The fist female captain at sea for the Scarlet Lady

What a lovely name for a ship for a Lady Captain!!

There has been a lot of talk about Virgin Voyages and it’s been a long wait since Virgin made the first announcement about going into the Cruising industry.

The fist ship is not sailing yet, called Scarlet Lady is already making history appointing the first ever cruise ship captain for a major cruise line. Captain Wendy Willimas is Canadian born in Sept-Iles Quebec, on the Northeastern Coast of Canada, Captain Wendy is certainly no newcomer to the sea. She has a great experience and has spent most of her last thirty years on the water.

Her fist career at sea was commercial fishing, starting as a deckhand, then an observer and eventually working in all capacities, for her own vessels. During that time she became fascinated with the sailing of the ships and began to move in that direction.

Her experience and background gives her the confidence she has today. She says “Fishing brings you very close to the weather and how it changes, I’ve learned a lot about reading the weather from being on a fishing vessel.”

On an interview Captain Wendy says “I think we’re making amazing strides now. When you walk onto the bridge you don’t have a gender. You’re a Mariner. You’re an officer, this is what you do. This is what we do together. There should be no bearing on what our gender is. And that’s the kind of bridge that we are going to have. There’s no space in our day to have gender bias. While structure is of utmost importance for safety and order on a ship. I’m driven to embrace inclusivity and set an example that all people should be treated with respect and integrity.”

A deep love for the sea drives all she does, and she’s described a life at sea as her calling, “For me, the sea is my religion. It’s where I think. It’s where I have clarity. I’m not afraid of it and I’m respectful of it. The whole thing for me is that at Virgin Voyages we’re going to do it differently,” said Captain Wendy, noting that she was drawn to the brand because of a shared drive for treating the sea with care and respect.

“I’ve encountered people in my career who feel being kind and smiling is a sign of weakness, but I believe it’s my greatest strength,” she says about her thoughtful approach to all she does. “I have to care about everyone and everything. I’m the Captain.”

Captain Wendy added “I intend to be the best captain I can be and love every moment of it.”

Welcome Aboard Captain Wendy!!