and staying on the ship’s course plan, the ships captain is the head of them all onboard. Technically, what the captain says, goes onboard his or her ship. Flag states even bestow ship captains some special police power to ward off or detain sea criminals that go against the welfare of the people and property onboard his or her vessel.

Ships captain rewards

Ship captain signing passenger memorabilia

The ship Master’s job is among the highest paid jobs in the world: depending on the shipping line, ship captains received anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 a month. If he or she is piloting a cruise or passenger ship, the captain also gets the opportunity to mix and mingle with the important people onboard his or her ship. Ships captain also performs a diplomatic role to every port of call; the captain will represent his or her flag state to foreign land. This alone opens another type of reward to a ship captain.

How to become a ship captain

Training to become a ship captain requires a formal education from some recognized mariner’s school or navy school. After graduating from college, the budding captain needs to log months to years being at sea as a captain’s apprentice. That is to say being third, second, and first officer of a ship or ships. Your extensive experience at sea and several succeeded tests and certifications will earn you the title of being ships captain.

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