When I was on Queen Mary 2 last month I started a new series of interviews with the officers and staff. These interviews are designed to give a behind-the-scenes look at specific aspects of life and operations on the great liner. My intention is to post them over the next couple of months.
In the first of these interviews I talk with Staff Captain Robert Camby about handling emergencies on QM2. Robert has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of Cunard and P&O Cruises and reached the level of second in command while still in his early thirties. This speaks volumes about his abilities as a sailor.
Just as impressive is his non-maritime background. A talented musician, who received scholarships to study the piano and violin, Robert is a familiar figure in the world of West End and Broadway theater. Moreover, he has been made a Freeman of London and is a Chevalier of the Grand Order of Champagne.
This interview focuses on what happens when a passenger must be evacuated by helicopter from an ocean liner. As you can imagine, it does not just involve placing a call to the Coast Guard and saying “Come pick-up one of my passengers.” Instead, it involves planning, co-ordination and communication. Furthermore, it is an expensive operation that is not without risk.
My interview with Captain Camby appears at http://beyondships.com/QM2-Camby-1.html
In the first of these interviews I talk with Staff Captain Robert Camby about handling emergencies on QM2. Robert has had a meteoric rise through the ranks of Cunard and P&O Cruises and reached the level of second in command while still in his early thirties. This speaks volumes about his abilities as a sailor.
Just as impressive is his non-maritime background. A talented musician, who received scholarships to study the piano and violin, Robert is a familiar figure in the world of West End and Broadway theater. Moreover, he has been made a Freeman of London and is a Chevalier of the Grand Order of Champagne.
This interview focuses on what happens when a passenger must be evacuated by helicopter from an ocean liner. As you can imagine, it does not just involve placing a call to the Coast Guard and saying “Come pick-up one of my passengers.” Instead, it involves planning, co-ordination and communication. Furthermore, it is an expensive operation that is not without risk.
My interview with Captain Camby appears at http://beyondships.com/QM2-Camby-1.html
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