Cunard Line’s First Female Captain Brings Queen Victoria Back to Los Angeles

Captain Inger Olsen is at the helm of Queen Victoria’s debut American season

Danish-born Inger Olsen made history on Dec 1, 2010 by becoming the first female captain in Cunard Line’s 171-year history of sailing luxury cruise vacations. Last weekend, she continued her historic maiden sailings as Captain of Queen Victoria, as she brought the ship back to the Port of Los Angeles.

Captain Olsen and Queen Victoria are coming off the heels of the momentous Cunard Royal Rendezvous in New York City on Jan 13th, where all three of Cunard’s Queens met for a spectacular fireworks display in front of the Statue of Liberty before departing on their respective voyages. Olsen joined Queen Victoria just prior to the commencement of the ship’s debut Americas season, departing from New York and sailing to Los Angeles. During this first 17-day voyage, the ship called on Ft. Lauderdale and Bonaire, traversed the Panama Canal, and visited three ports in Mexico–Huatulco, Acapulco, and Manzanillo–before arriving in Los Angeles.

Queen Victoria's Americas season continues until March 18th, and features additional transits through the Panama Canal, four total calls to Los Angeles, two roundtrip voyages from Los Angeles to Hawaii, and one Getaway voyage to Mexico.

Forty-three-year-old Captain Olsen was raised in the Faroe Islands, which accounts for her maritime abilities, and she joined Cunard in 1997 as First Officer on board Caronia. In 2001 she transferred to sister-brand Seabourn. She sailed on Seabourn Sun and Seabourn Spirit before being promoted to the rank of Staff Captain on Seabourn Pride in 2003. Following some years with other companies within the Carnival Corp. family, Captain Olsen returned to Cunard in August this year as Deputy Captain of Queen Victoria. When not at the helm of the majestic Cunard ocean liner, Captain Olsen lives in Denmark.

For more information about Queen Victoria, visit Cunard.com or take an inside look at CruiseDiva.com’s Queen Victoria Review.

Photo Courtesy of Cunard Line