Why Meet the Captain?

[Flatbush Flyer]

No indeed I am not confused at all. Most Captains of larger vessels do have post grad degrees. I'm referring to those who have attained the rank of Captain, not those serving as Captain on a smaller vessel. BTW, a word to the wise, I would not refer to a rank Captain as a skipper - not unless you want to get dressed down - it's very disrespectful.

 

 

I would be very interested in where you found the data that supports a claim of "most captains... grad degrees." Also, regarding "rank" of captain: what would qualify someone for the "rank of captain" in merchant/maritime (non-military) service depends on the standards of that individual's agency/company/et al., which vary significantly across the globe.

 

As for "skipper," hardly disrespectful within the industry and military when referring to a commanding officer who is respected by the speaker (though it is often an expected courtesy to seek that officer's permission to use the term in public). And even if it was used by a "civilian," no cruise ship officer would ever "dress down" a paying passenger for something so unimportant.

Edited November 15, 2016 by Flatbush Flyer

[Keith1010]

We enjoy conversing with the officers. On some cruise lines they make the effort to be visible to guests and on other lines they are much more removed.

 

Always nice to meet new people and learn about their roles and backgrounds.

 

Keith

[reedl]

A couple of things.

 

1. On our recent Serenade cruise, they were taking pictures with the Captain. He look like a captain direct from central casting.

 

2. On a cruise a few years ago, I met the revenue manager and learn a lot. We had a joke going the entire cruise. If I won any money in the casino, he would make it look like he was going to suffer. If I lost, he did a little celebration dance.

 

3. On a quick 3 night Majesty cruise, getting to know the food and beverage manager got us a great in room breakfast on our anniversary on a ship that normally only serves cold breakfast for that cruise.

[SuiteTraveler]

I would be very interested in where you found the data that supports a claim of "most captains... grad degrees." Also, regarding "rank" of captain: what would qualify someone for the "rank of captain" in merchant/maritime (non-military) service depends on the standards of that individual's agency/company/et al., which vary significantly across the globe.

 

As for "skipper," hardly disrespectful within the industry and military when referring to a commanding officer who is respected by the speaker (though it is often an expected courtesy to seek that officer's permission to use the term in public). And even if it was used by a "civilian," no cruise ship officer would ever "dress down" a paying passenger for something so unimportant.

 

My father IS a retired rank Navy Captain with 33 years Navy service plus an additional 32 years at sea as Captain of various ships. It is from him and his peers and superiors that I got my information about the educational attainment of rank Captains vs. those called Captains or skippers who are not rank Captains.

[Flatbush Flyer]

My father IS a retired rank Navy Captain with 33 years Navy service plus an additional 32 years at sea as Captain of various ships. It is from him and his peers and superiors that I got my information about the educational attainment of rank Captains vs. those called Captains or skippers who are not rank Captains.

 

 

OK -so where did he (your dad) or his "superiors" get the data? IMO? IAMU? Mariners' Unions, USMS? It certainly has nothing to do with analytical studies related to STCW. I am aware of no study or survey examining the historical or current data on educational attainment (required or reported) of cruise (or other "merchant") ship captains across the entire industry, which was the topic in the thread that raised the question. It sounds like what you are talking about is anecdotal rather than factual. And I do not question that your dad's experience suggests that he's met (or knows of) some peers with advanced degrees, which then leads to the anecdotes.

 

Given that we have been talking about commanding officers of commercial "cruise" ships (which belong to a host of different companies flying a slew of different convenience flags), you cannot lump them all together and liken them to the US Navy or even USMS officers (where it would still be somewhat difficult to come up with quantitative data regarding educational attainment past a baccalaureate degree) since the attainment of advanced degrees have no bearing on licensing as a ship's master or award of the rank of Captain in most, if not all, the navies in the developed world).

At the bottom line, I sense a faulty assumption on your part where you are suggesting that every "flag" country has a mechanism for the award/attainment of "stripes/stars" (rank) apart from (and in addition to) its maritime licensing requirements, which are the basis for achieving recognition as a ship's master (captain) and that these ranks somehow equate to military or other governmental appointments.

 

As I mentioned earlier, there are hawspipers who are now licensed masters commanding some of the largest merchant ships in the world They may have never served in a navy, coast guard or wartime merchant marine. They do not necessarily have grad degrees and their "rank" (stripes/stars) may have been awarded by an unusual mechanism (not necessarily a government).

 

Of course, requiring college degrees is becoming more the rule in all sorts of professions. But we are not at that place where anyone can say with certainty (supported by quantitative data) that most/many current cruise ship captains have masters and PhDs.

 

BTW, since your dad served in the USN, you might want to ask him about referring to commanding officers as "skipper." Those commanding officers that I know, have no problem with the use of that term in appropriate circumstances.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Flatbush Flyer

[Agavegirl1]

Hubby is a former Marine who served 2.5 years on the MarDet (Marine Detachment) 3 ships during Desert Storm etc. He might want to meet him to You never know why "meeting the Captain" is important. To me, it is pretentious and unnecessary but he might want to "pick his brain" and ask questions about ship positioning, speed, route etc.

 

Anyway, we have never cruised before. Don't even know if he cares to meet the captain.

 

I actually think "The Love Boat" TV show may have conditioned him to think it is important. I'll have to ask.

[GUT2407]

Yes, I have learned things when we have met Captains and other officers/staff. Even as I am married to a retired Navy officer.

 

However some clarification here. When I answered the question way back on page 1, I was basing our answer on actually having lunch or dinner with a Captain, and/or other staff, not just shaking the Captain's hand in a receiving line. Have met MANY Captains in reception greeting lines, but that is a different situation.

 

Whole different kettle of fish, having a meal or a chat over a drink with the Capt than meeting them in a greeting line or Capt'S cocktail party or that sort of thing. I've done both a few times.

[stealthy]

On the MSC Divina last year (sea day), we were in YC in the one pool smoking section, and who came and sat a few loungers down from me? The captain, enjoying his day in the sun catching a few hours by himself. I smiled and nodded to him as we sat and read our books. I left him alone (no way would I approach the man unless he started the conversation) as he obviously wanted to relax for a while.

I don't get it either as we even didn't go to the invited hand shake meet the captain blah blah blah.

[stealthy]

On a foot note, I did get extra waiter attention when my drink fell below half hahaha. It's the small things. Lol [emoji23]

[troykahack]

Please don't lump all those who have been cruising for years in to the same bucket :roll eyes:

 

Just because someone thinks something was part of tradition does not mean it must remain forever. Nor does it mean that change is bad. If tradition dictated something remaining, at least in the USA, women would not be able to vote or serve in more positions than nursing and secretarial...

 

The "old" tradition meant fixed dining, required dress, same old same old entertainment, bingo and smoking everywhere. The "new" tradition means choices for dining, suggested dress and dropping the formal (I don't see any line who dropped formal bringing it back yet because of guests asking for the old), choices in entertainment and activities and smoking confined to very small areas.

 

Some will go down fighting for some of those old traditions. Not me, bring on the new.

[SuiteTraveler]

BTW, since your dad served in the USN, you might want to ask him about referring to commanding officers as "skipper." Those commanding officers that I know, have no problem with the use of that term in appropriate circumstances.

 

Just out of curiosity, (although I was pretty certain of what dad would say having heard about this issue on and off most of my life) I asked my dad today what he thought about being called "skipper" by the men he commanded. He immediately got gruff and said it is "a slang nickname for the captain and I don't care for slang." He said that his men referred to him as "Captain or Commanding Officer." So there you have it straight from the mouth of a Captain with 65 total years of experience.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just out of curiosity, (although I was pretty certain of what dad would say having heard about this issue on and off most of my life) I asked my dad today what he thought about being called "skipper" by the men he commanded. He immediately got gruff and said it is "a slang nickname for the captain and I don't care for slang." He said that his men referred to him as "Captain or Commanding Officer." So there you have it straight from the mouth of a Captain with 65 total years of experience.

 

 

Thank you for asking him.

As I indicated in one of my earlier posts:

 

"'skipper,' (is) hardly disrespectful within the industry and military when referring to a commanding officer who is respected by the speaker (though it is often an expected courtesy to seek that officer's permission to use the term in public)."

 

Since your dad doesn't appreciate the term, one would expect that those who served with him would know that since they had respectfully requested permission to call him "skipper" under circumstances perceived as appropriate. Thus, they'd probably always refer to him in non-casual terms (e.g., "captain").

 

Of course, your dad is but one of many many commanding officers who serve(d) at sea. You've reported that he doesn't like the term. But several maritime industry leadership colleagues I queried at a recent gathering agree that it depends on the individual(s) interacting and the circumstances. And, in any case (as aforementioned), no cruise ship captain is going to chastise a paying customer for something so innocuous as calling him/her "skipper.".

Happy Thanksgiving!