HS Turku | The world's largest cruise ship is steered by Eva Nordling, 34, from Turku: “All kinds of things happen on the ship”

From Turku by Eva Nordling, 34, one of the biggest dreams was to get to work for the world's largest cruise ship. The dream came true last year when he started as the first mate on the Icon of the Seas.

The sea has always been close to Nordling's heart. He knew he wanted to study the field after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper fifteen years ago about the sea captain training at the University of Applied Sciences.

“I drove from that stand to Naantali to look at the Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world at the time, and I thought that it would be wonderful to one day get to steer something like that.”

After returning home, he applied for education. After a few months, it became clear that the study place had been granted.

Job According to Nordling, a cruise ship is versatile and international. Icon of the Seas' crew includes around 2,400 professionals from more than 50 countries.

“The best thing is when you get to meet new people, experience different cultures and see all kinds of corners of the world.”

The ship started its journey at the end of November from the Turku shipyard towards Miami, from where its maiden cruise will depart to tour the Caribbean on January 27.

According to Nordling, the good aspects of the work also include the intensity and the fact that no working day is the same.

On the Icon of the Seas ship you can experience many things: the ship has eight different areas, and passengers can enjoy, among other things, a water park with six different slides and climbing in safety harnesses on the outer edge of the ship.

Four and during the six-month training, Nordling managed to work on many cargo ships. After graduation, he was recruited as a mate on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

“I have been with the same employer for over seven years and I feel that I have found my place.”

Icon of the Seas' first mate's duties are varied. Among other things, the task is to take care
of the safety of the cruiser, crew and passengers.

The first mate is also responsible for the training of the crew together with the first mate.

“However, the first mate's most important job is to steer the ship. When the ship leaves the port, the mates get down to business.”

The captain is responsible for navigation, but the responsibility for steering is always with the pilot.

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When the coxswain steers the ship into port, the passengers can be climbing. You have to be able to keep the ship as stable as possible.

Big steering a ship requires strong skills and solid experience.

Although the working environment is splendid and the home port is Miami, according to Nordling, the coxswain's work at the controls of a 365-meter-long cruiser on the open sea is not particularly different from the work of steering a “normal” and small ship.

Instead, more fine-tuning is required when landing, turning and leaving the port.

“In a ship of this size, it is important to take into account the massive wind surface area, because the wind catches up quickly and weighs on the vessel.”

So you have to understand that turning the ship is not as agile as smaller ships, Nordling explains.

At the same time, it must be taken into account that when the coxswain steers the ship into the harbor, the passengers can be in the water park or climbing and the show performers in their activities – the ship must be able to keep as stable as possible.

However, thanks to efficient machines and new technology, it is easy to react to the weather and thus to the movements of the ship.

As the first mate, Eva Nordling's most important job is to steer the ship. There is a panoramic view of the sea from the bridge. Picture: Maria Oprea

A sea captain and the profession of a coxswain is often thought of as masculine. Nordling says that the stereotype is still prevalent.

He wants to remind that there are several female co-pilots in Finland alone, as well as on the Icon of the Seas ship.

“For example, the Panamanian first mate and the Romanian first mate are both women.”

On the other hand, there are few female captains in Finland and in the world, because you advance to the captaincy after years of experience as a co-pilot. Women often accumulate years of experience more slowly than men, which is due, among other things, to parental leave.

Nordling works on board for ten weeks and has the next ten weeks off.

Driving shift takes five hours on a cru
ise ship. In total, working days last 10–11 hours. After that, a mandatory ten-hour rest period begins.

“You always come to the driving shift, i.e. watch, ten minutes before the start of the shift. It goes through a checklist: weather conditions, radars, maps, traffic situation, ship's stability, tanks, maintenance work, regulations and, for example, events during the previous watch shift,” says Nordling.

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“One of the most challenging aspects of a co-pilot's job is dealing with emergency situations.”

“All kinds of things happen on a ship like this, and the ability to solve problems must be excellent. For example, creative solutions must be quickly found in technical challenges.”

In addition, the co-pilot is required to have social skills and leadership skills, as well as readiness for teamwork. In emergency situations, on the other hand, you have to know how to act quickly and in an organized manner.

Nordling in his work on ships, he has witnessed, among other things, a fire and a collision with another ship.

Both situations are rare. Usually, an emergency situation at sea means an illness and the related helicopter operation.

“One of the most challenging aspects of a co-pilot's job is dealing with emergency situations. What makes it challenging is if you can't be sure that the situations have been practiced enough so that the crew knows how to act correctly.”

In December 2023, Eva Nordling participated in the rescue exercises of the Icon of the Seas ship. Picture: Kristoffer Lahti-Nuuttila

Nordling thinks he can cope as a coxswain especially because the job offers opportunities to learn new things and network with different people.

“As long as there are enough challenges and you can move forward, the enthusiasm for work remains.”

He still wants to advance in his career and be the captain of some big ship. More important than the title, however, is that the work has meaning and that the work is enjoyed.

“When I start my shift on the bridge, all I see from the panoramic windows is the endless sea. I know I'm in the right place. I love this job.”