Dubai: Carlos Pedercini, Captain of the huge cruise ship Legend of the Seas, appears very relaxed.
He docked the 70,000 gross registered tonnes vessel at Dubai's Port Rashid Terminal on the morning we met last week, to give his more than 1,000 passengers the opportunity to stretch their legs on some short trips in this fascinating city.
A few hours later, he would resume the trip to Mumbai, India, as part of the leisure cruise route of the vessel which is owned by one of the world's largest cruise ship operators, Royal Caribbean based in Florida, USA.
Smooth seas
In between, he takes his time to show what navigating such a big ship is all about. The vessel, 837 feet long and 105 feet wide, is powered by five enormous engines, that allow a maximum cruising speed of 24 knots. As these kinds of ships mostly cruise on routes with pleasant weather and smooth seas, there is not much to worry about.
"The ship hasn't had a single incident that could be called problematic in its entire life cycle," Pedercini says.
Which is saying something about the convenience of cruise shipping: The Legend of the Seas has been on duty for 15 years.
Pedercini as the Master of the ship — his official title — has the same laid-back attitude as any other staff member on the Legend of the Seas. It seems like these people are living in a different time zone and are looking at the world from the outside.
"Of course, compared to my early years on the sea it is much more convenient to navigate a cruise ship like this," says Pedercini, who served in the Argentine Navy before he joined Royal Caribbean in 1992.
The Legend of the Seas is sailing from Rome via Dubai to India, Thailand and further on to Singapore, where its current itinerary ends.
"Afterwards, the ship will sail along the China coast to Taiwan," says Pedercini, "and eventually back to Europe."
How long can a ship cruise around the oceans before it gets too old? Isn't 15 years a very old age for a cruise vessel?
"It always depends on how well a ship is maintained," says Pedercini. "Technically, it is able to run as long at it is profitable to maintain it."
A few storeys below the bridge of the huge ship we find Ivo Veljak, Chief Engineer of the Legend of the Seas, supervising the engine room. The marine engineer from Croatia radiates the same laid-back attitude as his captain, which obviously is a common virtue on the ship. He explains the operation of the five engines, which run on fuel and power electric generators that boost the propellers as well as create electricity for the ship.
Has there ever been any critical situation in the engine room?
"Not that I know. The whole system runs very reliably and is maintained according to the latest standards," says Veljak.
Numerous CCTV cameras show the engine room and critical parts of the ship in every angle and are monitored around the clock.
He has not felt much fallout from the economic crisis on the cruise business, says captain Pedercini. The occupancy rate of the ship has always been very high, and it seems that there are many people who have the time as well as the funds to cruise around the world on a leisure ship.
"It may have been the perception that the majority of cruise ship guests are pensioners or other retired persons who have the time for long journeys," says Pedercini.
"But actually we also have a lot of families and younger people who cruise with us. I think this has changed very much during the last years."
Royal Caribbean itself defines its guests as "couples and singles in their 30s to 50s as well as family vacationers."
The median age is "low-40s, slightly lower on three and four-night cruises and slightly higher on longer cruises.
Guests are "almost evenly divided between men and women and about 75 per cent are North American," the company states in its corporate profile, that also reveals a $574 million (Dh2.108 million) net income in fiscal 2008.
And a cruise ship experience has also become much more affordable. While suites on the Legend of the Seas on the trip from Rome to Singapore still would only start from around $20,000, other trips can be enjoyed for much less. A cruise from Dubai to Singapore, for example, starts from $1,500 for a (windowless) inside cabin, but even an ocean view cabin would not cost more than $1,800 for this itinerary.
The amenities on board include a dining room with a seating capacity for more than 1,000, numerous bars, lounges and terraces, nightclubs, card rooms and a casino. Also a conference centre and a library can be used by the guests on the 12-storey vessel.
