- Captain Wendy Williams will take command of Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady next April.
- She is the first Canadian woman to captain a ship for a major cruise brand, according to the company.
- Virgin Voyages has employed several women in senior officer roles on Scarlet Lady – the “Scarlet Squad“.
Virgin Voyages’ new 110,000 gross tons cruise ship, the Scarlet Lady, will be led by Captain Wendy Williams from the spring of 2020, reports Traveller.
Female cruise ship captains
She joins a small but growing group of female cruise ship captains succeeding Karin Stahre-Janson, who was appointed captain of Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas in 2007.
Regent Seven Seas recently announced that Serena Melani will captain its newest ship, Seven Seas Splendor, which makes its maiden voyage in February; other lines that have female captains include Cunard, P&O UK, Windstar, Sea Cloud, AIDA and Silversea.
Deckhand to Master
Originally from Canada’s coastal city of Sept-Iles, Quebec, Captain Williams has more than 28 years of experience working on ships.
She spent 10 years as a deckhand in commercial fishing off the western coast of Canada, as well as working as a ferryboat captain.
Although she has spent 15 years working on the bridge of cruise ships, her role with Virgin Voyages will be her first promotion to Master.
Scarlet Squad
“I have salt water in my veins and nothing brings me more joy than being at sea,” said Williams.
She added “It’s a dream come true to be working with Virgin Voyages, a company that is focused on creating an incredible experience not only for our sailors [passengers] but for our crew as well; while also taking action to minimise our footprint on our oceans.”
Virgin Voyages has employed several women in senior officer roles on Scarlet Lady – the “Scarlet Squad” – and intends its shipboard crew to be at least 50 per cent female.
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Source: Traveller
