Mighty Ships: Crystal Serenity | FULL EPISODE | Mighty

Added: 2026-05-08

[00:00:02]She's the most luxurious [music] hotel at sea.

[00:00:05]>> We go way above the extraordinary.

[00:00:08]Bonapetit [music] >> Crystal Serenity travels the world with a shipload of incredibly wealthy passengers.

[00:00:15]>> Seafood, lobster, shrimp, crab clothes, everything what you like.

[00:00:18]>> Wonderful.

[00:00:20]>> They expect smooth sailing. But on this trip, her crew will face monumental [music] challenges. there. Tell him to move it >> and stare down sudden danger in unfamiliar waters.

[00:00:32]>> Everything should be clear. There is a point [music] of no return.

[00:00:44]The super luxury liner Crystal Serenity [music] has no equal on the seven seas.

[00:00:50]Other cruise ships travel the same route every two weeks, but Crystal Serenity visits [music] different destinations all year round. She may call at the same [music] international port only once in 2 years. At 250 [music] m in length with 13 decks, Crystal Serenity is the number one [music] midsize luxury cruise ship on the planet.

[00:01:17]From vintage [music] champagne to Egyptian cotton linens to personal butlers attending [music] to the 33 penthouse suites.

[00:01:25]>> Light away. Thank you.

[00:01:28]>> Crystal Serenity offers the ultimate in service and the most [music] sophisticated food.

[00:01:35]>> For example, the gold leaves, the edible gold. This is most probably worth about a $1,000.

[00:01:41]>> The motto of this ship is never say no.

[00:01:46]And no one feels the pressure to dazzle the passengers quite so much as Captain Glenn Edwardson.

[00:01:52]>> Okay, very good.

[00:02:00]>> They don't see the problems or the difficulties and challenges in the logistics that we have and they're not interested to hear about it either. We just need to deliver, you know, the best of the best. That's what they expect.

[00:02:12]Today, Crystal Serenity is alongside the pier in one of the world's most spectacular ports, Sydney, Australia. In just 8 hours, she's scheduled to set sail on a 19-day cruise called [music] Sunset to Skyscrapers. It will be the most spectacular leg of a [music] special 3month round the world tour.

[00:02:34]>> At this moment, it looks like there's going to [music] be a little bit strong wind.

[00:02:38]The 9400 kilometer route will follow the coast of Australia, stopping [music] in at Melbourne, Adelaide, and Fremantle.

[00:02:46]Then Crystal Serenity will head toward the equator and the exotic ports of Bali, Seamarang, and finally Singapore.

[00:02:59]But before she casts off, Crystal Serenity's crew must load everything she'll need for the voyage.

[00:03:05]>> All stamped in sign. Thank you very very much.

[00:03:08]>> Two copies each.

[00:03:11]>> The attention to quality starts right on the dock.

[00:03:15]>> Fantastic.

[00:03:16]>> That's where hotel stores manager Stefan Hoen oversees every luxury item before it's accepted on board.

[00:03:26]>> When it comes to the produce, especially the fresh items, we are looking for the highest for the best quality.

[00:03:36]Very good taste. One of the best jobies I had in a long time. Very nice and sweet.

[00:03:41]>> Executive chef Fron Vice will squeeze, taste, poke, and smell everything that enters the ship's kitchens.

[00:03:49]>> When they're firm, they're just very big.

[00:03:51]>> Those are definitely not nice.

[00:03:55]>> The food [music] on this ship has to pass his very particular snip test.

[00:04:00]>> The whole crawfish.

[00:04:03]Excellent.

[00:04:07]While the provisioning continues, the real precious cargo begins to arrive.

[00:04:12]>> Afternoon. Welcome. Thank you.

[00:04:15]>> Passengers on this cruise expect exceptional service from the moment they arrive on board.

[00:04:21]>> We want to give them as much attention as we can as well. Very personal.

[00:04:28]On this voyage, the ship is carrying 696 passengers and 629 crew members.

[00:04:36]>> Welcome that way, too.

[00:04:38]>> That's almost one crew member for every guest, but that's what it takes to provide top flight service and impeccable quality.

[00:04:51]Prices on Crystal Serenity start at an all-inclusive $15,000 for this voyage.

[00:04:58]But passengers who indulge in one of the 120 meter Crystal penthouse suites pay half a million for a 3month world cruise.

[00:05:10]For that kind of money, everything on board has to be perfect. Even the anchors?

[00:05:16]>> No. Do we have any con connection with them?

[00:05:19]>> 5:00 p.m. Crystal Serenity is due to set sail in just 1 hour, [music] but there's a major hold up. Tell the guys that they speed up.

[00:05:29]>> Her fuel tanks [music] are enormous.

[00:05:31]It's nearly impossible to fill them up in smaller remote ports like Bali. So Crystal Serenity has to take on enough fuel here in Sydney to last all the way to Singapore. But the bunker [music] barge bringing the final top off is late.

[00:05:47]>> We need to leave on time here because we're holding up a lot of all the traffic, you know, both inbound and outbound.

[00:05:56]Many people signing up.

[00:05:57]>> Yes, many people.

[00:05:58]>> Okay, have a nice day.

[00:06:00]>> It's not only the captain who must anticipate [music] tricky situations.

[00:06:05]>> I will try my best. Why is everything here?

[00:06:08]>> Marvelous.

[00:06:09]>> The man in charge [music] of everything service related is hotel director Joseph Lumitzburgger.

[00:06:21]>> Whenever something goes wrong, you can play on me. Doesn't matter what it is.

[00:06:25]>> [music] >> Some of the others are not perfect either.

[00:06:29]>> Joseph is so exacting [music] that he's trained his staff to alert him to even a tiny carpet chair.

[00:06:35]>> Nobody complains to the captain. They all come to me and want their money back.

[00:06:40]>> It's now 6:30. Crystal Serenity is a half hour late for her scheduled departure.

[00:06:47]Not a moment too soon, the bunker barge finally arrives and the engineers rush to top up the 16,000 tons of fuel they need to make it to Singapore.

[00:06:59]This cruise liner's parking meter has expired.

[00:07:03]Measuring in at 250 m in length, 32 m across, and nearly 68,000 gross tons, Crystal Serenity is taking up prime Sydney Harbor docking space. So they really express that we should be out of here as soon as possible.

[00:07:21]>> This vessel is on the verge of causing a massive traffic jam as 25 other ships jockey for position in Sydney Harbor.

[00:07:29]The captain must cast off now.

[00:07:33]>> All lines on deck forward.

[00:07:39]>> That's good, Kepler.

[00:07:45]Almost immediately, the captain faces [music] a tricky maneuver.

[00:07:49]>> See, the problem is we don't fit under the bridge.

[00:07:51]>> The famous Sydney Harbor Bridge looms straight in the path of Crystal Serenity [music] as she backs up to execute a threepoint turn. The bottom of the bridge sits 50 m above the water.

[00:08:03]Crystal Serenity [music] rises 51 m high. If she ventures too close, she'll collide with the underside of the span.

[00:08:12]Are you kidding?

[00:08:14]>> Captain Eertson [music] guides his vessel with such delicate moves, his passengers on the [music] open deck don't realize there's more at stake than a brilliant photo op.

[00:08:27]Just when it seems as [music] if the ship is about to move a hair too close, the captain and harbor pilot engage the ship's propellers to move forward, safely, avoiding a nasty encounter with the bridge.

[00:08:45]As Crystal Serenity sails past the iconic opera house, it's a spectacular moment for the guests aboard. But Captain Edwardson can't relax just yet.

[00:08:56]He still has to navigate the traffic in Sydney Harbor.

[00:09:00]>> Sydney Harbor is it's not like one straight line. There is a lot of maneuvering and some places are narrow and there is current. There's a lot of things to pay attention to.

[00:09:10]And when you cruise the whole world, no passage through harbor is routine.

[00:09:16]>> Almost every port is like a a new port for you when you haven't been here for so long.

[00:09:21]>> This is only the beginning. Over the next 2 and 1/2 weeks, Crystal Serenity will be forced to navigate shallow reefs and dangerous [music] harbors. Challenges that will push her crew to the limit.

[00:09:39]It's day two of a 19-day cruise from Sydney to Singapore. The most spectacular leg of an around the world tour on the luxury liner Crystal Serenity. She's sailing the Tasmin Sea 19 kilometers off the coast of Australia.

[00:09:55]She's heading for Bali and Singapore eventually with stops along the way in three Australian cities.

[00:10:03]>> Morning, ma'am. How are you?

[00:10:04]>> Morning. I'm very well, thank you. That looks very nice.

[00:10:07]>> On board Crystal Serenity, it's never too early for champagne.

[00:10:11]>> Are you going to come have a look at Cubit's jewelry?

[00:10:14]>> Of course I am. You know I am.

[00:10:16]>> At the ship's jewelry boutique, the well-healed guests start their day contemplating purchases like this [music] $600,000 Hubert Guesser diamond ring.

[00:10:27]>> South American opal inside here. All the beads here are all sapphire.

[00:10:30]>> It's absolutely beautiful. I'm not taking this off. I'm keeping it.

[00:10:35]Go and find my husband. [laughter] >> Meanwhile, below deck, hotel director Joseph Blumitzburgger deals with all the unseen details that add up to luxury.

[00:10:49]Like hand pressing the laundry of the penthouse guests. It's just one part of the package.

[00:10:58]The people sent down really entire pieces. And none of the crew wants to burn a hole in a designer outfit.

[00:11:06]>> Just because it's all expensive stuff there, lots of pressure on the guys down here.

[00:11:12]>> Oh, I I was coming down to you. That's >> all right.

[00:11:15]>> Oh, that's wonderful.

[00:11:16]>> Meet Ural Corkmas. He's one of the personal butlers assigned to the penthouse suit.

[00:11:22]>> Miss Fineberg, may we come in? Today, URL is transforming the penthouse of [music] passengers Margot and Robert Fineberg for a private party.

[00:11:32]>> Seafood, lobster, shrimp, crab, clothes, everything what you like.

[00:11:36]>> Wonderful.

[00:11:37]>> It's all about service.

[00:11:39]>> So, basically, it takes one week planning slowly slowly. You know, >> it takes the skills of a diplomat to be a butler on board this ship.

[00:11:51]>> We'll be on here [music] for 94 days and then never say no.

[00:11:55]I wish my wife would listen to that.

[00:11:58]>> We don't say the no of course but sometimes let's say some things we don't have. We try our very best I think. So the most important thing if the guests realize that we are trying >> while the finebergs enjoy Eural service >> out on the pool deck. Things are not going well for the guests who want to swim today.

[00:12:23]A crew member has discovered pool water leaking into the casino below. And that's a major headache for the [music] vice captain Nenned Wilheim and hotel director Joseph Lumitzburgger. It's >> full of water everywhere.

[00:12:36]>> So when you open up here, there'll be water in there.

[00:12:39]>> It's all full. It's all full.

[00:12:41]>> On a sunny day like this, the crew can't afford to keep the pool closed for long or they'll have some pretty unhappy guests on their hands.

[00:12:50]It's difficult to do any lap swimming when there's no water in the pool.

[00:12:54][laughter] So, I guess I'm not going to do it today.

[00:12:58]>> There's a broken drain line around here somewhere.

[00:13:06]The maintenance crew will have to squeeze through a very narrow air duct to locate the brake. They've got orders to get the pool back up and running in less than 2 hours.

[00:13:17]>> Push it off.

[00:13:19]>> [cheering] >> Luckily, there's a lot of other activity to keep the guests happy on board Crystal Serenity.

[00:13:28]In fact, about half of them on any given cruise are repeat passengers. Guests [music] and staff become like family to each other.

[00:13:41]>> So much so that the Fleimbergs are throwing this early cocktail party in honor of the entertainers on board. How are you?

[00:13:49]>> We're serving you today.

[00:13:50]>> Oh my goodness.

[00:13:51]>> The caviar, the lobster, >> and sushi, >> and the crystal champagne. [laughter] >> I love you, too.

[00:13:59]>> All the while, hidden from passenger view, the maintenance crew pushes hard [music] to fix that broken drain line from the pool.

[00:14:08]>> Let us know when you're finished. We can fill up the pool.

[00:14:12]>> Hot sun, no water, not a good mix.

[00:14:19]But finally they can refill the pool and Joseph can heave a sigh of relief.

[00:14:25]>> Half the pool was empted. So we were lucky that somebody saw it right away [music] and we could stop it from flooding the entire casino.

[00:14:32]>> As they clean up the casino, the captain [music] cleans up too. On this ship, partying is a duty.

[00:14:39]>> The navigation is the most important part of a captain's job, but uh it's 10% of my job. Early this evening, he's throwing a cocktail party of his own for the penthouse guests.

[00:14:55]>> Socializing with the passengers is a vital part of Captain Edwardson's job description.

[00:15:01]>> Especially on the world cruise like we are on because these people I know very well from before. They have a lot of expectations. They want to meet me again.

[00:15:09]>> Ladies and gentlemen of Border Cruis Serenity, we are 629 per on this particular cruise.

[00:15:16]All of us are here for the very same reason, and that is to give you the most wonderful vacation ever.

[00:15:22]>> While the guests at his cocktail party dance into the evening hours, the captain slips away. It's time for him to prepare for the most important part of his job.

[00:15:39]By 2:00 a.m., the passengers are tucked into their beds, but Captain Edwardson and his crew are wide awake, readying for Crystal Serenity's approach into the port of Melbourne, Australia.

[00:15:51]>> That's uh quite a bit of a challenge.

[00:15:53]>> As his ship enters the harbor, the captain will take on an area known as the Rip. Powerful currents up to 9 knots or 17 [music] kmh.

[00:16:03]Then he'll confront a very narrow, restricted entrance way into Port Philip Bay. And he [music] has to do it all in the pitch dark. So it's lights out on deck as the crew looks out for hazards ahead.

[00:16:16]>> We need to make sure that we are exactly on the leading light as we are making that approach.

[00:16:22]>> At one crucial spot, the water is just 17 m deep. that only allows Crystal Serenity 9 m of clearance between her hull and the sea floor.

[00:16:34]>> We don't want to enter that area >> as it's way too shallow for us to enter.

[00:16:38]>> There are a few tense moments as the captain and the harbor pilot battle the current to squeeze Crystal Serenity through the narrow gap.

[00:16:47]>> Need to keep the speed. You know, she's so light, you know, >> and she's coming drifting sideways almost.

[00:16:56]It takes another 2 hours, but finally the ship makes it safely to the dock in Melbourne.

[00:17:02]>> We're alongside now.

[00:17:04]>> At sunup, guests head ashore. They have no clue how hard their crew has just worked to get them here and no idea what Crystal Serenity will face on the next leg of her journey.

[00:17:22]It's day four of her sunset to skyscrapers tour and Crystal Serenity has left Melbourne behind.

[00:17:31]She's cruising the Bass Straight [music] heading toward the Port of Adelaide, Australia.

[00:17:37]These days at sea are a great opportunity for the guests to [music] take advantage of the luxurious facilities on board.

[00:17:52]Early in the morning of day five, Crystal Serenity navigates smoothly into the Port of Adelaide.

[00:18:02]The guests disembark, ready for adventure. They expect their shore excursions will be as exclusive as the service on board the ship.

[00:18:12]>> And the man in charge of that is James [music] Coglin.

[00:18:15]>> Mr. and Mrs. Alman, they've got an 8:30 private arrangement. The driver is down here ready as well.

[00:18:24]>> You want to make sure that the tours they have the best experience possible cuz you can never get that back cuz it's not about the money, so to speak. It's about the experience.

[00:18:31]>> You ready?

[00:18:33]>> Oh yeah.

[00:18:34]>> In each port, James has to coordinate tours for up to 600 guests.

[00:18:39]>> Well, shall we make it moving?

[00:18:41]>> Perfect. who want to visit [music] places like private vineyards and shop at unique boutiques.

[00:18:47]Today, he has something way out of the ordinary planned for one group of adventurers.

[00:18:53]>> Let's do it. Our guests are probably the most spoiled guests, and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

[00:19:00]That's why passengers like Carol Ore are spending an extra $2,400 to experience the force from 3Gs of acceleration in a vintage 1960s Nanchang fighter plane.

[00:19:13]No other cruise liner offers this in Adelaide.

[00:19:21]A few heartstoppping barrel rolls and aeronautical gymnastics later, Carol's plane does a flyover of Crystal Serenity docked in the harbor. It's a fitting end to a remarkable shore excursion.

[00:19:36]>> I don't think I can top this. It was fabulous.

[00:19:42]>> After eight hours on land, the passengers returned to their luxury cruise ship. [music] Crystal Serenity will soon be on the move again. Next stop, the port of Fremantle, Australia.

[00:20:00]For 3 days, [music] Crystal Serenity sails the waters known as the Great Australian Bite.

[00:20:07]Tremendous winds constantly [music] buffet the seas, and most smaller vessels refuse to sail here.

[00:20:14]>> It gets to a point where it's not so much fun anymore. [music] you know, if if it really gets her.

[00:20:23]>> The captain makes a strategic course change to give everyone a smoother ride.

[00:20:28]>> Why don't we make a little shortcut here, just a little bit.

[00:20:34]>> While the passengers head out to explore the port of Fremantle, Hiroshi Nakaguchi goes on a fishing expedition. He's the noble trained executive chef at [music] Silk Road, the exclusive onboard Japanese restaurant.

[00:20:49]Two passengers have asked him to track down some tasty [music] local fish for them to try.

[00:20:57]>> But there's a problem. The chefs [music] have never been here before. So, they have to search for a fish market.

[00:21:03]>> They didn't know.

[00:21:06]>> They service.

[00:21:07]>> We go back to number >> 46. 26.

[00:21:11]>> When you work for a cruise line whose motto is never say no, failure to locate the fresh fish is not an option.

[00:21:21]>> Finally, they discover a small shop that holds some promise.

[00:21:26]This local pink snapper should fit the bill.

[00:21:30]>> Fresh and nice quality customer very happy, right? very difficult our job.

[00:21:39]>> With the passengers off the ship, the captain doesn't rest. The next leg of this trip is several days long on remote open waters. The well-being of his more than300 passengers and crew is a huge responsibility. So, while the guests are touring on shore, >> safety never takes a day off. These emergency drills are conducted frequently and seriously on Crystal Serenity.

[00:22:13]>> No jokes, nothing. We talked about this uh before.

[00:22:17]>> The passengers participated in a mandatory evacuation drill before leaving Sydney.

[00:22:23]But out on the open seas, it could be hours before help arrives. So, the crew does extra simulations, including firefighting.

[00:22:33]>> One, two, three.

[00:22:35]>> All right.

[00:22:37]>> An injured passenger and full deployment of lifeboats.

[00:22:46]>> If we have the abandoned ship, everybody needs to know exactly where to go and what to do. So there is no confusion.

[00:22:54]>> The drills wrap up and by 4:00 the passengers are back on board for a 5:00 p.m. sailing.

[00:23:00]>> Copy that. Take the gang way.

[00:23:03]>> Then a real emergency strikes.

[00:23:07]>> Hi Doctor. Jason here.

[00:23:09]>> Good. I'm just on the phone to the uh the paramedics.

[00:23:12]>> Marine services manager Jason Glenn calls in help for a very sick passenger on board. They're holding the camera for medical emergency medicine.

[00:23:21]>> So, is everybody over there?

[00:23:23]>> The ship's doctor is already caring for the passenger. She's a frequent guest, well known to the captain and crew.

[00:23:29]They're worried about her.

[00:23:32]There's another complication. The captain has just been informed that he must land in Bali a full half day earlier than expected because Crystal Serenity is being redirected to a brand new docking area there.

[00:23:46]The ship needs to leave Fremantle immediately, but there's nothing the bridge officers can do to speed things up. They just have to wait for the paramedics to arrive.

[00:23:58]>> Okay, 15 minutes.

[00:24:00]>> Their narrow window of opportunity is rapidly vanishing.

[00:24:05]This wait is costing valuable time. If Crystal Serenity doesn't cast off within moments, she likely won't make it to Bali on schedule.

[00:24:20]There's a medical emergency [music] on board Crystal Serenity that's playing havoc with her departure from Fremantle, Australia.

[00:24:28]>> I know waiting for a guest to be medically disembarked.

[00:24:32]>> She needs to make up a half day of travel to Bali where she's been reassigned to an entirely new docking area.

[00:24:42]Despite on board medical care, a passenger is too ill to [music] continue and must be admitted to a hospital.

[00:24:50]Crystal Serenity will have to set sail without her.

[00:24:56]>> Let go all lines. Let go all lines forward and >> the remaining passengers say goodbye to Freemantle as the ship leaves port.

[00:25:19]Crystal Serenity is late for Bali. It's full speed ahead.

[00:25:25]>> Yeah. Good morning, Chief.

[00:25:29]>> I need all six engines. We need to speed up here. At the moment, we're doing only 13 knots, but I like to do over 23 knots. Down in the engine room, the pressure is on chief engineer Rob Bayfield to keep the engines running at full capacity for the voyage to Bali.

[00:25:45]>> We cannot have any downtime at all.

[00:25:48]>> But running full speed is not the chief's only concern today. He has two contract engineers on board to install a new fuel oil system to fire the boilers.

[00:26:00]Crystal Serenity must burn a lighter, cleaner fuel when she enters ports with strict environmental rules.

[00:26:08]>> With any large maintenance, we try and plan it around where we are and make sure we have the spare parts on board because some places we go to, it's a logistical nightmare.

[00:26:18]>> The job must be completed before they reach Singapore.

[00:26:22]>> When this boiler is finished, completed, everything is okay. We have to move on to the next one. So, we got to try and fit it in in the C days.

[00:26:33]So for Bali, we are set.

[00:26:34]>> Yeah, everything's set.

[00:26:35]>> The tours are rearranged.

[00:26:36]>> Everything's rearranged. The weather's not looking the greatest.

[00:26:39]>> In the excursion office, everyone's gearing up for the arrival [music] in Bali.

[00:26:42]>> So, there's a few tours I want to check out. They'll be gone most of the day.

[00:26:45]>> Crystal Serenity will be one of the first cruise ships to arrive at a brand new docking area. All the tour arrangements [music] will be untested.

[00:26:53]Hey guys, for tomorrow Bali, >> if James doesn't keep [music] a tight rain on the tour schedule, there could be chaos on the dock.

[00:27:03]>> Going to come as well. Make sure the guests are happy before they actually leave because then if there's any issues or concerns, we can take care of it right then and there instead of waiting until later because then it's too late.

[00:27:16]>> They have been on open seas now for 3 days. The landing in Valley is only 4 hours away.

[00:27:23]This is probably the most tricky one.

[00:27:25]Besides that, there hasn't been ship of this size here before.

[00:27:29]>> Captain Edwardson will be depending heavily on his bridge crew throughout the challenging night ahead.

[00:27:35]>> It's important that you have create a culture among your people on the bridge.

[00:27:39]>> Although the captain is always in firm command on this vessel, he encourages his [music] officers to speak up if they think he has overlooked or misjudged a situation. It is this approach that has kept his ship safe all these years.

[00:27:55]>> Call it the bridge team management.

[00:27:58]Probably one of the most important things because after all the captain is only a human being, you know.

[00:28:05]>> Good evening. How are you?

[00:28:09]>> Meanwhile, the guests as usual are enjoying their dinners. Excellent.

[00:28:15]Really good.

[00:28:20]We have to put the sauce first. The second one is coming up, guys.

[00:28:24]>> Down in the kitchen, executive chef Fron Vice is working through the evening's first dinner seating.

[00:28:31]>> If you want to have a luxury foods, you can have basically anything starting from fresh lobster, king crab, shrimp, cavia, soul.

[00:28:42]Even more amazing, his kitchen [music] never repeats a dish on the three-month world cruise.

[00:28:50]>> Well, it takes a lot of uh preparation, homework for me. We have to contact all our suppliers in the various ports and something is not available. We have to be flexible and change the menu basically last minute or last day.

[00:29:04]>> Remember that special order of pink snapper? Well, tonight those discriminating passengers will finally get to taste their special request.

[00:29:13]>> All right, here we are.

[00:29:16]>> Tada.

[00:29:16]>> Oh, that is beautiful. That is really beautiful.

[00:29:19]>> That is gorgeous.

[00:29:25]>> The entrance into Bali presents the ultimate challenge of this voyage. The captain expects to aim his ship at leading lights on land to establish his cores through the channel. Hazards are everywhere. He'll have to avoid shallow waters and [music] coral reefs that narrow the passage all the way in.

[00:29:48]One wrong move could run Crystal Serenity ground.

[00:29:52]>> Do you see the leading lot?

[00:29:53]>> Well, [music] I can see the leading light, but >> Yeah, but it doesn't match.

[00:29:56]>> No, it's very strange.

[00:30:01]The leading lights are misplaced and the bridge team realizes most of the boys marking shallow waters don't match their charts.

[00:30:10]When the local pilots come on board, hopes are high. Surely they will clear up the confusion. [music] >> Good morning. Good evening. Good evening. Sorry.

[00:30:22]>> Instead, the pilots just make matters worse.

[00:30:26]>> We cannot enter with this current.

[00:30:28]Captain Edwardson is not about to risk the safety of his passengers. [music] His vessel has to make a tight turn in the 5minute window between tides when the currents [music] are absolutely calm. It's called slack water.

[00:30:43]>> That's impossible. Uh possible. Nobody.

[00:30:45]>> No, no, no, no. I want to enter when it's slack.

[00:30:49]>> It's becoming obvious these pilots have never guided a ship this size before.

[00:30:56]>> I see the leading light. That is leading.

[00:30:58]>> Yeah. But then we are north, but on the radar we are south.

[00:31:03]>> Misplaced or burned out [music] lights could steer the ship straight into danger.

[00:31:08]>> Why don't we have some lights on the bloody sticks?

[00:31:12]>> Another unexpected hazard emerges from the dark.

[00:31:18]>> Fishing boat.

[00:31:22]A commercial fishing boat [music] has dropped anchor right in Crystal Serenity's path. The captain has had enough.

[00:31:29]>> Tell him to move it.

[00:31:31]>> The crew is [music] just narrowly able to steer around the fishing boat.

[00:31:34]>> Almost at the head now.

[00:31:36]>> Yeah, >> it's exactly slack water. No current at all. The moment Captain Edwardson has been waiting for.

[00:31:43]>> We will approach now.

[00:31:46]Creeping along at one or two knots, it's time to make the tightest turn of all.

[00:31:52]The captain must engage the ship's powerful bow thrusters to pivot his 250 m long ship in a space that's only 200 m wide.

[00:32:06]The bow thrusters make the whole ship shutter. Crystal Serenity has almost made it through the tight entrance way, but another nasty situation looms.

[00:32:17]>> And it's take a limit water. You can see that there.

[00:32:21]>> The tide is just about to change.

[00:32:25]There's no turning back now.

[00:32:34]It's just after 900 p.m. on Crystal Serenity's approach to Bali. The first time a ship this big [music] is sailing into this port.

[00:32:43]Captain Edwardson and his crew have pulled off a precise turn into Bali's harbor, but they're not home free yet.

[00:32:52]>> Many fishing boats, but not many lights.

[00:32:56]>> The Bali harbor master has allowed several small vessels to park smack in Crystal Serenity's path to the dock.

[00:33:04]>> The papers I [music] received is a deal.

[00:33:05]Everything should be clear >> and nothing is syringed.

[00:33:09]>> The mored fishing ships mean the [music] captain won't be able to swing Crystal's serenity around to back into the dock on the starboard side. Instead, her propeller will run close to a shallow coral reef.

[00:33:25]>> I'm not happy with your happiness.

[00:33:28]After two harrowing hours, Crystal Serenity is finally able to dock in Bali.

[00:33:35]It's not a moment too soon [clears throat] for the very frustrated captain.

[00:33:40]>> Hi. Hi. Up. Welcome to Bali.

[00:33:42]>> The passengers have no idea of the skill their captain displayed in getting them here safely.

[00:33:48]>> If I probably knew before, maybe we wouldn't have done it.

[00:33:58]It's 8:00 a.m. [music] and already a humid 30° in Valley. The passengers from Crystal [music] Serenity are eager to explore the tropical island.

[00:34:10]Shore Excursions [music] manager James Coglin heads out as well. He's hunting for new organized activities that will live up to the high standards [music] guests expect from Crystal Cruises.

[00:34:21]>> On board the ship, if the guest wants some more lobster, we can give them some more lobster. So if they want another drink, we can get them another drink. So how far are we away now from the volcano?

[00:34:29]>> It's about >> But once on land in exotic ports, it's a challenge to guarantee gold medal service >> because we don't want to have a situation where we send guests out into the unknown. It's very, very important that we try to control those challenges that we have.

[00:34:44]>> Hey guys.

[00:34:46]>> Good. Good. Near the top of the picturesque volcano, James investigates a possible ATV experience for his most adventurous clients.

[00:34:56]But even here, he finds himself in troubleshooting mode.

[00:35:00]>> Okay, you know, can we give the guests an option? Can we say anything?

[00:35:04]>> There's a wrinkle with some guests on the other side of the island who want an extra stop on their shopping tour. So, James juggles shuttle buses by phone.

[00:35:14]>> It's never ending. No, but the most important thing is to give the guest an option.

[00:35:21]>> And it's quite an option that James has discovered up here on the mountain.

[00:35:28]>> A sure to please tour of remote villages and rice parties.

[00:35:33]>> They really get them out of their comfort zone and see see this the way that you wouldn't see it any other way.

[00:35:38]A fantastic experience. Absolutely brilliant.

[00:35:43]Crystal Serenity may not return to Valley for another year, but when she does, this excursion will be waiting.

[00:35:54]>> Back on board the ship, passengers settle in for the next leg of their journey. It >> takes a little time to maneuver. Okay.

[00:36:01]>> And then back out and turn.

[00:36:03]>> On the bridge, the crew is leaving nothing to [music] chance.

[00:36:08]Okay, now it's all right.

[00:36:10]>> For the departure from Bali, they have painstakingly calculated [music] every mislabeled boy, every burnt out light and errant fishing boat. All the impediments [music] that could jeopardize their sail out.

[00:36:23]>> Yeah. Where is the dark now?

[00:36:25]>> With that ship on the port side and they have fishing boats behind us.

[00:36:33]Once more, Captain Edwardson throws on the powerful bow thrusters to [music] execute a 180° turn.

[00:36:42]>> This is [music] nothing like the fiasco the captain faced last night.

[00:36:47]>> Very well.

[00:36:50]Very well tonight.

[00:36:55]>> Dawn breaks early on the Java Sea.

[00:36:59]Crystal Serenity will be on the water for the next 2 days as she steams towards her next port of call, Seamarang, Indonesia.

[00:37:08]The ship is nearing the equator and passengers will wh away the next 48 hours under hot tropical sunshine. At a special equator crossing celebration, the captain assumes his social role once again as he and the crew become the life of the party.

[00:37:27]>> [cheering] [applause] >> But it's not fun and games for chief engineer Rob Bayfield. He's pushing his contractors to finish installing the new fuel system.

[00:37:40]>> We need to get them off the ship. They said they would do it in 2 weeks.

[00:37:43]They've got to do it in 2 weeks.

[00:37:45]>> Time is running out. In less than a week, Crystal Serenity will dock in Singapore.

[00:37:52]The installation must be done by then.

[00:37:54]Otherwise, Crystal Serenity won't [music] be allowed to dock in ports with tough new environmental regulations.

[00:38:02][music] After 2 days at sea, the port of Seamarang, Indonesia, appears on the horizon. It's an almost picture perfect arrival.

[00:38:17]Too bad about the ancient pier where this sleek modern cruise liner must dock. According to the local pilot, it's slowly sinking into the sea.

[00:38:27]>> Do you expect the water to come over the pier today?

[00:38:30]>> With high watering.

[00:38:32]>> Yeah.

[00:38:32]>> Yeah.

[00:38:32]>> Over the pier.

[00:38:33]>> Yes.

[00:38:35]>> That potential flooding brings an urgency to the day's itinerary.

[00:38:40]Simmering is not a usual port of call for Crystal Serenity, but today there's a special cargo waiting on the dock.

[00:38:48]>> Yeah.

[00:38:51]A truckload of new deck furniture.

[00:38:56]>> Just put them here.

[00:38:57]>> Yeah.

[00:38:59]>> Hotel director Joseph Lumitzburgger and the vice captain must coordinate a rush operation before the high tide swamps the pier.

[00:39:08]>> As you see the pier is very low and uh we don't have any other option than bring all the furniture through the main gang way.

[00:39:15]>> Three or four bikes on each each level.

[00:39:17]>> We are there.

[00:39:18]>> Okay.

[00:39:18]>> Yeah. I just put the rest in and then uh after we're going to >> Thank you. Thank you. Bye.

[00:39:24]>> It's all hands on deck for a speedy load. And that means all hands.

[00:39:30]Even the dining room waiters in their shiny uniforms are pressed into service in the 34° heat.

[00:39:37]They've got just half an hour to bring it all aboard. Then the furniture [music] must be unpacked and assembled before the passengers return from their tours on shore.

[00:39:49]It's a close call. The tide is rising and the sea is rushing in. Crystal serenity pulls out of Seamarang at high tide.

[00:40:00]We need to get out of here.

[00:40:03]>> The flood waters swamp the pier.

[00:40:07]It seems as if the ship's powerful wash will finally cause the pier to sink beneath the waves once and for all.

[00:40:17]Crystal Serenity's fabulous sunset to skyscrapers [music] tour is nearing its end. Two more days at sea and the ship makes [music] land in Singapore.

[00:40:28]Guests and crew ramp up the final festivities.

[00:40:35]And down in the engine room, the chief engineer celebrates the final tweaks to the new fuel system.

[00:40:42]>> Today, we're pressure testing the line.

[00:40:44]Later this afternoon, everything will be ready.

[00:40:48]>> It's the last day of Crystal Serenity's grand voyage. Dawn breaks on the island of Singapore, the final port of call.

[00:40:57]The captain hasn't docked here in quite a while, and he's looking forward to some direction from an experienced local pilot, if he [music] can find one.

[00:41:06]>> Crystal Serenity calling Singapore pilot.

[00:41:10]Yeah, we are one mile from the pilot boarding ground and we cannot make any contact with the pilot.

[00:41:16]>> Singapore pilot Crystal Serenity.

[00:41:18]>> No, we cannot see any pilot boat.

[00:41:22]>> Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world. A ship arrives or departs here every 2 to 3 minutes. [music] Sailing into this harbor without a local pilot would be like landing a jumbo jet without an air traffic controller.

[00:41:43]Singapore pilot. Singapore pilot.

[00:41:46]Crystal Serenity. [music] Crystal Serenity is mere moments from a demanding entry to the port of Singapore. And there's no pilot in sight. The crew can't sail in without one on board.

[00:41:59]>> Pilot boat is on the way to slow down the speed.

[00:42:03]>> With only seconds to spare, the pilot boat comes alongside.

[00:42:09]How are you this morning?

[00:42:10]>> Fine. Thank you.

[00:42:13]>> Now, Crystal Serenity is able to thread gracefully through the harbor traffic, [music] heading toward a prime birth on the Singapore waterfront, but there's one final impediment they'll have to squeeze under.

[00:42:28]>> Here's a cable car.

[00:42:30]>> Crystal Serenity may not fit below the Singapore cable car because she's low on fuel. The ship is [music] riding extra high in the water.

[00:42:39]>> Even right now, it's a little bit on the borderline. So, they want to make a height check before we actually allow to proceed.

[00:42:46]>> The local port authority aims an invisible laser beam from a nearby building to measure the vessel's height.

[00:42:53]>> Hopefully, he pop.

[00:42:58]>> The word is in. Crystal Serenity can proceed. She'll squeeze in literally just under the wire.

[00:43:06]>> Yeah. Forward. Forward.

[00:43:08]>> Finally, the ship is at the dock and Captain Edwardson prepares to end this epic leg of his ship's round the world voyage, but he's interrupted by a call from the pier.

[00:43:18]>> With the gang now, >> I'm going to start.

[00:43:22]>> Is he not able to move this at all?

[00:43:25]>> The port's gang way falls just short of the ship's loading hatch. After traveling 9,400 kilometers from Sydney, the end of Crystal Serenity's journey is marked by a struggle over half a meter [music] of wiggle room.

[00:43:40]>> Every minute is uh precious.

[00:43:43]>> Yeah. Gang can connect.

[00:43:45]>> Yeah.

[00:43:46]>> Yeah. Boston tight.

[00:43:48]>> 40 minutes of maneuvering and at last the landing is complete.

[00:43:53]>> This one's going to return what? 1 hour later. On the dock, tour manager James Cogland has to deal with hundreds of passengers who are an hour behind schedule for their tours.

[00:44:04]So, it is really a snowball effect when the ship's late.

[00:44:10]>> There's no time to breathe for any of the crew.

[00:44:15]In just 24 hours, there will be a major stateroom turnover as 400 passengers disembark and 600 new guests come on board.

[00:44:25]>> It has to go forward. Don't block the space here.

[00:44:28]>> Keep only the food here, the consumer boats all forward.

[00:44:31]>> After a 19-day voyage, hotel stores manager Stefan Hoen is once more a man on a mission. It's just like Sydney all over again as he rushes to get 17 containers unloaded, examined, and stored.

[00:44:48]>> Welcome to Singapore.

[00:44:50]>> The next day, the crew of Crystal Serenity will set sail again on the next leg of their round the world cruise.

[00:44:57]They have delivered on her pledge to provide the ultimate and luxury service to their sophisticated passengers.

[00:45:06]People may forget what you said and people may forget what you you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

[00:45:14]>> And the passengers never even saw them sweat.

[00:45:19]They don't call her Crystal Serenity for nothing.