Settling in
Having joined in Miami I immediately visited three ports that after nearly 39 years at sea, I have not been to before. They were Key West, Nassau and Egg island which was a small island in the Bahamas. Here we did a beach BBQ on a perfect day.
I really have been made to feel welcome. I have been handling the ship to get to know here. It’s a bit like driving different cars. The principles are the same but its the nuances that make each vessel different. There is only one way to learn them and that is to get on and do it.
And so it begins.
My new adventure commences.
I am sitting in the lounge in Sydney airport having flown from Christchurch. My next flight is QF 11 to Los Angeles and on to Miami on American Airlines. I have 3 hours to wait here and 2 hours in LA.
I am hoping 2 hours is enough as I have to go through US immigration there on a C1/D visa. That is a seafarer in transit visa. I may as well stick a large red flashing light on my head for in the past in LAX I have had various waits from an hour to nearly three on one occasion to get through. I have no idea why a seafarer warrants that. But so be it. If I miss the connection there will be others. I am not concerned.
I am heading to Miami for a few days to meet the staff in the offices of my new company and I am really looking forward to it. I have met a few already and they have treated me so well. On the 21st November I will join the ship also in Miami for a period of familiarisation with my opposite number before taking the reigns myself sometime in early December.
I am to be Master on a ship called The World. It is a residential ship where the people onboard own apartments on the ship. It is truly unique and although she is a passenger ship in the eyes of the regulatory authorities, to the people that live on board she is their home.
There will be many similarities to ships I have sailed on already. The World is a similar size to Seabourn Odyssey/Encore. But there will be much for me to learn. I relish that opportunity. Coupled with the fact that the ships itinerary is beyond imagination. From the Arctic to the Antarctic and all points east and west there is nowhere that I can see that she actually does not go. Couple that with the fact that she spends multiple days in port….well you get the picture.
This is all new to me. I hope to carry on posting on my experiences.
As always, any comments and suggestions are very welcome. I do read all the emails I get. My apologies if I dont reply to them all.