22 Oct. 2014; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

It was still dark when the ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale, courtesy of the fact that the distance is not that far from Port Canaveral and it is nearing winter and thus the days are getting shorter.  But it turned out to be a similar day as yesterday, overcast, hardly any wind and warm.  Today we embarked the remainder of our guests and that means that our voyage is now well and truly underway with a full house of eager cruisers. Not only North Americans, but also Australians, British, Germans and I heard a few far Eastern languages from Korea, Japan or China.

The ship has currently a visit from our Designated Person or D.P.  This is a compulsory function under the Safety Management System under which we operate; and as do all other shipping company’s as well.  Within this system a function was created to act as a bypass of the regular chain of command. Normally if something is wrong, in the area of Health, Environment and Safety or Security (HESS) then that is played up the chain of command until a solution is reached.  Now there is always a possibility that something that has been reported, is not reaching the level where it can be resolved.  This can be for various reasons, varying from just having forgotten about it, to not understanding the issue, or even unwillingness to give follow up.  In the unlikely event that this would be the case, the person onboard who does not get his/her situation followed up upon, has the option to contact the DP directly.

The DP then takes it up with the ship or within in the office, with the department that bears the responsibility for the area of concern reported and that department then HAS to follow up and report back to the DP. If that department or person would refuse to do so then the DP has the right and the obligation to march straight into the office of the CEO and Chairman to report and to seek a solution. Our Safety Management System is in the end the responsibility of the CEO who has signed off on the system. That document is called a Level 1 document and from there onwards the Safety Management System is sub divided into Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 documents and procedures.  Level 1 is the cover letter where it all starts, the bottom line of the system, coming down from the top and hence the DP has to right to contact the person who signed off on at the top level of the system. Contacting the DP is not something that is being done lightly as you bypass the regular route of reporting. If it is done, then alarm bells go off well and truly as it indicates that somehow a reporting and correcting process is not working.  A well-organized company such as Holland America Line ensures that the system is working properly and that makes the life of a company D.P. not that exciting.

As far as I know, the DP of HAL has had in all the years that the system is in operation not really any calls that necessitated him to go directly to the top. Also he only deals with issues in relation to the safety of the ships and the company.  It has not much use to call him about your salary of your love life as that is not in his purview.

Part of the function is also to stay in contact with the fleet and that means a yearly visit. Either the DP or his designate (with 15 ships it is already impossible to do the visits in one year by one person) will go around the fleet to verify if the procedures for this “bypass” system are in place and if everything on the ship is running in the general accordance with the company’s Safety Management System.

Thus the Veendam now has its yearly visit and this time it is the DP himself. (It does not have to be a him it could also be a her).  Between now and Grand Cayman, he will nose around, do spot checks and will review the procedures to get a general impression of how well the System is applied onboard the ship.

Tomorrow we will be in Key West, docking at Mallory square from 0800 – 1600 hrs.  The weather looks a bit unsettled and it might be rather windy.