Belinda Bennett made history in January 2016 when Windstar Cruises promoted her to captain of MSY Wind Star. It was well earned. She’d begun her maritime career as a deck cadet at age 17 and worked on a variety of ships before joining Windstar Cruises as a second officer in 2005. Not only was Captain Bennett the first female captain in the company’s history, but she was also the very first Black captain in the commercial cruising industry.
When asked by Connecting Travel in 2024 what it felt like to be the world’s first Black female cruise ship captain, Captain Bennett responded:
I felt a great sense of personal achievement. It was tough but I’m proud I was able to earn the rank and inspire others, and perhaps make it easier for them in the process. There is more awareness now, more support and helplines for bullying and racial harassment. It’s still a male-dominated world at sea, but if you’re ambitious and not afraid of hard work, it’s very rewarding.
Captain Bennett’s career has been far from easy. Through hard work, dedication, and — by her own admission — being headstrong, she’s been able to achieve her dream of a life of adventure at sea.
“It was make or break – and I refused to be broken.”
Captain Bennett was born on the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic. The volcanic island is about 122 square miles and supports a population of about 4,400 people. It’s remote: Saint Helena is located about 1,165 miles (1,874 km) from the west coast of the African continent. Portuguese explorers discovered it in 1502 and subsequently colonized by the English in 1657. It remains a British Overseas Territory to this day. Napoleon Bonaparte spent his second exile on Saint Helena after his defeat at Waterloo, and he died there in May 1821. During World War II, the island became an Allied base of operations for anti-submarine operations.
This was where Captain Bennett grew up. She dreamed of a life at sea from an early age. “Growing up on a small island, from the age that I could walk I was in the water. I loved the ocean. It used to be that the only way off the island was by ship.” Her adventures started at age 17 she became a deck cadet aboard the cargo liner RMS St. Helena. Sailing between Cape Town, South Africa and Saint Helena, Bennett started learning her trade.
Unfortunately, however, she didn’t have the easiest of experiences. As she told Connecting Travel:
When I was training as a cadet, the chief officers made me work harder than the guys. They would knock off for the day, and I would be left outside continuing to work until it got dark. It was make or break – and I refused to be broken.
In addition, Bennet had determination. In an interview with Forbes in 2019, she told them:
I had goals in life, which I’ve succeeded at, and I’m a very strong woman. Being a woman, you have to work extra hard to prove yourself — even more than a man. Some men might not like that, but that’s the way it is. I’m driven. I wanted to be captain, and so, I am.
Following her time aboard the St. Helena, Bennett worked aboard the private yacht Delphine and Isle of Man Steam Packet ferries. After going back to school for her master’s degree, however, she found it hard to find work aboard yachts.
As she said to Forbes:
The yachting industry wasn’t quite ready for me at that time. I remember being sat down by an agent in Antibes and being told that finding a job in the yachting industry would be very hard because of three things: 1) I had a higher education than most captains at the time; 2) I was a woman; 3) I was black. So I had to reevaluate my options, and Windstar, here I came.
After joining Windstar Cruises, Bennett never looked back. Her first voyage as master of MSY Wind Star took place on January 30, 2016.
An Inspired Leader
The British government honored Captain Bennett with the 2018 Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service. Established in 2016, this award honors British mariners who have gone above and beyond in their duties. Recipients also serve as an outstanding example to others. “Belinda’s trailblazing is [an example] of the outstanding service provided by our mariners,” said UK Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani. The award was presented by the Princess Royal.
Upon receiving the award, Captain Bennett said:
It is an absolute honor to receive this medal. I hope that young people around the world will follow in my footsteps with hard work and dedication. I have to thank my family, friends and work colleagues for their support over the years and every day we continue to learn. My career at sea has allowed me to see much of the world and its cultures of which I am thankful. This medal may be awarded to me but it belongs to all who have supported me over the last 24 years at sea.
The cruise industry is still largely male-dominated, but this is starting to change. A 2019 study showed that while women made up 18-20% of the workforce, fewer than a dozen commanded of their own ship. And less than 6% of all deck officers were women. But things are changing. Celebrity Cruises, for example, has been leading the way in increasing diversity amongst its bridge crews for some time. In August 2017 they entered into a partnership with the Regional Maritime University in Ghana to recruit women into their Celebrity Cadet Program.
As or Captain Belinda Bennet, she is proud of her achievements and for achieving her dream. But she ‘s not resting on her laurels. Indeed, she continues to inspire others as well. Captain Bennet made a point of mentioning that:
Every time I go back to St. Helena, I go to a high school and I talk to the kids. I tell them, “Look, I was once in your chair. I was schooling just like you, and then after so many years, I am now captain on a cruise ship that travels throughout the world.
Captain Bennett’s perseverance and dedication continues to shine through her work. Future generations of seafarers can look to her example and know that they too can achieve great things.
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