Disney Cruise Line Just Made History – Meet Their First Female Captain

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I have to admit, when I heard this news I got a little emotional.

As someone who has spent the last two decades sailing on and writing about Disney cruises this is news I have wanted to hear for a long time.

Disney Cruise Line has just promoted Maria Gotor to Captain, making her the first woman in the company’s history to hold this position.

And she’ll be taking the helm of one of my favorite ships – the Disney Wish.

All photos Disney Cruise Line

This is such a huge milestone, so let me tell you about Captain Gotor and how she got here – including some wonderful insights straight from Disney’s own official Q&A with her.

How Captain Gotor Shared the News

Captain Gotor announced her promotion herself, posting a photo of her brand new captain’s stripes with the caption:

“And Just like this…. We have a new Captain in the room”

The response was overwhelming. She has built up quite a following among cruise fans – nearly 3,000 on Facebook and over 11,000 on Instagram – and the congratulatory messages poured in from both platforms.

She later thanked her followers, admitting it was hard to keep up with the flood of comments:

“Being onboard it’s a bit more difficult for me to reply to all of you, but you all made my day.”

One especially nice touch – Captain Wesley Dunlop, the former P&O Cruises captain who joined Disney Cruise Line in late 2024 and now commands the Disney Fantasy, was among those celebrating her achievement. It’s lovely to see that kind of camaraderie among the captains.

Related: 10 Things You Need to Know About Disney Wish

From Lawyer to Ship’s Captain – Her Incredible Career Path

Here’s the part of Captain Gotor’s story that I find absolutely fascinating. She didn’t start out wanting to be a ship’s captain at all.

In Disney’s own official Q&A with her, she explained exactly how different her path once looked:

“Growing up in Spain, I remember hearing about careers like being a doctor, a lawyer or an architect. So I studied law and spent six years building my career as a lawyer.”

Everything changed on one ordinary ferry ride. While crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to meet friends, she happened to meet the ferry’s captain and was invited to visit the wheelhouse. As she put it:

“I asked what it took to become a captain and soon realized there was an entire industry I’ve never considered before.”

That single conversation completely changed the trajectory of her life. She went back to school for a master’s degree in nautical engineering and maritime navigation while still working as a lawyer, and she knew right away this was the career for her.

Well, I have something in common with Captain Gotor. I also started my career as a lawyer. The similarity to the story ends there, I can barely steer a boat on a canal, but I can certainly identify with how your life can take a very different and unexpected path.

Climbing the Ranks

Once she’d finished her studies, Captain Gotor began piloting the very same ferry that had first sparked her interest. After six years of coastal navigation, she was ready for a new challenge and made the move to ocean cruising.

Here’s how her career progressed from there:

• 2009: Joined the cruise industry as a junior officer, working her way up to staff captain over the years that followed
• 2018: Promoted to Staff Captain with Celebrity Cruises, serving aboard ships including the innovative Celebrity Edge
• September 2024: Joined Disney Cruise Line as Staff Captain – something she said she’d thought about for years
• June 2026: Promoted to Captain of the Disney Wish

That’s less than two years from joining Disney to reaching the very top of the bridge – which just shows how impressive her track record already was.

Why She Chose Disney

I always love hearing why crew members choose Disney Cruise Line over other cruise lines, and Captain Gotor’s answer in her official Disney Q&A is exactly the kind of thing that makes this brand so special:

“I’ve sailed for many years, but there is something unique about Disney Cruise Line. The joy on board is real, and today I am the happiest I have ever been.”

She went on to explain just how deeply she feels that joy:

“I feel it from the guests, from the crew, even standing on the open deck. It’s unlike anything else in this industry.”

She specifically mentioned experiencing the Disney Wish’s “Let’s Set Sail” sail-away celebration for the first time after joining the ship, and feeling the emotion and joy from everyone onboard.

Related: Disney Wish Cruise for Adults

What It’s Really Like to Captain the Disney Wish

I loved this part of her Disney Q&A, where she talks about what the role actually means to her both personally and professionally:

“Serving as captain of the Disney Wish is both deeply personal and professionally meaningful. Representing my home country of Spain on a ship like this makes it even more special.”

She also gave a fascinating glimpse into just how demanding the technical side of the job really is:

“Guiding a cruise ship requires constant focus, judgment and precision… On the Disney Wish, there’s 144,000 tons of steel that you have to stop without brakes. It’s challenging, and it’s rewarding.”

But it’s not all about the technical side for her. She also talked about how much she enjoys connecting with people onboard, sharing a memory that clearly meant a lot to her:

“I’ll never forget when they celebrated and cheered me on during my first ship-wide announcement as Captain of the vessel. That was a special moment for me.”

I don’t know about you, but that gave me goosebumps reading it! One of the things that I enjoy about cruising with Disney is that the Captain is always visible. On some other cruise lines you barely even know that there is a Captain, and you often don’t even know their name.

With Disney Cruise Captains you feel as though they are part of your cruising experience. It is difficult to explain, but if you know, you know.

A Milestone for the Whole Industry

While Disney Cruise Line had never previously had a female captain, other major cruise lines have appointed women to these roles in recent years, including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Virgin Voyages.

So while this is a first for Disney specifically, it’s part of a bigger, wonderful shift happening across the whole cruise industry.

This also comes at an exciting time for Disney Cruise Line, which has grown from a fleet of just four ships to one of the most ambitious expansion programs in the industry, with several new vessels set to join the fleet over the coming years.

Captain Maria Gotor’s promotion is a huge deal – not just for Disney Cruise Line, but for anyone who dreams about changing careers later in life or breaking into an industry that once felt inaccessible.

From lawyer, to ferry pilot, to commanding one of the largest ships in Disney’s fleet – her journey is genuinely inspiring.

If you want to read Disney’s full official Q&A with Captain Maria (and I highly recommend you do – it’s such a lovely read), you can find it here: Meet Captain Maria, Disney Cruise Line’s Newest Ship Captain

Next time I’m sailing on the Disney Wish, I really hope I get the chance to meet her in person. Congratulations, Captain Gotor – here’s to many more milestones ahead!