Surigaonon is first Filipino staff captain of Norwegian Cruise Line

A NEW milestone was celebrated by the Philippine manning sector in time with the observance of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (Manamo) when the Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) appointed its first Filipino staff captain last September.

Ryan James Martinez from Surigao City was promoted last September 6 while working onboard Norwegian Gem, one of the Jewel-class ships of the world's fourth-largest cruise line companies.

NCL vessels are manned by crew and officers from C.F. Sharp Crew Management.

«My promotion felt like a natural progression. I started as a deck cadet and worked my way up through various ranks: ordinary seaman, able body, quartermaster, 2nd officer, 1st officer safety, 1st officer navigation, safety officer, chief officer, and now staff captain. I believe every seaman dreams of becoming a captain, and for me, it was just a matter of time,» Martinez said.

A staff captain is the second in command of the Deck Department and works closely with the ship captain.

Martinez shared that his new responsibility includes maneuvering the ship in and out of ports.

«This can be challenging due to the size of the cruise ship and lack of tugboat assistance. I carefully plan each docking and undocking, considering wind and current factors while using the ship's propulsion,» he shared.

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Martinez also oversees safety and security onboard, ensuring all lifesaving equipment is operational and that crew conduct is appropriate. The key departments reporting to him include the Medical, HR, IT, Financial, Environmental, Bridge Navigation, and Deck Ratings teams.

While the job entails numerous responsibilities and tasks, the 46-year-old ship officer aced his duties following 26 years of experience on NCL vessels, thus demonstrating the Filipino seafarer's hallmarks of loyalty, diligence and professionalism.

«I've been sailing since December 1998, exclusively on cruise ships with Norwegian Cruise Line. I went straight from graduating from the University of Cebu to working for NCL,» Martinez said.

«Every day brings new challenges, especially regarding safety and security compliance and managing daily issues with guests and crew,» he said.

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