Turnaround Day
Ever wondered how we prepare your ship for your cruise in under 8 hours?
By Mike Deegan, Head of Fleet Operations
It seems like a tall order doesn’t it : when you step aboard your ship at the start of your cruise, it looks like you might be the first guest to be received on board yet the ship will have arrived earlier that day at the end of its previous cruise. How do we achieve that in such a short time?
It is true to describe such an event (we call them “turnaround days”) as a perfectly choreographed logistics masterpiece with everyone playing their part to ensure every task gets completed in the right order and in time for guest embarkation at 4pm. I thought you might be interested to read about how we achieve such a feat and have detailed below an hour-by-hour description of a recent turnaround at Portsmouth. I hope it might also explain why we state that embarkation time is at 4pm even though you may arrive in the port earlier.
Captain Karlsson and Pilot Charlie concentrate on navigating safely into the port
06:00
Harbour Pilot Charlie Darwall arrives at the pilot cutter pontoon on the Camber (near to the Isle of Wight ferry terminal) to board the Pilot Launch MV Willserve which will transfer him out to the Pilot Boarding Station in the Outer Solent. On reaching the Pilot Boarding Station at about 0630, he transfers from the launch to Hebridean Sky by using the Pilot Ladder. As soon as he is on board, he is shown to the Bridge and has a discussion with Master, Captain Henrik Karlsson, about how to safely manoeuvre into the busy port and dock the ship at berth #2 at Portsmouth International Port. Charlie will use his expert local knowledge to advise the Master as they sail the ship past the Naval Dockyard whilst all the while keeping clear of the myriad ferries, harbour craft, moored ships and leisure craft. Meanwhile the seamen, under the watchful gaze of Bosun Johnny, prepare the mooring lines and smaller heaving lines which are sent across to the berth first and which are used to haul the larger mooring lines onto the berth.
From left : Chief Officer Vitaly, Pilot Charlie and Captain Karlsson start the turn towards the berth
Once secure alongside at the berth at about 0730, in quick succession, the seamen use the ship’s crane to land the gangway and port staff move it into position ready to haul it up to the ship to provide access between the ship and quayside. Today we shall use 2 gangways to make offloading bags and loading supplies easier. This is not the first time today that Forklift Drivers Tony and Gordon and their colleagues are vital in ensuring timely operations as they assist with the gangway and once they are both in, guest bags are landed ashore and placed in the baggage cart which will transfer them to the baggage reclaim hall ashore. All this time, Hotel Manager Sergiu oversees breakfast service both on deck and in the restaurant.
Port staff and ship’s crew work together to unload guest bags and place them in the baggage cart
08:00
At 0815, Cruise Director Neil Horrocks makes the first of several announcements asking guests to prepare for disembarkation as he oversees a smooth disembarkation assisted by Assistant Cruise Director Fiona Veal and Cruise Manager Tina Harrison. Just as the first group prepare to head down the gangway, Captain Karlsson bids them farewell over the Tannoy system. On the quayside friendly port staff direct guests onto the port transfer bus driven by Tim who has been driving buses in the port for over 30 years and who likes nothing more than to welcome people to his beloved Portsmouth and ask them how their holiday was. As the last of the guests disembark just before 0900, stores lorries and road tankers full of fuel line up on the quayside ready to deliver their vital loads.
Tour Manager Adda Hobbs saying farewell to guests as they get on the transfer bus to take them to the terminal
09:00
At about 0915 the ship is silent as the last guests have left and the busy task of turning her round ahead of the next cruise begins in earnest. Head Chef Colin Patterson checks fresh supplies of fruit, vegetables and dairy products to ensure only the best and freshest ingredients are loaded. There is a brief ripple of laughter as Chef shouts “has anybody seen my Langoustines?” across the Reception Lobby – they are soon located in the stores lift and on their way to the stores.
Fresh provisions waiting to be checked by Head Chef Colin before they are transferred to the cold rooms down below
Loading provisions
Meanwhile Chief Engineer Eduard Sozulia is checking the paperwork from the tanker drivers and checking that the hoses have been connected correctly before he starts loading bunkers (we still refer to fuel on ships as bunkers as a throw-back to the days when it was coal). Just before loading commences 3rd Officer Marko Tomasic makes an announcement from the Bridge that loading of bunkers is about to commence and that smoking restrictions are in place until loading is over. The hotel staff continues cleaning the whole of the hotel area – cabins, public rooms, lobbies, stairways and alleyways – they all get a thorough deep clean.
Loading “bunkers”
Preparing a passenger cabin on deck 2
10:00
There are now several meetings across the ship : Operations Manager Victoria Brittain is on board from Head Office to discuss how the cruise has gone with the Cruise Director and Cruise Manager. Later she will sit with the Hotel Manager to go through the post-cruise questionnaires. I sit in on these meetings and later meet with Hotel Superintendent Bogdan Toma to discuss menus and a forthcoming refit and upgrade. There is a piano tuner on board to tune the baby grand in the Club Lounge. A medical contractor boards to re-calibrate some of the equipment in the medical centre.
The garbage is landed using a new metal cage
11:00
Chief Officer Vitaly Sizov is supervising the offloading of garbage, already segregated on board into different categories so that it may be appropriately disposed off into approved facilities ashore. Tony and Gordon are trialling a new method of landing garbage using a metal cage and a new piece of handling equipment – all goes well. It is important that we remember to remove the skip (the red container in the photo below) before guests embarkation starts this afternoon. I head ashore to meet with port managers to discuss the afternoon’s check-in and embarkation. I also take the opportunity to meet with Cruise Operations Manager Louis who is moving to another position in the port and to thank him for all his hard work on our behalf over the years he has managed our turnarounds at Portsmouth. Together and with his relief Ash, we inspect the check-in area and baggage reception facilities to make sure they are ready for our guests. The Operations Director in the port informs us that there has been a major road traffic accident on the local motorway and that it is closed in both directions. Back on board we discuss plans to delay sailing if needed to ensure all guests can reach the port even if delayed – The Master confirms that we only need 9kts to reach Guernsey on time tomorrow so this time a delay will not impact us too severely.
12:00
On board, Expedition Leader Mike Scotting is taking over from Cruise Director Neil. Mike and his team joined earlier today and have been busy all morning in briefings, sorting out duties for the cruise starting today and unpacking new stores and equipment. Mike visits the Master to discuss the programme for the upcoming voyage as well as weather. It seems, despite it being a beautiful day today in Portsmouth, Monday’s plans for the Scillies may have to be changed as high winds are forecast as well as rolling Atlantic swells. Captain Karlsson and Mike discuss Fowey as an alternative – a quick call to the Harbourmaster there (our old friend Captain Paul Thomas who was hosted aboard when the ship was in Fowey the previous day at the end of the previous cruise) confirms the port can take them and plans are altered. The safety and comfort of our guests is paramount. Mike heads down to his office to plan his briefing for passengers this evening.
Cleaning the upper deck
13:00
The Hotel areas are nearing readiness for incoming guests and Hotel Manager Sergiu starts his inspections. As the tide ebbs, the gangway is moved from deck 4 to deck 3. The seamen wash and clean the outside decks.
14:00
The first guests start arriving in the terminal. Outside Operations Manager Helen welcome them to Portsmouth and directs those who have booked valet parking to the reception lay-by whilst simultaneously ensuring their baggage is labelled before it is taken to the security screening area. Duty Security Manager today is Steve and he and his staff ensure all bags pass through the security process before being loaded onto the cart for transfer out onto the quayside from where they are loaded onto the ship and into cabins by ship staff.
Check-in Supervisor Rachel gets ready to welcome guests
15:00
Check-in Supervisor Rachel is busy checking guests in at the check-in area on the 1st floor of the terminal building. Once checked in guests pass through the security search area behind the check-in desks and into the Passenger Lounge beyond from where they have a great view of the ship through the panoramic windows. Today we have decided to commence embarkation early so at 3.30, port staff invite waiting guests to make their way downstairs to the waiting transfer bus (Tim is on hand again) which transports them to the gangway – the first guests board at 3.42 precisely and the ship is ready in all respects to receive them – afternoon tea is already underway in the Lounge! On board Purser Kareen and Receptionist Doreen prepare to welcome guests aboard. On the Bridge, the expedition team are attending a safety briefing from the Chief Officer about the Zodiacs and Zodiac operations generally.
16:00
The transfer coaches form the railway station arrive at the front of the terminal. Port staff are on hand to direct guests taking only their hand luggage to the check-in area on the 1st floor. Once all the guests have got off the coaches, the drivers reposition their vehicles to the baggage offload point and all then cabin bags are offloaded into the security area for screening before they are transferred to the quayside and loaded into cabins. Meanwhile guests are checked in, pass through security and onto waiting transfer buses to be taken to the gangway. The last guest boards at 4.20pm. Boarding completed in 50 minutes!
However…..
Siobhan on duty in our London office today, advises that 1 x guest has called in to tell us that his trains are disrupted and he will be late, in fact he is not scheduled to arrive until 5.20pm at Portsmouth Station. This message is passed to terminal check-in and baggage staff who delay their own departures to await his arrival and to the Hotel Manager and Expedition Leader on board.
17:00
Cruise Manager Genna Roland is transferring today from another ship, MY Elysium where she has been Cruise Director for the last 3 weeks, to Hebridean Sky at Portsmouth. She left the ship in Lavrion near Athens this morning and arrives in the terminal at 10 past 5 after her flight to Heathrow and taxi transfer to Portsmouth – she looks surprisingly perky after her travel halfway across Europe! Our guest who has been delayed by disruption on the railway arrives by taxi at the front of the terminal at 5.40pm. I happen to be there speaking to Operations Manager Helen as he draws up. We welcome him, take his cabin bags and swiftly get him checked in, through security and onto the ship.
Strike up the band!
18:00
Expedition Leader Mike has now assembled all guests in the Lounge for the mandatory safety briefing – it is Noble Caledonia policy that this is delivered before sailing. During the briefing, Pilot Charlie reboards and heads to the Bridge for a discussion with the Master about departure. Meanwhile the seamen start singling up the mooring lines in preparation for sailing – Forklift Driver Tony is on hand again to assist with taking the gangway out. Almost unnoticed, a jazz band starts to set up on the quayside. They start to play at 6.45pm now watched by most guests from on deck or their balconies. Some are dancing to the music and several have glasses of champagne in their hands.
19:00
At precisely 7pm Captain Karlsson rings dead slow ahead and the ship slowly moves away from the berth into the evening sunlight. Our next cruise has begun.
