A Day with the Chief Engineer
It’s Global Day of the Engineer! One of the highlights from when I worked aboard the Queen Mary was getting to spend a day with Chief Engineer Ronnie Keir of the Queen Victoria. It was January 2012, and Commodore Everette Hoard asked me to come along and take “lots of photos.” It was my day…
Can “America’s Flagship” Still Be Saved? One Group Thinks So
Ever since the SS United States left Philadelphia on February 19 bound for Mobile, Alabama, social media has been abuzz with images of the grand ship under tow. The crew of Vinik No. 6 — the tugboat towing “America’s Flagship” — have posted some phenomenal pictures, as have spectators from land, sea, and air. I…
The Fall of a Powerful Agency for Good: Marcus Garvey, the Black Star Line, and J. Edgar Hoover
Marcus Garvey was at the height of his power in the early 1920s. His Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) had between two and four million members worldwide. He spoke passionately and persuasively about Black pride, nationalism, and economic independence from the White world. To help promote his agenda, Garvey established the Black Star Line in…
Captain Kate McCue Leaves Celebrity Cruises
On February 24, 2025, Captain Kate McCue announced that she was leaving Celebrity Cruises. It was a complete shock to the cruise world. Captain Kate is iconic. In 2015, she became the first American woman to command a “mega” cruise ship when she took the helm of Celebrity Summit. Captain Kate went on to command…
A New Vision: Marcus Garvey and the Black Star Line
Marcus Garvey, founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), had a dream of uniting all people of African descent. Proclaiming an agenda of Black pride, nationalism, and economic independence in the 1910s, the Jamaican-born activist struck a chord to some…and a nerve to others. Some called him the “Black Moses.” In 1965, Dr. Martin…
The SS United States Leaves Philadelphia After Nearly 30 Years
After nearly 30 years, the SS United States has left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On February 19, 2025, “America’s Flagship” left her longtime berth aided by tugboats. She was maneuvered into the Delaware River and started the first leg of her last voyage. Over the next two weeks, the ship will be towed down to Mobile, Alabama…
The Captain’s Table
Stories from the Golden Age of Ocean Liners to the Cruise Ships of Today
How it all started…
Over a decade ago, I started a blog called The Captain’s Table to tell the stories about the ships and people involved in the Golden Age of ocean liners. I was working as a tour guide aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA at the time and it was a way to help me both deepen my knowledge and explore a topic I’d been passionate about for a long time.
With this overhauled version of the blog, I’ll continue to explore the stories, ships, and people connected to the old ocean liners. But there’ll also be a new emphasis on cruise ships as well: they continue the traditions and history made famous by such ships as Queen Mary, United States, Mauretania, Caronia, and many others. I’ll be nerding out a lot, and I really hope that you enjoy this blog.
Zach Whitlow
Writer, Ship Geek, and Avid Cruiser