The Captains duty schedule

[Orionman]

It's not all that important, but I've wondered about the Captains schedule. I've been on trains where they change 2 or 3 times along the way. Not sure how the airlines do it. But on a cruise ship, I've heard that patrol boats bring captains to vessels already at sea and swap captains, etc. I've actually seen it on people's video from their cruise. Do they change duty in the middle of a voyage?

Is a captain scheduled by the cruise, by the month, what? Anyone know? Just curious I guess

Edited December 12, 2009 by Orionman

[salty dingo]

When they do the mid-air refueling they often drop in a new captain.

 

On the cruise ships, they keep an ample reserve of captains down below.

[Orionman]

When they do the mid-air refueling they often drop in a new captain.

 

On the cruise ships, they keep an ample reserve of captains down below.

 

Ha ha. Is that the smell they've been reporting?

 

I just wonder if they are like 20 days on, 10 days off, whatever. Thought maybe an ex captain would be on here to tell me.

[salty dingo]

In all seriousness, duty officers have 4 hours on followed by 8 hours off, around the clock. Not sure if the Captain follows that schedule... probably not.

[mikedw]

I think on RCCL the Deck and Engineering Officers work 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off. On NCL I think it might be about 12 on and off. On all merchants ships even US Flagged ones the Deck and Engineering Officers work 4 hours on and 8 off, when they're not on watch they have other colateral duties to do so it's a pretty grueling schedule.

[ssatterly]

On Carnival the Capitans work 2 months on then 2 months off. When they come back from their 2 months off the go to a diffrent ship. The officers do work 4 hours on then 8 hours off to stay fresh. The capitan does the same but also does a lot of other things around the ship as well...

[mikefox2hotmail.com]

My wife and I were on the Spirit this past Thanksgiving and took the behind the fun tour on the third sea day. The captain that had been in command had left the boat the day before in Manzanillo and reboarded as a passanger. The second in command became the staff captain for the remainder of the voyage. It seems it is due to U.S. and maritime law requiring him to leave the ship in San Diego as a passanger if he wishes to leave the ship for good. The new captain took over command before the ship left San Diego. I was able to get my picture take with the "old" captain on the bridge. He was also commanding the Spirit in Alaska when we were on her in Alaska...he was awesome!

[Sargent_Schultz]

There is always a Captain and a Staff Captain on the ship.

 

Under times of duress, the Captain may elect to never leave the bridge.

 

Maybe you are thinking of pilot boats that drop off / pick up shore pilots when the ship is getting close or leaving a port.

 

As for how long a Captain is on a particular ship, it is for months at a time, usually.

[chasetf]

........But on a cruise ship, I've heard that patrol boats bring captains to vessels already at sea and swap captains, etc. I've actually seen it on people's video from their cruise. Do they change duty in the middle of a voyage?

Is a captain scheduled by the cruise, by the month, what? Anyone know? Just curious I guess

You must be referring to the pilots that board as a ship comes to port to guide the ship into port...... they also guide the ship as it leaves port. They then disembark the ship while underway by climbing down the side of the ship on a rope ladder and jump onto the pilot boat that comes along side.

[chengkp75]

Typically all Deck and Engine officers work a rotation of between 8-16 weeks, with 10-12 being more common, especially for senior officers. Depending on their respective union contracts, the officers may or may not be paid for the entire time they are off, it used to be 12 weeks on and 6 weeks off with pay, and 6 weeks off without pay on NCL. The officers prefer having equal time off to time worked, and are willing to take unpaid vacation to get it. Junior Deck and Engine officers from Europe will either work 12/12 or 12/6 rotations, and junior officers from the Philippines will work 10 month contracts like most of the crew.

 

Captains may change out during a voyage, but not while at sea (those are indeed pilot boats bringing the local pilot), but most usually at turn around port. The Staff Captain onboard (second in command under the Captain, and head of the Deck Department) is also a fully licensed master, and can take over whenever necessary, and does frequently during docking, as witness the incident where the Carnival Pride hit the gangway in Baltimore under the command of the Staff Captain.

 

I believe the instance where the Captain was relieved in Manzanillo by the Staff Captain, and sailed on the ship as a passenger had nothing to do with maritime or US law, but had to do with the Captain wishing to stay in the US as a visitor after leaving the ship. If the Captain signed off the ship in San Diego, he would enter the US on his crew visa, which requires leaving the US at the first opportunity, and with a bonded escort to the airport. If he had a tourist visa for the US, he would have to come into the country as a tourist (passenger) in order to remain more than a few hours.

 

Because of updated work/rest hour regulations as outlined in the STCW convention, the old "4 on, 8 off" watch rotation is typically not observed anymore, as it does not provide the watchkeepers with adequate uninterrupted rest hours. Therefore they stand a 6 on, 6 off, 2 on, and 10 off rotation, and fill in an additional 4 hours during the 6 hours off period.

 

The Captain must also adhere to the international work/rest hour regime, and can not work more than 14 hours in any 24, and must have no more than two rest periods in any 24 hour period, and one of those periods must be a minimum of 6 hours uninterrupted. He/she must also have a minimum of 70 hours of rest in any 7 day period. This of course, can be pre-empted by an emergency.

 

The Captain, Chief Engineer, Staff Captain, Chief Officer, and most engineering officers are classed as "day workers" who work from 0600 - 1800 daily.