19 June 2019; Stavanger, Norway.

The weather turned out better than expected and under dry skies we picked up the pilot at 05.00 hrs. and docked just before 07.00 in Stavanger. Today it was a busy day in port with four cruise ships in. Our good selves, the Costa Favolosa, the Costa Mediterranea and The Viking Sky (*). Being the smallest ship meant we went to the smallest dock but in this port that does not matter that much. The downtown docks of Stavanger which are now mainly used for the cruise ships are surrounded by the town and that means that downtown is nearby at all sides.  If we dock at the official cruise terminal, then we are opposite the Maritime Museum and while we now are docked here, we are across from the Pub so both docks have its advantages. Luckily downtown Stavanger with is large park behind it is fairly spacious so it could easily absorb the approx. 8000 guests going ashore (Not to mention the about 3000 crew members. (*))

The downtown harbor is not very large and thus the ships are closely parked together.

Last night the cruise really started with the captains welcome on board party and as a throwback to the days when the Prinsendam joined Holland America, Captain Jeroen Schuchman conducted a traditional captain’s introduction with all the heads of departments lined up. We now have a different way of doing it, but it was gratifying to see (and hear) that our Executive Chef still received the biggest applause. Obviously the interest in food remains unchanged whatever new idea’s the company introduces.

Captain Jeroen Schuchman with the welcome on board toast. From right to left: Hotel Director, Chief Engineer, Staff Captain, Environmental Officer, Future Cruise Consultant,  Food & Beverage Director,  Executive Chef, Guest Relations Manager, Exe. Housekeeper and Cruise and Travel Director.

I have sailed out several ships in my career, including the Statendam IV (1982), The Rotterdam V (1997) and the Nieuw Amsterdam III (2000) and every time during the last voyage you get this feeling that everything you do is the last time it happens. This is quite strange for all the crew as we are in this perpetuum mobile operation that never stops but rolls on at the same pace forever. From cruise to cruise, from drill to drill, from work cycle to work cycle. Then during the final voyage, every day something comes to an end and is not repeated. Instead there is final closure and if it involves hardware, it is packed up and labeled for offloading or handover. So this morning while having crew drill, some crew thought it was the final drill and there was almost a visible sign of relief on their faces when they realized that next week there is one more. The routine is not broken yet. I am writing Almost Visible as nobody really likes to attend drills but the realization that routine was coming to an end was a quite sudden revelation.

The “As Directed” group assembling in the Crew Mess. The are all checked off by the Team leader (standing left) and then the waiting time is filled by refreshing the knowledge which we do by means of Q & A sheets.

For me it was quite interesting to just stand on deck and participate as “as directed”. Normally I facilitate the drills and create the mayhem when on board but this cruise I am assigned as “as directed” which means you do not have a function but can be assigned to help out somewhere. On every HAL ship about 20% of the crew does not have a special duty to carry out and this group assembles in the Crew Mess room waiting for things to come. Sometimes they are needed for carrying blankets or water to the guests at the lifeboat stations or are helping out as extra stretcher teams. Etc. Etc. If not, then when the Abandon ship Alarm goes, this group goes in Conga Line style up the stairs to their lifeboat / life raft stations and then wait there for things to come. Once the drill is over, everybody is dismissed except the new joiners who get extra training. And that give the peculiar situation that a Junior Officer had to instruct a very Senior Captain in the alarm procedures. But rules are rules and he did his job and was very happy to find out that I knew all the answers.

Today we sail at 15.00 hrs. after all the guests have returned from shore. Either from taking one of the tours, or having been on the hop on hop off bus, or having just wandered all over town. Then we set sail for our next port of call Alesund. Which means I have to clear up my cabin and get extra coat hangers in, as my Lord and Master will arrive to participate in the final voyage.  I will conduct today my 2^nd lecture with the Prinsendam history. We do this early in the cruise, with the aim that guests will understand the layout of the ship a bit better and will appreciate what a special ship the Prinsendam is.

Weather fore Alesund: overcast with 25% chance of showers 16oC / 61oF and very little wind.

The 2nd part of the Deck Department. The Bo’sun (blue jacket in the middle) and his sailors.

(*) Ships specs:

Costa Favolosa: built 2007  113,216 Grt.  3780 Guests, 1110 Crew

Costa Mediterranea: built 2003  85,619 Grt.  2680 Guests,  902 Crew

Viking Sky: built 2017 47,842 Grt.  930 Guests, 550 crew.