Talking with the Captain and Hotel Director of Norwegian Star

Last week was an unusual week for Norwegian Star.  On June 26 during her weekly passage to Bermuda, the U.S. Coast Guard requested the ship to divert from her course in order to rescue two sailors.  Star answered the call and found the sailors adrift in the Atlantic in a sail boat that had a broken rudder.  Captain Harstrom, master of the Star, brought them aboard and out of danger.

While a rescue at sea is not an everyday occurrence, it is not surprising that the Star would handle it well.  She is a well-built ship, capable of doing 24 plus knots.  These days fuel economy is the watchword at all the cruise lines but when I was aboard the Star a few weeks ago, Captain Harstrom commented that life-threatening emergencies are one situation where the Star will make use of her speed.

This was part of a general conversation in which I asked Captain Harstrom to talk about the Star from a sailor’s perspective.  I thought such an introduction would be appropriate because the Star is a newcomer to New York.  Moreover, after she leaves New York, the Star is scheduled to take up residence in New Orleans and later Copenhagen, Denmark.  Thus, this talk may serve to introduce the ship to those port as well

Our conversation was not limited to nautical matters.  As the head of a large enterprise, Captain Harstrom is very much involved in motivating the crew.

In addition, I asked him to tell us why people should choose Norwegian Star for their vacation.

The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-star-captain-interview.html

    

            The largest department on Norwegian Star is the hotel department.  It has the most employees and includes just about everything that directly affects the guests’ cruise experience including the accommodations, the food, and the entertainment.  On the Star, Hotel Director Sean Wurmhoesinger brings a great deal of enthusiasm to his work.  You see him out and about encouraging the ship’s staff and interacting with the guests.  He says that hospitality is his philosophy.  I asked him to tell us a bit about that philosophy.  That interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/norwegian-star-hotel-director-interview.html