A day in the life of a cruise ship pilot
A day in the life of a cruise ship pilot
Watch as a cruise ship is readied for a journey.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Sergey Kohl/Dreamstime.com
Transcript
NARRATOR: Five in the morning, just off Warnemuende, Germany - this pilot boat is headed for a cruise ship colossus. Christian Subklew has been sent out to usher the Eurodam into port. This is what he does every day. From June to September it's cruise ship season; over a hundred cruise liners call at the port in Warnemuende, Germany. It is not an easy undertaking as the port entrance is quite narrow. Captain Jerome van Donselaar completely trusts the local pilot. This maneuver requires the utmost concentration. This huge vessel must turn in the narrow channel.
JEROEN VAN DONSELAAR: "It's very much a controlled situation. The ship is five meters longer than the available space but we are going to park it like a car. First the bow in, then the stern back and the bow out again."
NARRATOR: A half an hour later the ship is on the quay. For the cruise ship's passengers this is the first stop on their Baltic Sea cruise. Lots of them have booked day trips. While the passengers see the sights on land, the staff on the American cruise ship docked in Warnemuende uses the time efficiently. This luxury cruise liner must stay absolutely spotless. Foodstuffs are loaded onto the ship. New fruits and vegetables for the passengers. The Balinese quality control officer checks to make sure they are truly fresh. For example, fresh spinach can go off quickly and some fruits that damage easily have been delivered. He is responsible for 11,000 meals each day. If the ingredients are off, he can still send them back. Once they hit the high seas it will be too late.
ALI NOORUL: "Today the quality is quite good. Yesterday we had to send a pallet back, but today everything seems fine."
NARRATOR: Today there are four ocean colossuses moored on the quay. Despite being small, Warnemuende has become a meeting point for cruise ship tourists. And the region profits from it. People on the cruises spend up to €10 million a year. In the evening one cruise ship after the next sets out to sea. Tomorrow morning the next ships are expected to roll in. Ships constantly roll in and out of the Warnemuende port during the cruise ship season.
JEROEN VAN DONSELAAR: "It's very much a controlled situation. The ship is five meters longer than the available space but we are going to park it like a car. First the bow in, then the stern back and the bow out again."
NARRATOR: A half an hour later the ship is on the quay. For the cruise ship's passengers this is the first stop on their Baltic Sea cruise. Lots of them have booked day trips. While the passengers see the sights on land, the staff on the American cruise ship docked in Warnemuende uses the time efficiently. This luxury cruise liner must stay absolutely spotless. Foodstuffs are loaded onto the ship. New fruits and vegetables for the passengers. The Balinese quality control officer checks to make sure they are truly fresh. For example, fresh spinach can go off quickly and some fruits that damage easily have been delivered. He is responsible for 11,000 meals each day. If the ingredients are off, he can still send them back. Once they hit the high seas it will be too late.
ALI NOORUL: "Today the quality is quite good. Yesterday we had to send a pallet back, but today everything seems fine."
NARRATOR: Today there are four ocean colossuses moored on the quay. Despite being small, Warnemuende has become a meeting point for cruise ship tourists. And the region profits from it. People on the cruises spend up to €10 million a year. In the evening one cruise ship after the next sets out to sea. Tomorrow morning the next ships are expected to roll in. Ships constantly roll in and out of the Warnemuende port during the cruise ship season.