Captain & Chief Engineer Discuss Efficiency & Passenger Experience Aboard Docked Ship At Cruise Confab In Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Sailing through the open waters of the oceans definitely has its perks but maintaining the systems from both a logistical and passenger perception requires multi-tasking on a large scale. With Holland America's MS Zuiderdam docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale for the Cruise 360 Conference in Fort Lauderdale before making its TransAtlantic trip to The Azores, the ship is understandably filled with activity. Captain Wouter Van Hoogdalemd as well as his Chief Engineer Fitzwarren Kirkland took time out of their busy schedule to sit down with MRV: The Buzz Editor In Chief Tim Wassberg in the Captain's Office aboard the Zuiderdan to discuss efficiency, background and the fundamentals of experience.
The Buzz: The operation of every ship is different. And the way every ship is designed and engineered and used is different. Can you talk about this ship in particular from your point of view?
Fitzwarren Kirkland (Chief Engineer): In particular this ship, and really most of Holland America's newer ships are what we call diesel electric drives. It is very efficient when you use diesel electric ships. We have five diesel engines and one gas turbine. You can choose any engine configuration depending on the speed you need. So it makes it more fuel efficient.
The Buzz: And the ships have become more efficient over the years.
FK: That's correct. And also when the price of fuel went up quite a bit, we did a lot of modification and upgrades just to make the ships more fuel efficient. I think this ship was actually the first ship that we had a lot of LED lights. They were placed on at the last dry-dock.
The Buzz: Now, can you talk about efficiency on a ship like this? What efficiency means for you, as a captain, both in terms of, obviously, ambiance and making sure everything's running smoothly but also safety.
Wouter Van Hoogdalemd (Captain): For example now that we do the crossing, you already mentioned it. We try to take the most optimum route to [our destination of] Horta in the Azores, and for that, I have multiple paid websites at my disposal in order to monitor the weather. For example, we use SPOS, and I have WIR as well. I can route the ship as optimally as possible towards Horta, and that, obviously, saves fuel. But it depends on what kind of parameters you enter. It could also cost more fuel in order to reduce the rolling motion, for example, for guests. So I have to choose between fuel or comfort. In this case, the weather appears to be very favorable for this crossing with a maximum sea height of 3 meters or 10 feet. And definitely we take the most optimum route, the great circle, to Horta.
The Buzz: We're talking about these different things, and the different mechanical elements and the engineering that add into the satisfaction of the passenger, the psychology of a passenger. Can you talk about that?
WVH: The most important thing for me is to inform guests...supplying information to the guests is the most important. So in case of a crossing, you always talk about what route you take and why, and why are you deviating from the original course in order to avoid the more higher seas. Even if you're in 4-meter seas, which is quite moderate, a lot of people have never sailed before. You inform them that you went south or north in order to avoid the higher seas. And people are happy with that information. You get a lot out of it too.
The Buzz: You're doing a TransAtlantic from this port [Fort Lauderdale] which is always an interesting thing. Can you talk about how this ship specifically has been enhanced to provide a better journey?
FK: At the last dry dock we actually changed the propellers for more efficient propellers. So it's what we called highly-skilled propellers. We changed them so you get a bit more efficiency. Also for the environment itself we added scrubbers to the engines so the exhaust from the engine is much cleaner.
The Buzz: The thing is with the captain, people like to know who they're traveling with. Could you talk a little bit about your background?
WVH: Actually, if I look back in my history, I mean, nobody in my family ever actually sailed. My father did when he was a young boy in high school and he wanted to go to nautical college. But he failed the medical examination because of his ears. So basically, because of him and his stories, I became interested in this profession and I read all about it. And at age 13, 14, I knew, "Okay, this is for me. This is the only thing I want." So I went to nautical college. I live in Holland, by the way, in the northern part of Holland. And I went to nautical college in 1989 and did that for four years. And then sailed on the general cargo ships for four years, sailed on general cargo ships. And in 1999, I switched to Holland America line.
The Buzz: Was it an easy transition?
WVH: No. Difficult transition.
The Buzz: Difficult?
WVH: Difficult transition. You've (to the engineer) been on [cargo?] ships as well, and it's a complete different world. You have to learn everything from scratch again.
FK: The uniforms, of course, the regulations, so many more regulations here.
The Buzz: Are logistics completely different in terms of schedules and all that kind of stuff?
WVH: The schedules are better here actually. I was on a six months on, two months off contract on the cargo ships. Here I began at four/two. Now I'm on three/three. So it's a completely different world. And so I joined here in 1999 as a third officer, became staff captain in 2006, became captain five years ago. And in between the cargo ships and also in between the passenger ships, I've also worked one year as a transport damage surveyor. We were hired by insurance companies in order to investigate damages that were caused during transportation.
The Buzz: Leadership is so important in this position. When you go from staff captain to captain...you've been in this for five years at this level. What's the most important thing to remember or what's the biggest? Because you're always learning, especially with these ships. They are getting faster, better, more technologically advanced.
WVH: Basically, you learn that in the staff captain position. Then you get a large team together. Actually, as the first officer, you are already a safety officer. You have a large team of people to manage. Of course, that increases in a position of staff captain. In my case, of course, staff captain, as the chief has a very large team as well. Basically, [it is in] that period is the time where you really develop your leadership skills. We have, of course, onboard leadership training as well. A selected group of the leadership and management goes to Cornell in NY for a week or so, in order to train your leadership skills. We have CSMART which is our simulation center. The simulation center's owned by Carnival Cruises. Besides simulator training, bridge resource management, engine room resource management, we now also have leadership skill training over there. But most of it, of course, you learn while on the job. I also learned more about management. After my nautical college, I went to management for engineers as I have a dual ticket...I was both a deck officer and an engineer in the past. But I went to college for an extra year in order to develop the management side part of it. And so that helped me developing.
The Buzz: Can you talk about that interaction between the captain and the engineer? Especially since you (to the captain) have engineering experience as well.
WVH: Communication, yes, I would say is the key to success. If you have good communication -- for instance, we discuss for the next cruise what's going to be the endurance, the weather, whatever it is, and then we plan accordingly. Depend on what engines we're going to need what I can work on [laughter], so it goes accordingly and, of course, talking about efficiency. Tomorrow we have a meeting, for example, on Acai regions. Those are [places] in Europe where we have a lot of environmental restrictions
FK: We can only burn either 3% fuel or either 0.1% fuel, or you can use the [scrubbers], or you can't use the [scrubbers] in certain areas. You can use incinerators. You cannot use incinerator. It's complicated [in that region], so tomorrow we going to sit down with a group of people to discuss how, what, and where in order to efficiently as possible utilize the engine [scrubbers], [and thereby] the whole shebang when we're going back to Europe. [It is all about] communication. We sit down every single day...I sit down every single day with hotel director, with the staff captain, obviously because he's just across the hall here; and we discuss what's the daily routine, what's going on, what are the issues.
The Buzz: Now, are there basic questions that are asked every day?
WVH: Not basic. Just what it is at hand during a day. We, of course, have our safety management system and every day you get new regulations, every single day, or amendments to regulations. And obviously, we need to implement those as quickly as possible. And that is also part of our daily discussions.
The Buzz: Now, could you (to the Chief Engineer) talk a little bit about your background?
FK: How I got started. I'm from Jamaica, right? So I went to a high school just on the peninsula. And there used to be ships coming in and out. In and out. So I just got interested...how do you get on board? How do you get to work there?
The Buzz: Big ships? Small ships?
FK: Medium-sized ships. It was like passenger ships and cargo ships. So at the time, I didn't even realize there was actually a marine college in Jamaica. So when I was in my last year at high school, I found out there, during a career day, that there was actually a marine college in Jamaica. I applied there, and started there, and just like the captain, I started on cargo ships. So I did a lot of different cargo ships and then I came to Holland America Line in 1990.
The Buzz: But always as an engineer?
FK: Yes. I was pure engineer. I didn't do tech. It was just pure engineering. So I started on cargo ships. I did fourth engineer, third engineer, [and then second engineer] on cargo ships before I came to Holland America. And [as was said] a completely different way of working. There's a lot more regulations, a lot more difference, a lot more people, of course, and just a little bit of adjustment you have to make.
The Buzz: And you have a large engine room?
FK: Extremely. A lot of systems. For instance, say water...the amount of water we use here is like 100 times what we use on a cargo ship. On the cargo ships you would have a small evaporator that produces 10 tons per day. Here, we can produce up to 300 tons, or even [up to] 600 tons per day, so it's a lot more.
The Buzz: It's sort of hard for people to fathom the kind of engineering that goes into something like this. Can you talk a tad about that?
FK: Management [in the engine room] really starts for us when you get to second engineer, and then you get to first engineer, and staff chief. Then you go up to the chief. But when you get to the first engineer position, you're managing the whole engine room team. So yes, you learn your leadership skills there. Then you move on to the next level.
The Buzz: A lot of this, we're talking a lot of training, a lot of college, technique, and all that. Can you talk about the balance between technique, technical know-how, and experience?
WVH: For example, bridge equipment, of course, that is developing. And we get our upgrades every year. You get trained for the upgrades of the different types of equipment you could have at CSMART, those simulator centers. Every leave – I'm three on, three off -- you have to go there for one or two quarters. Usually two quarters, so that takes you two to five days. And you are trained, up-to-date, [in terms of] stability, computer, the Narco navigation command system, the ECDIS, the electronic sea chart system...you get continuously trained and kept up-to-date with all the requirements, regulations, etc.
FK: It's a continuous process. And you also, during the years, you change out equipments and get more advanced equipment. Just now, we just finished the install a new Korean blackboard treatment system just now. So coming up, we going to start the commissioning. It's brand new. Actually, this is the first ship that was fitted. There's always new and advanced technology you have to keep up with
The Buzz: What keeps you engaged both about this business? I mean, you guys have so much experience to do so many different things.
WVH: It is every day something new happens. Even if you're on the same run, what we did here in the Caribbean, 10 days, it's every time the same run. But every day, all the technical sides, all guests sides, on cruise sides...
The Buzz: Didn't you just come through the Panama Canal? You're one of the only ships that does that and goes into the lake, turns around and comes back...
WVH: We do that indeed. We drop anchor into the lake, and we go back again. But on the human resources side, so many things are happening that keeps it interesting every single day. It is never boring.
FK: And for me, it's really also the job satisfaction. And every day as he said, you get a new challenge.You have to come up with solutions. And then you get the satisfaction of resolving these issues. I think it's second to none.
WVH: And also, with regards to guest satisfaction...when I was serving the South American region, you have a bit more freedom on what routes to take through the Chilean fjords. At a certain point, I thought, "Okay, we're doing this already for a few years...these same routes...I'm going to try something new...a new route." So I figured that one out with a few local pilots and we improved the routes. We had the freedom to do so, as long as it's safe and with approval of Seattle. But in order to do something similar like that for guests and with success, it makes it really a rewarding job - and sailing my favorite area: Antarctica. I
The Buzz: That kind of cruising has become very popular.
WVH: Yeah, it is but one also says, "Okay, within in a few years-- [everyone] expects within a few years that [it] will stop for the larger ships." So but it's unclear. It's still unclear, but that is truly spectacular. It is just an unbelievable unbelievable feeling when you complete a successful mission through those waters. There is nothing like it.
Tim Wassberg
A graduate of New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts with degrees in Film/TV Production & Film Criticism, Tim has written for magazines such as Moviemaker, Moving Pictures, Conde Nast Traveler UK and Casino Player. He enjoys traveling and distinct craft beers among other things.
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