Captain Explains How He Docks the World’s Biggest Cruise Ship | WSJ Booked

[@koshisunuwarrai]

Hats off to the captain. This is a very highly skilled job.

[@transatlanticnostalgia4655]

​@maruiacancerc Hello. I an very sorry for your misfortune. Hope you get better. I just want to tell you to please pray to God. Believe me, God exists. I used to be agnostic and mentally mock religious people. But when I was going through difficulties (personal insecurities), God spoke into my heart and helped me. And the love I felt in my heart was the greatest feeling in the world. It is stronger than the kindest mother could ever love her children. A love that takes away any sadness. Now I don't just believe, I KNOW He exists. He will help you through anything. Even if you don't believe, still talk to Him, like you would talk to a friend. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. And if you TRULY want it, it will happen. I can't tell you when or how. That's different for everyone. But He will guide you to the truth. And He will help you through this disease. He is the only One who can. Jesus Christ is our Savior! Wishing you the best.

[@transatlanticnostalgia4655]

​@maruiacancerc Hello. I an very sorry for your misfortune. Hope you get better. I just want to tell you to please pray to God. Believe me, God exists. I used to be agnostic and mentally mock religious people. But when I was going through difficulties (personal insecurities), God spoke into my heart and helped me. And the love I felt in my heart was the greatest feeling in the world. It is stronger than the kindest mother could ever love her children. A love that takes away any sadness. Now I don't just believe, I KNOW He exists. He will help you through anything. Even if you don't believe, still talk to Him, like you would talk to a friend. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. And if you TRULY want it, it will happen. I can't tell you when or how. That's different for everyone. But He will guide you to the truth. And He will help you through this disease. He is the only One who can. Jesus Christ is our Savior! Wishing you the best.

[@ramfoi]

U

[@privacyvalued4134]

@Bababoi94 radiation.

[@Noknes]

And he gets paid accordingly. Definetly on 7 figures since he is the captain of the largest ship in the world

[@coppersnare]

This captain exudes competency and confidence 👍

[@JPK1337]

yeah this is exactly the aura a captain should have. quiet and calm but confident.

[@beckydoesit9331]

Before I became a fighter pilot I served as a captain of a cruise ship and had so many collisions with other boats. I actually started below decks as a purser, whatever that is, and was quickly promoted, not because I was good at my job, but because they tried to find other areas of the ship where I understood what I was doing and Captain was the only thing they found for me. I loved being on the ocean for days at a time. It was so much fun.

[@Alpacabowl98]

@@beckydoesit9331 your post doesn't exude confidence or competency.

[@Bradgilliswhammyman]

He has had decades o experience captaining boats and has a lot of old time sailing knowledge..I would not be surprised if he sails his own private schooner in his off time.

[@jadedamethyst6]

@@beckydoesit9331 Really didn’t need to know that unqualified people can become captain of a cruise ship and have thousands of lives in their hands.

[@KevinGonzalez33470]

Legendary Captain Rob!! I’ve cruised and personally met Him on two RCCL sailings (Symphony of the Seas 2020 and Wonder of the Seas 2023). He is from Seattle and one of the Best Captains at Sea.

[@lazloperry5242]

He doesnt dock ships ROFL. The pilots do. Captains are glorified ship crew

[@ggme4682]

This captain seems to be one of the best. I love him and if I were to ever go on a cruise, I want him as my pilot!

[@Donkanonpyro]

Captain

[@charleykellogg9927]

he is one of the best captins i have seen him in person

[@charlzincharge2281]

Captain

[@stuwest3653]

He doesn't even know that "catched" isn't a word. You can put your life in the hands of a moron but I'll pass.

[@AlexA-nd3yy]

@@stuwest3653 Why are you repeating yourself?

[@TRIBSSTUDIOS]

He just make me feel so safe . I will definitely take a trip knowing he is the captain in charge.

[@beckydoesit9331]

Before I became a fighter pilot I served as a captain of a cruise ship and had so many collisions with other boats. I actually started below decks as a purser, whatever that is, and was quickly promoted, not because I was good at my job, but because they tried to find other areas of the ship where I understood what I was doing and Captain was the only thing they found for me. I loved being on the ocean for days at a time. It was so much fun.

[@today930]

My husband and I were lucky to met Captain Rob at Royal Caribbean this summer. He such a wonderful person with kind eyes and voice. He saw my cat on my phone screen and told us that he have a cat too. So nice to see his interview!

[@rickintexas1584]

The entire cruise ship industry is both fascinating and amazing.

[@pretinha718]

Seriously

[@victorlazo238]

It is, for real.

[@ejayvangalenlast]

Thanks for this comment

[@jeff7764]

But it’s not though… what’s so fascinating about it?

[@rickintexas1584]

@@jeff7764 they move and feed thousands of people daily in comfort. The logistics are astounding.

[@jrfreeagent3179]

I have been on a couple of RCCL cruise ships. As a person always interested in how things work, I would get up early enough before docking just like the crew and go to a viewing area that the ships have that is behind the main cabin. You can sit and watch them do their magic as a spectator. All of those instruments, screens and the like. I was a kid in the candy store. Seeing professionals at work makes my day. On my first ever cruise, I was looking for the tugs and asked a crew member where were they. He playfully replied, 'tugs, we don't need no stinking tugs'. He then explained briefly how it works and I was hooked. Good video. Thanks.

[@NatashaVincent]

Cruise ships scare me but this video along with your description of being able to see the crew work may change my mind. Hope you get your next experience soon!

[@jrfreeagent3179]

@@NatashaVincent Take a 'short' cruise like Orleans to Atlantis. Check the return time to Orleans, get your popcorn and get to the viewing area early to get a good seat. You will miss breakfast as the ship returns in the morning as I recall. Enjoy the return. Heading out from Orleans is cool too but you will likely be getting settled. And no matter what get back to the ship on time. You don't want to be a pier runner.

[@HeseTku]

What is main cabin?

[@jrfreeagent3179]

@@HeseTku should of said the helm. Good catch.

[@berdugosocials9854]

By just the way he communicates, this is a top tier captain

[@juliusklugi7430]

Yeah he beats all those awful bottom tier Royal Caribbean cruise ship captains sailing around.

[@Firestorm637]

I have traveled on several cruise lines. Amazing how these ships maneuver. Winds and currents really make for expertise

[@java4653]

What's it like being so irresponsible, polluting so much? Morality sucks, right?

[@pillowsez1625]

​@@java4653cry about it

[@Hero94u2]

They have a buch of systems and Navigational iad with the latest in technology that make it súper easy, if you can compare it to a small old fishing boat with only one propeller and with no bow thruster, that would be a challenging docking maneuver !!! 😅 we trend to underrate those captains without reflectors or cameras but they are waaaay bettler maneuvering a ship than these guys with a pretty uniform

[@beckydoesit9331]

Before I became a fighter pilot I served as a captain of a cruise ship and had so many collisions with other boats. I actually started below decks as a purser, whatever that is, and was quickly promoted, not because I was good at my job, but because they tried to find other areas of the ship where I understood what I was doing and Captain was the only thing they found for me. I loved being on the ocean for days at a time. It was so much fun.

[@DeGraciaDarwin]

​@@Hero94u2a pretty bold Statement for someone who doesn't even study BSMT😅

[@ben380z]

Had the pleasure of meeting him back in 2018 during his stint on the Oasis of the Seas, best captain out of the whole fleet in my opinion.

[@stuwest3653]

He doesn't even know that "catched" isn't a word. You can put your life in the hands of a moron but I'll pass.

[@livingfortheonewhodiedform4418]

I met him on Wonder this Feb. he is an amazing captain and I would second your comment!

[@AlexA-nd3yy]

@@stuwest3653 One thing for sure is you will never be a captain. Thank goodness.

[@stuwest3653]

@@AlexA-nd3yy For sure, huh? You have no idea who you are talking to.

[@AlexA-nd3yy]

@stuwest3653 Correct. But I don't need to know. I read what you wrote.

[@Brandonmaritimespotting]

I’m from St Thomas and it’s always amazing to see the docking procedure each time an oasis class ships comes

[@Cassie4486]

Wait until Icon of the Seas comes there. 100 feet longer & 100 feet taller.

[@Brandonmaritimespotting]

@@Cassie4486 looking forward to it

[@WeAreNotSheep2023]

I would feel very comfortable cruising with this Captain. He seems to have everything under control. Respect.

[@stuwest3653]

Except the English language.

[@WeAreNotSheep2023]

@@stuwest3653 The grammar police is here. Watch out!!

[@4J_777]

There’s nothing better than a gentleman that knows exactly what he does. Thanks for being good at what you do to bring joy and happiness for others and being able to bring them back safely, same goes to the rest of pilots out there

[@willcookmakeup]

I couldn't even imagine. I grew up on the ocean sailing and driving our larger outboard. The sailboat was a Tartan 37 and that was hard to dock. This is hundreds of tomes larger. What a skill to have, and one you MUST have when passengers are involved

[@Obsidian-Nebula]

But also You've got better technology here so, in fact, it might be easier to dock this thing than smaller ones with no vector thrusting

[@Solivigant.]

Doubt ​@@Obsidian-Nebula

[@Obsidian-Nebula]

@Solivigant. These days you've got computers all around the bridge. You just tilt the joystick to the left and the ship moves sideways. Computer decides with what level of thrust each of the thrusters work

[@stephaniediedericks6941]

This is a real wonder of the sea it's so amazing to see how he dockes the ship so precisely

[@simplygwen8164]

Another Captain Rob!!!!! You and Your Team are ABSOLUTELY EXCEPTIONAL! Thank You WSJ for Recognizing Excellence.

[@TheDevilishHusky]

this video popped up at the right time. I'm going on Wonder in about 3 weeks!😊

[@TheIslandOfFiji]

My husband, daughter and I just came home two days ago and he was our captain. We had some pretty rough seas and had to go through a tropical storm. He said on the speaker that he had to decide whether we would be delayed the following day or arrive at port that night. He ultimately decided to arrive that night and we all got there safely. Much respect to him.

[@diamond_h0us]

This is so cool. I was actually on this ship 2 weeks ago so it possibly was filmed while I was on board.

[@everydayhelp5085]

Thank you for the clear instructions , I just brought mine from Amazon but couldn’t dock it properly …. But now I can

[@sm4sher45]

i like that captain, he is very confident in his own skills. someday i would become a captain as well. and could learn much from him, i only wish that he becomes my instructor at my academy.

[@materbnht]

Stuff like this makes humanity cool 😎

[@jwilko7998]

Was the Captain of Freedom of the Seas, we had fantastic cruises, Has to be the best Cruise Captain out there!

[@TopangoSpez]

Such a fascinating video, thanks WSJ! Cant wait to go on a cruise now!

[@Noneofyabusinessduh]

He's absolutely hilarious in person. He was asked his scariest moment, he said when his coffee pot broke. 😂😂😂

[@Luchoasdf]

What a gentleman Captain ! an inspiration for sure

[@rolmaguiland21]

This is a life long commitment

[@DJ_afroASH]

FASCINATING!! More videos like this!!

[@chrisd6736]

So much respect for these guys.

[@Ihjcjfcj]

I want to listen to endless podcasts with that captain as the guest. What a silver tongue he has.

[@TNG88]

Amazing, so skillful , i always pay huge respect for those captains, specifically when they dock

[@ervinjustin81]

Now that’s a real captain 💯 he knows his stuff🙌🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@absolutetuber]

We went on a Disney cruise years ago and got to meet the captain. He was the chillest guy ever.

[@chajavier8385]

Captain Robbbbbbbb the most friendly most humble down to earth captain in the entire fleet!!!!

[@JAMESFERNANDEZ]

Oasis class is the most successful ship class of all time. It's impressive that this class is surprising and amazing people for more than 10 years already. Totally a game changer in the cruise industry.

[@chenwong1036]

Cool to meet him. Hope more videos of him will be coming!

[@tiffanysanchez9184]

I’ll be on that beautiful ship in April on my very first cruise… l can’t wait to see her in person and I also hope I will get to meet the Captain because he seems to be a very awesome, very smart, and very kind man.

[@kathemolina2323]

As a crew member , I can not stop being amazed by this manoevre,

[@AmbiKitKat]

He's so experienced it's like us parallel parking our cars 😂

[@joeaardvark9214]

He's better at parallel parking the biggest cruise ship in the world than I am at parallel parking my car.

[@Nzmwwww1238]

Yeah he makes it sound so easy haha

[@Springer_maniac]

We just got off the Oasis and they can dock that thing in minutes just like a Taxi, it’s amazing how effortless it seems.

[@Kyuuwai]

Drivers: " I drifted a truck " Captain Rob: *_"Check this out"_*

[@Y33HawGamer]

I was just on this ship a week ago and captain Rob did a great job.

[@SorminaESar]

Thanks WSJ to share it🙏

[@jtcali2086]

This captain is in anpther video from a few years ago where his ship encountered a storm at sea and he, at a gathering with passengers, whom had a rough ride that night, calmy explains how he and the crew stayed at their posts all night keeping the ship on course and stable. Remarkable gentleman.

[@akhu1995]

Any idea where I can see it?

[@charliefual]

Awesome insights about docking these ships, so cool!

[@OgDoubleR-ig6zo]

Salute to that captain

[@tomm.6265]

Brings back a lot of memories been on over 30 cruises when i was younger 11 of them on RCCL had a great time on all of them

[@fjaajf]

Whenever I watch videos about ships, there’s always that Filipino accent in the background. They’re really in every boat! Kudos

[@WestCoastCultured]

Dont be mad you cant get a job. And they are called SHIPs

[@jenniferthomas5305]

Fascinating! Such an eye opening insight. Love this video In Hawaii I recall watching from shore as the captain was turning his cruise ship around. In the middle of the day with not a soul else in view we made eye contact and it remains memorable

[@ColesWorldofEDM]

Very cool. love to see a captain with professionalism thank you for the research you put in & for taking us behind the scenes. Awesome work

[@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

He seems like a very professional and level-headed captain

[@dennismorris7573]

Fascinating this, cheers and kudos to Captain Hemstead.

[@BillyDaGoat1017]

This guy is knowledgeable

[@Determination212]

Another unique thing I remember about sailing on Wonder is he seems to like being on the intercom. I'm sure many passengers prefer to hear announcement updates from the captain and he has such a calm voice too. Meanwhile, on other cruises on the PA system it's typically an officer or cruise director that provides the information.

[@JohnnyR-kt4oo]

This is impressive and the Captain has crucial decisions to make at all times on the cruise ship.

[@deepdraft1]

Captain Hempstead is from the California Maritime Academy, the alma mater of my son and I. He graduated in 1986. Before I retired, I sailed skipper on single screw steam and motor container ships and I sure wish I had azipods to help me maneuver alongside. However, big tractor tugs and a good thruster usually worked out pretty well. My son is sailing Captain with Hapag-Lloyd on one of their big US flag container ships and he tells me that maneuvering his ship alongside especially in a stiff wind when they have a 6 high deck container profile can be a challenge too. The rule of thumb is 30 knots of wind is equal to 1 knot of current.

[@jerrydowse5061]

Excellent video,nice to see how its done.Great,thanks.🤙

[@bowler7922]

I struggle to dock my 10 person pontoon boat, could not even imagine doing this!

[@DegenerateSpeculator]

Pay that man his money 💰

[@gianniskritikos695]

My grandfather was a captain and at that time he was doing all this manouvers with a single propeller and the shaft had to stop first and then go to the opposite direction. No electronics to assist him!

[@joeholmberg250]

This captain sounds very competent and capable.

[@detailsmove]

this captain is very articulate and wise

[@TaoDeChing-ls5gz]

I think docking a large ship like this is more difficult than landing a jumbo airliner.

[@IlIlIlIlIlIlIlIl-v9h]

As a pilot, yes.

[@mazterz]

No, the are not comparable and require completely different skills. The Boeing 737 I fly has a typical landing speed of around 140 knots (25x a cruise liner) and aircraft are a lot more affected by wind and windshear. Things are happening a LOT faster in landing aircraft and pilots have to react instantly - cruise captains can hold position and think as much as they want

[@TaoDeChing-ls5gz]

@@mazterz thanks god in my region airliners use airbus instead of Boeing so you wouldn’t ever been my pilot.

[@kernelpanic2887]

​@@mazterzLet's just hold the ship here while the side is acting like a huge sail. lol.

[@s2nders]

@@mazterz it is indeed a completely different skill set , vessels cant hold position per se , there are few types of vessels that can hold positions (dredge vessels , platform and some survey vessels) wind speed , depth , traffic , size of channel and currents play a serious role , sometimes we can by time but it's better to get it right the first time. full disclosure most vessels have thrusters abeam but minimize use because it can destroy floating docks or smaller boats.

[@ColesWorldofEDM]

Always hear about the disasters & I’ve seen a lot of videos of boats hitting the dock on their way in so this gives insight on just how difficult it actually can be.

[@jtgd]

4:18 lol

[@beckydoesit9331]

Before I became a fighter pilot I served as a captain of a cruise ship and had so many collisions with other boats. I actually started below decks as a purser, whatever that is, and was quickly promoted, not because I was good at my job, but because they tried to find other areas of the ship where I understood what I was doing and Captain was the only thing they found for me. I loved being on the ocean for days at a time. It was so much fun.

[@vsznry]

Jared Harris could play this man in a film

[@cruisepulse]

This is such a Good Video On Showing The Wonder Of The Seas Officers And Crew Moving A 235,000 Gross Ton Ship. 😎

[@StitchGV]

They’re basically driving a horizontal skyscraper. That scale and power is so immense it makes me dizzy! 😵‍💫

[@DataBasedTrader]

That captain does some mad drifts, fast and pacific

[@greg1288]

With all due respect to the Captain, he does have state of the art satellite and google navigation technology on the bridge which makes navigating in tight spaces a lot easier🤔

[@cecilialim2296]

Confident Captain!👍👍

[@rob.6070]

Captain Rob is awesome, he was my captain on Symphony of the seas in 2019

[@Dat_Boi_332]

Wow never knew it was a big challenge thank you Captain

[@StevenP727]

Crazy to think we got all this technology within our lifetime Now imagine the future technology in 4 lifetimes

[@hafizsirajkumar7927]

Hat off to captain .. this is difficult he does handle it …. Highly skilled job

[@splinterbyrd]

My Auntie Betty went on a cruise on the _QE2._ She'd never met a ship's captain before and didn't quite know what to do. When she was introduced to him, she bowed. So we have a photo of Auntie Betty bowing to the Captain of the _QE2_ RIP Auntie Betty❤

[@ShipsUnited]

She sounds like she was an amazing lady RIP ❤

[@splinterbyrd]

@ShipsUnited Thanks. She was wonderful❤

[@LadyJay114]

I just sailed on Wonder OTS. Captain Rob is great!

[@XLeon_S_KennedyX]

The amount of pressure and responsibility of a captain of that size of a cruise is beyond stressful. Not only the captain had to think about the safety of the ship but also the staff members and passengers.

[@archiepedrola622]

I bet it's wild knowing you're the captain of the single most largest cruise ship in the world. That's a very unique job

[@joshhoffman1975]

Wow ... that was awesome, thanks! ❤

[@raywalteroutdoors]

It was fun being on the ship during the maneuvers at Port Canaveral

[@motoryacht]

Hey at 4:01 you can see us 🛥🤙

[@alanvonweltin6820]

Interesting that he made reference to sliding - that is exactly how it was explained to me over 20 years ago when I had a 24' pontoon boat - much harder to do than it looks

[@nulliusinverba220]

I'd trust that captain. Seems competent as can be.

[@faramboles]

Always a good reminder to us that when WE are on VACATION there are others working.

[@VerilyVerbatim]

Cruise ships like this also have bow thrusters, on either side. Those would be used for docking - with the main propellers turned away from the dock - the ship can move sideways into the docking area, without the need for tugboats.

[@henrysantos121]

*Excellent documentary very well done*

[@Boxerrebellionreal]

Capt Rob , great guy he is .

[@StephenSternforPresident]

I just like to give a round of applause for explaining thermodynamics to people who don't understand mechanical planning around it

[@ferysolo1600]

I'm one of the crew on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line from Indonesia 🇮🇩 👋

[@beckydoesit9331]

Before I became a fighter pilot I served as a captain of a cruise ship and had so many collisions with other boats. I actually started below decks as a purser, whatever that is, and was quickly promoted, not because I was good at my job, but because they tried to find other areas of the ship where I understood what I was doing and Captain was the only thing they found for me. I loved being on the ocean for days at a time. It was so much fun.

[@tejdeep125]

What a majestic marvel of engineering!

[@defonotkristof]

Great... Now I want to be a cruise ship captain.

[@Jorge..Waio.]

I was just on the ruby princess! We had a crash while docking in SF - delayed our trip 3 days! The cruise ship is featured in the video!!

[@MrWoodrowwinters]

Can’t wait to be on this bad boy in three weeks.

[@scottmac]

this guy is definitely the coolest guy

[@rumbidzaimasvinge2611]

Captain Rob known captain Rob since 2017 Oasis of the seas such an amazing person

[@SportbikeUnitedRiderz]

Totally appreciate the Captain and crewmembers. My wife and I are cruisers so found this video very interested. Kind of wanted to know how in the world they steer the ship into the ports.

[@JustMeB729]

Thank you, thank you for this educational opportunity. Now I really respect the captain 👏🏽👏🏽🇺🇸🇺🇸 That's a beautiful 🚢

[@Determination212]

I paid like $200 for a behind the scenes ship tour and I did get to meet the famous captain Rob. I only had like 10 seconds with him as I took a couple selfies. But he has sincd aged though. I can't even imagine how stressful his job must be when he is responsible for about 7,000 people or so on wonder of the seas. But fortunately enough for him the ship rotates between western and eastern carribean so he only has to remember how to park into a handful of ports. I did like that he always kept the passengers informed on when we were docking, what to expect etc.