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What is the difference between a Captain and Skipper?

coka

By coka,
in Ask a Cruise Question

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coka

coka

Posted
Posted

What is the difference between a Captain and a Skipper? Is it the size of the ship/boat? I was on 64 foot yacht in the Adriatic recently and the 'captain' called himself the skipper. Then I got thinking about Gilligan's Island...and the Skipper. They are smaller vessels compared to cruise ships.

So...do any of you know the difference?

 

Coka

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wraithe

wraithe

Posted
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Yes, it has to do with the quantity of scrambled eggs on their cap. And whether or not their shirt has been pressed. The exact formula is rather complex.

 

ROTFL, in the Navy, Skipper is a term used for a ship's Captain that has been around for a while, somewhat more relaxed term for the Captain. If you really want to wrap your noodle around something confusing to civilians, submarine Commanding Officers are usually Commanders by rank, a tug could have a CPO as a Commanding Officer, aka Captain.

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GCurry

GCurry

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About $200,000 a year, a multi-million dollar ship & crew, 3,000 new passengers every week or so and the responsibility and litigation that goes with that package!!

I love the analogy QMII = Captain, Minnow = The Skipper.

 

Hats off to the Navy and Coast Guard, as much or more responsibility on a fraction of the pay.

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cruise_lover

cruise_lover

Posted
Posted
What is the difference between a Captain and a Skipper? Is it the size of the ship/boat? I was on 64 foot yacht in the Adriatic recently and the 'captain' called himself the skipper. Then I got thinking about Gilligan's Island...and the Skipper. They are smaller vessels compared to cruise ships.

So...do any of you know the difference?

 

Coka

Webster's II Dictionary has a Skipper has one who is the Master of a Ship. The same dictionary has a Master as the captain of a merchant ship. Now this is where it really gets confusing. Mr. Webster says; Merchant (n), of or relating to the merchant marine.

 

If you don't mind, I think I'll skip looking up the meaning of captain.

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cruiseco

cruiseco

Posted
Posted
ROTFL, in the Navy, Skipper is a term used for a ship's Captain that has been around for a while, somewhat more relaxed term for the Captain. If you really want to wrap your noodle around something confusing to civilians, submarine Commanding Officers are usually Commanders by rank, a tug could have a CPO as a Commanding Officer, aka Captain.

 

Why the navy uses the term "Captain" both as a rank and as a job description (but not necessarily interchangeable is beyond me.

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cruiseco

cruiseco

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"Captain" is a job description, the person in command of a vessel. "Skipper" is a term of respect and is earned by only the best.

 

 

But "Captain" is also a rank, above a Commander and below a Rear Admiral. So a Captain (rank) can be a Captain (job description). But a Captain (rank) can have many non-ship -related postings -- aviator, lawyer, logistics, etc.

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Traveler353

Traveler353

Posted
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But "Captain" is also a rank, above a Commander and below a Rear Admiral. So a Captain (rank) can be a Captain (job description). But a Captain (rank) can have many non-ship -related postings -- aviator, lawyer, logistics, etc.

 

Thank you for pointing that out. After 22 years in the Navy and 16 as a Licensed Maritine Captain(Unlimited) I was aware of that.:rolleyes:

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ShedQueen77

ShedQueen77

Posted
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I stumbled upon this thread and "moused" over the title to see the first few lines of the post just to see what it was all about. All I saw was this:

 

"What is the difference between a Captain and a Skipper? Is it the size of..."

 

So....since my perverted mind was piqued, I open the post and read it. Of course, it's not what I was expecting. I somehow knew it wasn't. ;) Then I see LHP's post about Skippers having "Big Guns" and I started rolling.....:D

 

I'm sorry. I know this reply has no merit to it but I just had to share that because I'm still laughing.

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Bonnie J.

Bonnie J.

Posted
Posted

The captain of a cruise ship is the master. He is called the captain or master but you ask how long he's been the master, not captain. Don't know why but that's the way it is. Can anyone tell us why?

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Grandpaul

Grandpaul

Posted
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If the Minnow with Gilligan on it had a Captain he would have fixed the boat and headed back to the mainland. But since the Skipper was in charge he figured why fix the boat since he was stuck on an island with Mary Ann and Ginger. Big difference.

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eh2zed

eh2zed

Posted
Posted
If the Minnow with Gilligan on it had a Captain he would have fixed the boat and headed back to the mainland. But since the Skipper was in charge he figured why fix the boat since he was stuck on an island with Mary Ann and Ginger. Big difference.

Grandpaul, you get my vote. I think you nailed it. Skippers are smarter than Captains and a bit more devious. You must have conferred with Mr. Webster and Oxford.:D :D :D :D

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coka

coka

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Oh my gosh, I am falling off my office chair laughing so hard! Believe me, I googled the question prior to asking it here and a precise answer was not to be found. Your answers are much better! I hope you keep em coming! I want to laugh more!

 

Coka

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LHP

LHP

Posted
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Just to confuse the issue even more....sometimes they are called Pilots.

 

If my Dad were living, he would be 101. Dad was a River Boat Pilot (Mississippi River) for years, before he started his own Tug Boat manufactoring business in Vicksburg. He was also a Marine Surveyor (which is someone who engineers and builds boats.)

 

Which begs to ask another question?

 

Why do they call them TUG boats when they PUSH barges up and down the river?

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katerkat

katerkat

Posted
Posted
But "Captain" is also a rank, above a Commander and below a Rear Admiral. So a Captain (rank) can be a Captain (job description). But a Captain (rank) can have many non-ship -related postings -- aviator, lawyer, logistics, etc.

 

And of course, Navy people put Captains in the wrong order. My husband is currently a captain (and a pilot, but not a river boat pilot!) but he ranks far below a Navy captain! :D

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  • 10 months later...
rebeljohn

rebeljohn

Posted
Posted
Lovey and I will never use a "Skipper" again, we will insist on a "Captain" or higher!:eek:

.........and I assume you'll cruise on something larger than the Minnow too...........At least Lovey had plenty of clothes for her stay.............

I still think it would have been a nice stay on the island with Mary Ann..................

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Kudos2Fly

Kudos2Fly

Posted
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About $200,000 a year, a multi-million dollar ship & crew, 3,000 new passengers every week or so and the responsibility and litigation that goes with that package!!

I love the analogy QMII = Captain, Minnow = The Skipper.

 

Hats off to the Navy and Coast Guard, as much or more responsibility on a fraction of the pay.

 

Cruise Captains don't make that much money.. If that were the case my dad would be butting his app. in to work for the cruise lines... They only make between $100,000-120,000. My dad makes about that much as a merchant marine captain... with out having to worry about 3000 people either, other then his crew.. OF course he has other things to worry about.

 

You can check that out on the internet by just typing in cruise ship jobs..

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LindaJ+

LindaJ+

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Posted

The "Captain" is the title of the guy who commands the ship.

 

The "Skipper" is what the enlisted crew calls him in conversation (but not addressing him directly).

 

The "Old Man" is what the Chiefs call him in conversation (but not addressing him directly).

 

All this went out the window when LTJG Beverly Kelley became the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel. :D

 

Linda

30 years service in the U.S. Coast Guard

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cruiselover57

cruiselover57

Posted
Posted
If the Minnow with Gilligan on it had a Captain he would have fixed the boat and headed back to the mainland. But since the Skipper was in charge he figured why fix the boat since he was stuck on an island with Mary Ann and Ginger. Big difference.

 

Everybody:

 

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale a tale of a fateful trip ...."

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