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First American Female Cruise Ship Captain Completes Maiden Voyage

BOSTON (CBS) -- The first American woman to helm a cruise ship completed her maiden voyage in Boston Tuesday morning.

Kate McCue guided the "Celebrity Summit" into Boston harbor to complete a 14-day cruise across New England and Canada.

The ship carries more than 2,000 passengers and a crew of nearly 1,000.

"Everyone has a stereotypical idea of a captain," McCue told CBS News. "I don't have a beard or a parrot, but I think when the guests meet me they're pleasantly surprised."

celebrity-summit
McCue's ship enters Boston Harbor, behind the red ship. (WBZ)

She says she's been dreaming of becoming a captain since she was 12 years old and on her first cruise with her family to the Bahamas.

It took 19 years of work in the industry before she could command her own ship. She's also following an old sailor's tradition of getting a tattoo.

"This is my anchoring to keep me grounded," she said. "And then I have my compass rose, my ship's wheel, see where I'm going."

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McCue's tattoo (Image credit CBS News)
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