I always feel that I have learned something after talking with Captain Christopher Rynd. His career has coincided with the development of the modern cruise industry and his commands have included the original Pacific Princess (i.e., the Love Boat), Princess’s small R-class ships, mega-cruise ships such as Sapphire Princess, the Queen Elizabeth 2, the Queen Mary 2 and most recently Cunard’s new Queen Victoria. With such a resume, Captain Rynd has a wide variety of experiences to talk about. Moreover, he had to have had great seamanship skills and ability to command in order to have obtained those positions.
Captain Rynd is one of the most hands-on captains I have seen. Standing alone at the bridge wing console of QM2 with his hands on the controls, he maneuvered the great ship away from the pier like a mater musician working the keyboards and stops of a pipe organ.
He does not lecture, however. Rather, an interview with him is a conversation. His officers tell me that that is the way he trains young officers. He sets a problem or task for them to complete and then converses with them in Socratic-style to let them work through the issue themselves.
When I interviewed him last year, we spoke about his career at Princess and then his experiences commanding QE2 and QM2. We spoke briefly about Queen Victoria. It had been announced that Captain Paul Wright and he would be commanding the new ship during her first year but at that point, she was still in the builder’s yard. Subsequently, Captain Rynd took command of Queen Victoria for a large portion of her first world cruise and later during part of her regular summer itinerary. Naturally, I wanted to get his views on the new ship.
Queen Victoria grew from the design of the Vista-class cruise ships used by Holland America Line, P&O Cruises and other lines. However, she is not just another cruise ship. Cunard made certain modifications to the design which, Captain Rynd explained, have affected her sea-going properties. Thus, while she is not an ocean greyhound like QE2 or QM2 designed for heavy seas, she does have unique abilities which set her apart.
What is of greater importance to most passengers is that Queen Victoria’s public spaces capture the feel of the great ocean liners of the past. As Captain Rynd pointed out, that was what her interior designer set out to do and through attention to detail and at considerable cost, Cunard succeeded. Thus, while Queen Victoria’s character is still forming, she already has an atmosphere that while different from QM2 and QE2 is one that past Cunard passengers recognize and approve.
My interview with Captain Rynd appears at http://beyondships.com/QV-Rynd-1.html. I have also added new photos, daily programs and menus to the Queen Victoria section of the Beyondships site. http://beyondships.com/QV.html
Captain Rynd is one of the most hands-on captains I have seen. Standing alone at the bridge wing console of QM2 with his hands on the controls, he maneuvered the great ship away from the pier like a mater musician working the keyboards and stops of a pipe organ.
He does not lecture, however. Rather, an interview with him is a conversation. His officers tell me that that is the way he trains young officers. He sets a problem or task for them to complete and then converses with them in Socratic-style to let them work through the issue themselves.
When I interviewed him last year, we spoke about his career at Princess and then his experiences commanding QE2 and QM2. We spoke briefly about Queen Victoria. It had been announced that Captain Paul Wright and he would be commanding the new ship during her first year but at that point, she was still in the builder’s yard. Subsequently, Captain Rynd took command of Queen Victoria for a large portion of her first world cruise and later during part of her regular summer itinerary. Naturally, I wanted to get his views on the new ship.
Queen Victoria grew from the design of the Vista-class cruise ships used by Holland America Line, P&O Cruises and other lines. However, she is not just another cruise ship. Cunard made certain modifications to the design which, Captain Rynd explained, have affected her sea-going properties. Thus, while she is not an ocean greyhound like QE2 or QM2 designed for heavy seas, she does have unique abilities which set her apart.
What is of greater importance to most passengers is that Queen Victoria’s public spaces capture the feel of the great ocean liners of the past. As Captain Rynd pointed out, that was what her interior designer set out to do and through attention to detail and at considerable cost, Cunard succeeded. Thus, while Queen Victoria’s character is still forming, she already has an atmosphere that while different from QM2 and QE2 is one that past Cunard passengers recognize and approve.
My interview with Captain Rynd appears at http://beyondships.com/QV-Rynd-1.html. I have also added new photos, daily programs and menus to the Queen Victoria section of the Beyondships site. http://beyondships.com/QV.html
2 comments:
Dear Richard,Thank You for the interview with Cunard Captain Christopher Rynd.The interview is very interesting and well done as is the same with the interview with Cunard Staff Captain Chris Wells.I am going back aboard the QM2 next April and I am looking forward to that.Regards,Jerry
One of my daydreams during break on my cruise line jobs is to be a captain of a cruise ship, el kapitan or so. Well, it is not an easy job but I know its great to be in charge of something that delivers fun and satisfaction to people.
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