At the Top – the Master and his team!

Life onboard a cruise ship is very exciting and rewarding, non-stop and at times challenging, and from the time you put on your uniform and step outside your cabin door you are on show, none more so than the ‘Master’ of the vessel – the Captain.

The Captain sets the examples for others to follow.  I think sometimes we can have the perception that Captains are only to be spoken to if they speak first, but in my experience of working with some fantastic ones this isn’t the case.

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In recent years the majority of Captains are much more approachable and both passengers and the crew have the utmost respect for him or her.

The Captain is known as the Master and he is the person who is ultimately in charge of the vessel and the one who has to make any tough decisions onboard.  He has a direct reporting team, three department heads, who are responsible for their entire department:

  • Staff Captain (sometimes also called Chief Officer)
  • Hotel Manager
  • Chief Engineer

Staff Captain is the second in command. It means he/she would be the replacement of the Master, if that should become necessary. He/She is responsible for the employees of the Deck Department, the day to day operation of the Deck Department and the Discipline onboard.

Hotel Manager is responsible for the entire Hotel Department, the guest services, provisions, day-to-day operation for the hotel part of the ship. He/She has the most numerous department of crew and is helped by various department heads who report directly to him/her.

Chief Engineer is responsible for the Engine Department onboard. Besides the main engine, this includes all technical matters onboard, such as electrical, refrigeration, mechanical works, machinery etc.

The ship runs in the most efficient way when these three department heads work well together. If one of them is not working with the others, work onboard becomes difficult and more complicated than it has to be.

Department Heads and Officers always perform a “being a good example” function, too. If those three work well together, so will the internal department heads and the crew members. Everyone benefits from this, foremost the guests onboard, who are the ones who make this industry at all possible. Without guests, there would be no cruise ships. Therefore the ultimate goal is always to provide the best service and make those holidays for guests an unforgettable experience.

And this is achieved by everyone pulling on the same rope, in the same direction.

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In my experience I have only worked with extremely efficient teams who work well together and are a cohesive unit.  We were like a family

I will share more of my onboard experiences and insights in future postings, so watch this space!


About Me

My name is Lyndy and I have worked in the travel industry for eight years, three years of these working on a cruise ship.  I enjoy cruising and have had many wonderful experiences both as a passenger and as a crew member (but that's another story). I returned from sea in January…

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