Welcome to ‘What’s in Your Travel Bag?’, an ongoing series where we peek inside the suitcases (or fanny packs) of notable travelers to discover their packing tips ahead of a trip.
Captain Kate McCue is known for breaking glass ceilings. She’s the first American female to captain a mega-ton cruise ship, most recently Celebrity Cruise’s impressive new ship Celebrity Beyond. “Captain Kate” as she’s known around the ships by colleagues and guests on a Celebrity Cruise ship, has over 3 million TikTok followers, where she shows fans the ins and outs of being a captain, her adorable cat, and stunning views of the ports of call that Beyond pulls into.
Working on cruise ships was a childhood dream for McCue, who took her first cruise when she was 12 years old. “When I was 12 years old, my parents took me and my brother on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas. It was our first big holiday away as a family and we had an incredible time. When we got off the ship, I told my dad that I wanted to be the Cruise Director and plan all the fun events onboard the ship,” says McCue.
To that, her dad said, “You can do anything you want, including drive the thing.”
That was the moment when McCue realized that she could be the top-ranking person on a cruise ship. “After 19 years at sea, and a steady progression through the ranks, I was promoted to Captain in 2015,” McCue explains.
With the promotion to Captain, McCue continued the tradition of buying something to commemorate the moment. “Many of my colleagues and the captains I’ve known celebrated their promotions by buying something special, which in most cases was a new wristwatch. For me, it was a pair of Christian Louboutin black patent leather heels. I wanted something that I could use and also something that made me smile,” McCue says.
For her, the shoes are a good combination of appropriate business attire with a hint of luxury pleasure. “Over the years I’ve noticed more and more ‘red bottoms’ on the bridge as it’s come to represent a celebration of progress with promotions, both male and female,” McCue continues.
While McCue hails from San Francisco, she’s yet to sail under the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. “It is considered a career highlight for a Captain to sail their ship to their hometown. While I have yet to sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and bring my ship to San Francisco as a Captain, 2023 brings the next best thing,” she says.
Later this year, Celebrity Beyond will make its way to Europe for a summer season. There, McCue will be able to dock at Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is her husband’s hometown. “It’s going to be an emotional experience because my in-laws will be on the pier welcoming us to the iconic city,” explains McCue.
What’s in your bag?
As she travels around the world on a 3,260-passenger cruise ship, there are some staple items that McCue always has in her travel bag. “My travel must-haves are pretty simple,” she says. “My cat and all that comes with [that], shoes, jewelry, sentimental items, and a mermaid tail or two,” she continues.
McCue says that she likes to take basics and doesn’t really stress about clothes because if she forgets something, she can get it in port, and “it turns out to be a nice souvenir.”
Editor’s note: Some items have been selected based on top-selling product recommendations for each category.
Christian Louboutin Marchacroche Chelsea Bootie – $1,095
Christian Louboutin
nordstrom.com
McCue is known for keeping her chic looks, even while in a captain’s uniform. One of the ways she does that is by wearing luxury shoes from Christian Louboutin. “Christian Louboutin’s are my signature ‘standard uniform issue’ shoe,” she explains.
During the day she’s normally in what she calls “lug boots,” or the Marchacroche Chelsea Booties, and at night she swaps her boots for more elegant black patent leather heels.
Christian Louboutin
nordstrom.com
$795.00
Thank You Cards with Kraft Envelopes – $25.99
One of McCue’s must-have items is thank you cards. She says, “Kindness is everywhere and should be recognized.” On her Instagram account, she can often be seen filling out thank you cards to guests who have given her a gift.
These thank you cards have a simple message on the front and are blank inside so there’s plenty of room for you to write your own note.
GoPro HERO11 Black Action Camera – $429.99
On days when Celebrity Beyond is in port, or while she’s on vacation, McCue loves taking her GoPro camera out on her adventures. One of the major pros to the camera according to McCue is, “It can take a beating and still gets the best videos and underwater shots.”
The HERO11 model shoots in 5.3K video and 27.0MP for photos. There is a front display that’s great for selfies or vlogging, while the back display takes up almost the entire panel ensuring you can see exactly what you’re filming.
Sun Tails Mermaid Tails with Monofin – $69.95 to $79.95
“One of my favorite places to be is under the sea. It’s also fun to pop up under glass bottom boats carrying our guests on shore excursions,” says McCue of wearing a mermaid tail in certain ports.
The Sun Tails Mermaid Tails are designed for swimming and are long-lasting from a coating that protects the four-way stretch fabric. The mermaid tails come in over a dozen colors and sizes from a child’s small to an adult’s large.
Her Blanket
One of the sentimental pieces that McCue takes with her everywhere is her blanket. “My grandma gave it to me when I was born and I never spent the night anywhere without it,” she says.
