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CRUISE SHIP INTERVIEW:
AN EXCELLENT SHIP A conversation with Captain Tommy Stensrud of Norwegian Getaway by Richard H. Wagner |
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 SS Norway
Captain Tommy Stensrud has been with Norwegian Cruise Lines for more than 20 years. “I came from the military I worked on submarines. I had a couple of years up in the Arctic on a meteorological station. I came back and went back to school and finally I landed this job in 1993 with Norwegian Cruise Line.”
Shifting to cruise ships is a decision that he does not regret. “It is rewarding to work on a cruise ship because you meet so many passengers and crew members from [so many] different nations.” The first ship that he worked on at Norwegian was the legendary SS Norway. “It came from an era when [a ship] was a necessity to cross from Europe to North America. It was an ocean liner refurbished into a cruise ship. I would say that the French did a really good job when they built that ship as the SS France. It was almost built like a warship. They had this anti-mine system with cables around the ship. She was a steam ship with eight boilers.” “I miss the Norway tremendously because it was a good ship to work on. I would say that being on that ship was a tremendously good experience for a sailor to build confidence and experience. It was interesting to work on that ship because you had to deal with equipment that was older and different but extremely good quality.” Stensrud stayed with Norwegian and was promoted to captain in 2002. “Norwegian Star was my first command out in Hawaii.” Under American law, foreign-flagged cruise ships such as Norwegian Star cannot do an itinerary that is just American ports. Therefore, the Star's Hawaiian cruises included a stop at Fanning Island. “It was like going back in time 100 years to see that remote island. I must say that was very rewarding.”  Norwegian Getaway
Captain Stensrud's latest command is Norwegian Getaway. “It is an excellent ship. The maneuverability and the technical aspects of this ship are the highest you can get for money today. I am very happy. The ship handles very well.”
Getaway also handles the sea very well. “When she did her sea trails I think she was the best ship that we have ever had in the sea trials when it comes to hard over rudder and crash stops. She did extremely well. She didn't list more than three or four degrees, I believe. That is very, very good when it comes to stability.” “We have four huge engines on this ship. We can [do Getaway's itineraries] on three engines and still have a little bit extra in the pocket. 22.5 knots we can do easily.” Traditionally, and indeed today, most of the ships in the Norwegian fleet are able to reach significantly higher speeds. However, to achieve those extra knots requires much more fuel and the price of fuel has skyrocketed since Norwegian's ocean greyhounds were built. “Each and every cruise company is thinking about fuel consumption because of the prices. I think it is wise that [Norwegian] has put out itineraries that require less fuel consumption. I don't have to run around at 28 or 29 knots. For cruising speed, it is more attractive to be at lower speed.” With Getaway, Norwegian has taken other steps to conserve fuel. For example, the hull is coated with a silicon paint that reduces the drag as the ship moves through the water. She also carries equipment that adjusts the trim of the ship so that she passes through the waves at the most efficient angle. Even the design of the hull was done with fuel consumption in mind. “The size, the length is fully optimized when it comes to fuel savings. Of course, saving money is also saving the environment.”  Captain Stensrud at a Q&A session
Driving the ship is only one part of a captain's job. He is in overall command of the ship.
“My job, first of all is safety. Safety is my first priority. Having so many passengers on this ship, you have to be aware of the surroundings and think about safety all of the time.” While the hotel director is in immediate charge of the accommodations, the food and beverage, and the entertainment, the captain is also concerned with the guests' cruise experience. Getaway follows the model of cruising pioneered by Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Breakaway. Whereas under the traditional model of cruising, an evening revolved around the two seatings in the main dining room and the two shows in the ship's theater, Getaway offers guests a variety of dining choices and a variety of entertainment offerings each night. As a result, the guests have meaningful freedom of choice in deciding how to spend their time aboard. “For true Freestyle, I think we have reached closer to our goal.” “There is a constant development of that as well to get a flow of passengers so you don't get a pile up of people in one venue. It is a tricky operation for the hotel department to make sure that the dining venues are not interfering with the shows and vice versa.” A cruise ship could have the world's best facilities and employ the most ingenious cruising concepts but without a good crew, the cruise experience nonetheless would be unacceptable. Therefore, the crew is an important priority for Norwegian and Captain Stensrud. To begin, there is training. “We have added a human resources director training specialist onbaord that trains the crew in how to handle our guests. We have [also] opened up training centers in the Philippines and Indonesia, which will help us with the training of people coming aboard the ships.” Perhaps just as important is the need for respect. “We have to treat each and every one with respect. It is very, very important. We are like a mini-UN here [with crew members form 60 different nations]. We have to work together and I would say we are doing things extremely well here.” Then there is quality of life. On Getaway, crew members live in one or two person cabins - - a big change from the days of the Norway where six crew members might share one cabin. “They are small cabins but talking to crew members, they are very happy. At least they have their own space they can call home and rest in when they are away [from work]. They can watch TV or watch a movie. It means a lot to people, especially when you are working long hours, 10 hours a day, for several months.” On Getaway, these efforts appear to have paid off. Many of the crew members requested to be assigned to Getaway. “It makes it easy to be a captain to have such dedicated crew members.” |
Cruise ship interview - Norwegian Cruise Line - Norwegian Getaway - Captain Tommy Stensrud