With so many cruise ships coming in, and so many big ones, the arrival parade started quite early as some ships docked nose in and some ships docked nose out. The choice between one and the other has mostly to do with work that has to be carried out on a specific side of the ship. All captains like to dock nose out; always easier for departing. Most of the time you have sufficient time on arrival to swing first before docking as Customs and Immigration do not start until 07.00 hrs. But captains do not always get their way as work might be needed at a certain side of the hull.
Such as painting something that can get the Staff Captain very excited, or an underwater inspection that can get the Chief Engineer very excited. Then there might be life raft or emergency chute inspection which also demands a choice between portside and starboard side. To get that all done properly, the arrival parade starts early in the morning.
The ms Zuiderdam entering Port Everglades harbor this morning. (Screen capture from Pt. Everglades Port Cam, by Lesley Schoonderbeek)
Today the first one was the Majesty of the Seas who arrived at the pilot station at 04.30 hrs. and went starboard side alongside. Then the rest came in with the Koningsdam going starboard side, the Celebrity Edge starboard side, the Nieuw Amsterdam starboard side, the Zuiderdam portside (nose out), the Celebrity Summit portside (nose out) and the Regal Princes starboard side (nose out). And then there were also still cargo ships coming in and going out. The pecking order depends on the dock and the size. The Koningsdam docks at pier 26 and thus has to go in first as the Celebrity Edge goes to 25 and once there blocks half the fairway. Same for the Nieuw Amsterdam, it has to get in before the Zuiderdam docks, as when in, the Majesty of the Seas and Zuiderdam are completely blocking the exit. And thus the parade has to be really fine tuned to get the ships in, in the right order, to swing around if needed and to get the gangway out for 07.00 hrs. to start the turnaround day.
These are all the docks in Port Everglades. The numbering is still from the days that the ships were a lot smaller. Dock 22 and 21 merges into 21 when the Zuiderdam docks, and 16,17, 18 become one dock when an Apartment of the Seas comes in.
Today I was the first one off the gangway at 07.00 hrs. As the CBP had promoted me to “Down liner”. This is a person who joins a ship halfway during the cruise instead of during turn over day in the American home port. I do not know if that makes me more dangerous than normal but while normally I go at the end with the in transit guests, now I had the honor to be processed first and get my stamp of approval. The stamp was the same, the CBP was as friendly and professional as always, so why the difference I have no idea. Next time Fort Lauderdale it will be back to normal and I will march with the In-Transit Guests to the CBP booth at the very end of the dis-embarkation. Once we have all been scrutinized and the “zero count” has been announced (= all guests and related off), we can march straight back on board.
While waiting this time to be allowed back on board, I was watching the world go by and it is really amazing what sort of impact the cruise business has on this area. Apart from all the guests going to the airport or on buses or to the car park, there is this enormous number of shuttle buses to service the crew. Our changeover was about 80 today that is normal: 10% of the crew on board and that was two big buses full. Then there are about 25 (today maybe even more) crew shuttles going to the Southport, Galleria or the Sawgrass shopping mall. Quite a few of the drivers are ex crew who somehow ended up in Florida. And they offer cheap transportation to the necessary hot spots (read: supermarket and money exchange)
You would think that a sherrif is more at home on dry land, riding a horse or driving a car. But the sherrifs department also has a “wet side” with patrol boats.
Another large group of important people is the Broward County Sheriff Department. I spoke to one of the police officers ( I wonder if he would also be a sheriff and his female counter part a Sheriffin, or that only the big boss is called a sheriff ?) who was guarding the cross over and he estimated that over 150 officers were involved today with safe guarding the port. When I asked him if he was really needed for directing pedestrian traffic to the taxis; he said”if you would see the paperwork involved in an accident, you would want to be here”. And he was right; while we were talking a dear old lady, pushing a suitcase almost her size, started to cross completely oblivious of any traffic, just with full focus on the waiting taxi. And then I knew. But there is a mixture of police / sheriff assistants and security guards who do it all and with 20,000+ out and 20,000+ in, it is not a simple job. Security, assistance, protection, K9, water way patrol, fire engines and medical rescue all in one group; turning it into an enormous smoothly running operation.
We left nicely on time and we are now on our way to Half Moon Cay, if I remember the schedule right, we will be by ourselves and thus 2000 guests will have ample space as the island van handle about 5000.
Weather: 79oF / 26oC full sun and very little wind. I hope the guests packed sun block 50, as it will be warm.
February 18, 2019 at 12:55 am
Usually the “big guy” (the person who was elected) if the sheriff and the officers under him are deputy sheriffs. Of course there are different levels of deputy (i.e. chief deputy, etc.)
February 18, 2019 at 10:09 am
Hallo Kaptein; in the U.S., which has about 3,007 counties, Los Angeles and Broward County being just two of them, there is one Sheriff (four stars) in charge of a single county sheriff’s department or office, who is elected by the populace. Going down from that position in ranking order depending on the size of the agency, you will usually have an Undersheriff (three stars) in the #2 position and then it goes down to the position of assistant sheriff (two stars). Then you’ll get sheriff commanders (one star), sheriff captains (two bars), sheriff lieutenants (one bar), sheriff sergeants (three chevrons or stripes) and finally down to deputy sheriff, the entry level position after successful graduation from the sheriff’s academy which you enter as a cadet, yours truly being a graduate of Los Angeles County Sheriff Academy class #199.
Broward County Sheriff Office (BSO) is responsible for an extensive coastline incl. a major port like Port Everglades, inland waterways, canals and thousands of acres of Everglades wetlands and therefore has one of the larger Marine Patrol iunits you’ll find, consisting of a small navy with a number of patrol boats of various sizes.
Where Broward County Sheriff is also unique is that it runs the Fire-Rescue service which in most counties is run by the County Fire Department. That’s why, unlike most counties in the U.S., you will see the name Broward County Sheriff Fire Rescue on the big red trucks and paramedic ambulances which in Port Everglades are the first responders to cruise ship medevacs.
Sorry for being long winded! Take care and be safe! 🙂
February 18, 2019 at 12:16 pm
thanks Copper,
Great Explanation.
Now I also understand the star system.
I knew it was a big outfit, but I did not know it was that big.
Leaves the question if a female deputy sheriff is a deputy sheriff or a Sherafina ?
Best regards
Capt. albert
February 18, 2019 at 4:57 pm
“Sherafina” 🙂 is a great name, Kaptein, but both males and females are known by and addressed as ‘deputy sheriff’ or just as ‘deputy’. That’s one of the big changes in addressing a sworn member of a sheriff’s department as opposed to a member of a police department, who go by ‘police officer’ or just ‘officer’. One of the other main ones is that immediately upon graduation from the sheriff’s academy, brand new sheriff deputies will work the county jail as ‘jailer’ for a certain time period, while brand new police officers who attended the sheriff’s academy as a ‘participating agency’ (only the large police departments like NYPD, LAPD, etc. run their own academies) will hit the streets right away under the guidance of field training officers. As opposed to in Holland, the U.S. has many, many different types of law enforcement agencies on the federal, state, and local (county and municipal) levels.
February 18, 2019 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Copper for the full explanation. Between Captain Albert and your valuable advice on sailaway days, I am more educated than the average Holland America Line cruiser.
February 18, 2019 at 10:09 am
Good Day Capt Albert
I can relate to what you said about police/traffic etc at the port.
I came off the “Westerdam’ last February and was astounded at the number of people coming and going and the efficiency and work load of the local’ sherrifinia’ !! had to be seen to be believed. Boy could she shout. but she did a great job especially when our booked shuttle failed to arrive and she basically hijacked at taxi to make sure we got our ride down to MIA. they do a great job there.
February 21, 2019 at 1:32 am
Good day Captain,
My late husband was an airline captain and your explanation of all these ships coming in and waiting for a berth made me think of planes “stacking up” over Heathrow or Atlanta etc. ! Same idea in a way.
Happy sailing !