Captain Craig Street, a veteran of over 30 years with Princess Cruises, has shared his experiences of life at sea, including navigating storms, officiating hundreds of weddings, and meeting his wife onboard two decades ago.
From Cadet to Captain
Street, from Norfolk, began his maritime career at age 17 as a cadet with Princess Cruises, choosing adventure over a place at Edinburgh University. Inspired by his father's Royal Navy service and the television series The Love Boat, he rose through the ranks to become a captain 17 years ago.
He has cruised globally, visiting Antarctica four times, spending 20 seasons in Alaska, and calling at destinations such as New Zealand, Hawaii, the Orient, and Mexico.
Evolution of Ships and Role
Over the years, Street has witnessed the fleet's expansion from the intimate 630-guest, 27,000-tonne Island Princess to the 177,000-tonne megaship Sun Princess, which accommodates 4,000 guests. Beyond ship amenities, his role as captain has evolved significantly.
When not commanding the ship and overseeing 1,550 crew members, Street spends considerable time conducting weddings. He has performed over 100 legal weddings, including a group ceremony on Valentine's Day for around 100 couples in the ship's Piazza.
Unique Wedding Locations
Street explains that legal weddings must be conducted outside 12 miles from land, making each ceremony unique. 'Nobody in the world would probably ever have had the chance of somebody else being married in that exact location,' he says. He has also arranged surprise engagements for couples at sea.
On one special occasion, he married a staff engineer and his fiancée, who worked elsewhere on the vessel, in a service attended by 200 officers and crew.
Love at Sea
Street met his wife 20 years ago on the Caribbean Princess, where she worked as a scuba dive instructor. They married two years later and now live in Scotland with their two rescue cats. A perk of his job allows his wife to join him onboard.
'I'm very fortunate in the position I'm in—we can bring family on board the ship,' Street says. 'The company looks after us very well.'
Work-Life Balance and Perks
Street enjoys a healthy work-life balance, with good leave compensating for occasional long hours. 'It's nice to have the time off to do all the things that we do in the house,' he says, adding that he enjoys gardening in their large garden.
Favorite Destinations
Although he has 'lost count' of the destinations visited, Street holds Hawaii and French Polynesia dear. 'My wife and I had our honeymoon in Hawaii, and we did island hopping, so that's definitely one of our favourites,' he says.
Navigating Storms and Seasickness
Street explains that ships are built for rough seas, and routes are planned to avoid severe weather. Stabiliser fins counteract rolling, minimising movement. For seasickness, he recommends fresh air and looking at the horizon, along with readily available medications.
New Docuseries
Street is featured in a new Channel 4 series, Cruising to the Ends of the Earth, an eight-part exploration of remote destinations reached by sea. 'It never fails to amaze even having seen it before,' he says. 'It's a great way to see the world.'
The series airs on Sundays at 8pm on Channel 4.
