How Much Does a Cruise Ship Captain Make? Exploring the Average Salary and Financial Benefits

How much do cruise ship captains earn annually? On average, a cruise ship captain earns between $96,000 and $153,379 per year. Captains at the higher end of the salary range typically have extensive experience and command the largest vessels for luxury cruise lines.. Safety is the primary motivator behind everything that a cruise ship captain does. A notable example of where this wasn't the case was the Costa Concordia disaster of 2012 where the captain decided to take a different route closer to land. The cruise ship hit a rocky sea bed, capsized and 32 people lost their lives..

Captain Kate. Captains with extensive experience leading larger and luxury cruise lines tend to receive higher salaries, sometimes reaching $350,000 annually. On the other hand, less experienced captains working for smaller or more affordable cruise lines may make as little as $45,000 per year.. What is the Average Salary of Cruise Ship Captain?. Have you ever wondered how much does a cruise ship captain make a year? The exact amount can vary depending on several factors, including experience, the size and prestige of the ship, and more. It's estimated that cruise captains make an average of $96,000 a year. Some may even earn upwards of $200,000 per year while at the other end of the.