Hello Ms Pfeiffer and team,<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve returned safe and sound, with lots of positive impressions. After the sea voyage, I went on to the Amazon and visited some old colleagues in Manaus. And as soon as I got home, I was off again.<\/p>\n
A few comments on the trip, in no particular order:<\/p>\n
The ship arrived in Philipsburg right on time, to within two hours. I\u2019d picked up my boarding pass from the agent beforehand. It\u2019s good to be there two days early. I took the opportunity to have a look around the island. I\u2019d recommend booking a hotel from here. The ship was docked in Philipsburg from 19:00 to 24:00.<\/p>\n
The welcome on board was very courteous. A five-man service crew for crane repairs came on board at the same time as me, and later a fleet manager from Marseille joined us. The mess hall was full. I was the only passenger.<\/p>\n
My owner\u2019s cabin was in a condition befitting a \u2018passenger\u2019 \u2013 in other words, very good. The catering was equally good. I was the only one who was served wine with my meal; otherwise, alcohol was prohibited on board.<\/p>\n
Crew: Officers \u2013 mostly Eastern Europeans, 9 men; crew: 13 Filipinos, all of whom I got on very well with.<\/p>\n
Thanks to my extensive professional experience on cargo and passenger ships, I had absolutely no problems. For complete novices, however, misunderstandings are likely to arise, as the captain also mentioned. (Short layovers, some at night; clear warnings about the risks involved in going ashore might put some people off; a great deal of initiative is required on arrival and departure; getting by even without the necessary language skills, etc., as you are aware and as is also pointed out in the documentation.) Full support was provided by the crew and agents.<\/p>\n
Example: I hired a taxi to the spaceport together with the captain and the Chief Engineer. Afterwards, we haggled over the inflated fare. It\u2019s all part of the journey.<\/p>\n
Strikingly positive: safety is taken very seriously, much more so than I have experienced even on large passenger ships (albeit before the Concordia era).<\/p>\n
Survival suits (sealed!) plus helmets in the cabin. There are even extra training suits available!<\/p>\n
Corridors, doors and offices are plastered with regulations and notices.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m on board at night. First thing in the morning, I went on a tour of the ship with the third officer, who showed me everything, including the emergency procedures. Exemplary. However, drawing on my experience, I was able to make some suggestions for improvement to the captain. These were well received. Incidentally, later on, together with the fleet manager \u2013 good contacts \u2013 I was once again in one of the lifeboats, which was inspected in detail by the chief mate, including starting the engine, checking the equipment and going through the procedure for launching the boat.<\/p>\n
In port \u2013 presumably in accordance with regulations \u2013 all the deckhouse\u2019s external doors are locked, except for one door on the main deck. Should an emergency arise, a clear overview and a calm demeanour are essential. Note: the doors can be opened from the inside \u2013 but it takes some strength, so it\u2019s not for the faint-hearted.<\/p>\n
The engine room made a very clean impression. It is clear from the ship\u2019s appearance that it is time for an overhaul at the shipyard.<\/p>\n
Wishing the team a good start to the week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello Ms Pfeiffer and team, I\u2019ve returned safe and sound, with lots of positive impressions. After the sea voyage, I went on to the Amazon and visited some old colleagues in Manaus. And as soon as I got home, I was off again. A few…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","kontinent":[88],"gebiet":[150],"class_list":["post-6868","reisebericht","type-reisebericht","status-publish","hentry","kontinent-south-america","gebiet-south-america"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n