What does the crew do on a ship with no guests? Are all the departments staffed? And where can you park a ship? We’ve received lots of questions in recent days and so we’ve passed them on to those in the know, such as Jörn Gottschalk, the captain of the EUROPA 2.
Just like companies ashore, we are facing slightly different challenges at the moment – I am trying to get the ship and the crew safely through these uncharted waters.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises: Where is the EUROPA 2 currently?
The EUROPA 2 is currently firmly moored up at the pier in Marseille.
How long will the ship stay there?
So far there are no plans to move the ship to another port. However, the situation is very dynamic and it isn’t yet clear where the journey will take us.
How many people are on board?
There are only crew members on board and fortunately we have already been able to let some of our colleagues go home to their families and friends.
Are all the departments staffed?
Yes, but some only have minimal staff.
A ship never sleeps as it operates 24 hours a day. Is that still true now?
Even with no passengers, the ship still needs to run safely and efficiently – 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The baker is even still working at night to feed the crew.
Uniform or everyday clothes – what’s the dress code for the crew?
We have a set daily routine on board and we are wearing our work clothes in line with this or at least our name badges so that we make a clear distinction between leisure time and work time. This is very important for our life on board together.
A ship never sleeps as it operates 24 hours a day. Is that still true now?
The ship is still always operating. It is of course quieter on board at night but even then the ship still needs taking care of and the various machinery needs to be operated.
What is your daily routine?
My role is still to manage the ship safely. We start our regular routine of work in the morning and finish in the late afternoon or in the evening. Our colleagues in the nautical engineering department are working to the same rhythm as they would during normal port lay times. Some things are being shifted about, of course. The colleagues in the hotel team are working their regular hours too but as we still have some crew on board, some departments from the hotel team are taking care of all our well-being.
Having time is also a blessing. What projects are you tackling?
There are opportunities to carry out maintenance work that we wouldn’t be able to do during normal ship operation. There’s no problem with making noise now. The same goes for the hotel on board. We can do work now that would otherwise have a negative impact on the guest experience. Just like companies ashore, we are facing slightly different challenges at the moment – and I am trying to get the ship and the crew safely through these uncharted waters. I have experienced colleagues supporting me. We are optimistic that we will navigate our way around all the obstacles.
