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

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world, coming in five times larger than the Titanic. Every time it docks at Florida’s Port Canaveral, weather conditions, vessel traffic and water depth make this process complicated. So how does a cruise ship captain navigate docking such a large vessel?
WSJ spoke with a Royal Caribbean captain who explained how he docks this 1,188-foot cruise ship and how environmental conditions pose the biggest challenge.
0:00 Largest cruise ship in the world
0:32 Docking at Port Canaveral
2:21 Variables that affect docking
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[@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

[@ChickenUltraPro]

@@ramfoiV

[@privacyvalued4134]

@@ChickenUltraPro radiation.

[@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.

[@EarthDragonSuperSaiyanGoku]

@@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@Donkanon]

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?

[@KevinGonzalez-vz7rz]

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.

[@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!

[@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😅

[@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.

[@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.

[@DegenerateSpeculator]

Pay that man his money 💰

[@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.

[@Kyuuwai]

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

[@chrisd6736]

So much respect for these guys.

[@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.

[@simplygwen8164]

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

[@Luchoasdf]

What a gentleman Captain ! an inspiration for sure

[@naughtyginger3530]

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

[@TopangoSpez]

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

[@ervinjustin81]

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

[@OgDoubleR-ig6zo]

Salute to that captain

[@SorminaESar]

Thanks WSJ to share it🙏

[@mateoorr1304]

Stuff like this makes humanity cool 😎

[@DJ_afroASH]

FASCINATING!! More videos like this!!

[@TNG88]

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

[@chenwong1036]

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

[@charliefual]

Awesome insights about docking these ships, so cool!

[@TaoDeChing-ls5gz]

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

[@TomCook1993]

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.

[@FriedChairs]

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

[@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

[@TheDevilishHusky]

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

[@EricPeguero]

You did a great job!! Loved the interview 🎉 cheers!!!

[@MrColeBeans]

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

[@bettygilmore611]

This was very informative Thank you.

[@rolmaguiland21]

This is a life long commitment

[@dennismorris7573]

Fascinating this, cheers and kudos to Captain Hemstead.

[@Y33HawGamer]

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

[@cecilialim2296]

Confident Captain!👍👍

[@detailsmove]

this captain is very articulate and wise

[@Boxerrebelion]

Capt Rob , great guy he is .

[@speedbird3157]

Great job Capt!

[@andresfeliperomerobarreto620]

That captain does some mad drifts, fast and pacific

[@JustMeB729]

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

[@the8419]

Excellent captain.

[@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!!

[@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!

[@jeffb9939]

Amazing video. Thank you.

[@joshhoffman1975]

Wow ... that was awesome, thanks! ❤

[@jwilko7998]

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

[@jessicamturner4740]

Amazing maneuver! 🛳️🙂

[@scottmac]

this guy is definitely the coolest guy

[@hafizsirajkumar7927]

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

[@nulliusinverba220]

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

[@charithdesilva8682]

Bon voyage every one! Gid bless you🙏

[@tejdeep125]

What a majestic marvel of engineering!

[@rumbidzaimasvinge2611]

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

[@ExodusStudentMnstry]

Great high quality explainer

[@jerrydowse5061]

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

[@ryotoonoda2498]

Amazing video!

[@everydayhelp5085]

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

[@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.

[@stephaniediedericks6941]

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

[@octaviag6082]

Went on this ship in May had fun 😊

[@johnlind8653]

Kudos 👏 they are brilliant 👏

[@guruguru5102]

Thankyou captain

[@SadDad01]

Fascinating

[@moomoojayjay]

Super interesting!

[@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

[@amyduan4628]

Great job down !💪💪👍👍💪

[@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.

[@raywalteroutdoors]

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

[@dariorodriguez8914]

Impresionante todas las maniobra que puede hacer

[@rjvlog7408]

Wow beautiful cruise ship🚢

[@ssemudduhussein2568]

One of the Greatest's of all times😥🙌🙌🙌,God bless Him......

[@romanmaimo1468]

Best cruise line my favorite

[@marvinpeters1113]

Very interesting to see I'd also like to add if you ever get a chance especially on the RC oasis class ships to do a "Behind The Scenes Tour" I did it on the Symphony and I would encourage you to do it too, you get to see what they call I-95 it's where they bring in all of the food supplies, you get to see the different areas where they store the different foods and the temperature that it has to be stored at they take you through the kitchen to show where all of the thousands of meals are prepared each day and how they do it you'll get to see part of one of the engine rooms ,how they get rid of the waste the whole laundry process and then the last part of the tour they take you to the bridge to show you how they steer and or guide the ship I thought it was well worth the $100 that it cost at the time

[@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.

[@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?

[@MrColeBeans]

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.

[@agustinsanrufo8024]

Es muy interesante lo del capitan

[@cruisepulse]

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

[@henrysantos121]

*Excellent documentary very well done*

[@BillyDaGoat1017]

This guy is knowledgeable

[@dariorodriguez8914]

Impresionante

[@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.

[@LadyJay114]

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

[@kvom01]

fascinating.

[@cvsmiss7578]

Wow amazing

[@mattmayers3012]

Impressive!!

[@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.

[@faramboles]

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

[@user-ww7pn6gx6n]

Always want to take cruise

[@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!!

[@fwill4923]

Have always wanted to know this esp when a boat I was on had to turn around in a channel

[@user-ww7pn6gx6n]

Awesome

[@ClebyHerris]

I was on the oasis 2 weeks ago and I saw the wonder and oh boy are they the same size. But in port canaveral you also gotta compete with other ships and rocket launches so there is that

[@briantules4451]

My Captain 💪🏿. Funny guy too 😂

[@anderspedersen7488]

“New speed is better than old speed” as we say in the biz😎

[@kathemolina2323]

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