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00:00She's the most luxurious hotel at sea.
00:03We go way above the extraordinary.
00:06Bon appétit.
00:08Crystal Serenity travels the world
00:10with a shipload of demanding and wealthy passengers.
00:13Seafood, lobster, shrimp, crab claws, everything what you like.
00:17Wonderful.
00:18They expect smooth sailing,
00:20but on this trip, her crew will face monumental challenges...
00:25Tell him to move it.
00:26..and stare down sudden dangers.
00:28Everything should be clear.
00:30There is a point of no return.
00:40The super luxury liner Crystal Serenity
00:43has few equals on the seven seas.
00:46Generally, cruise ships travel the same route every two weeks,
00:50but Crystal Serenity visits different destinations
00:53all year round.
00:55And will dock at the same international port
00:58only once in two years.
01:00At 250 metres in length, with 13 decks,
01:04Crystal Serenity rivals most mid-size luxury cruise ships
01:08on the planet.
01:13From vintage champagne,
01:14to Egyptian cotton linens,
01:17to butlers attending the 33 penthouse suites.
01:21Crystal Serenity offers luxury service
01:24and the most sophisticated food,
01:27all at a price.
01:29For example, the gold leaves, the edible gold.
01:31This is most probably worth about $1,000.
01:35The motto of this ship is never say no.
01:40And no-one feels the pressure to dazzle the passengers
01:43quite so much as Captain Klaus.
01:45He is the captain of a cruise ship
01:47that is a true luxury.
01:49And he feels the pressure to dazzle the passengers
01:52quite so much as Captain Glenn Edmundson.
01:55OK, very good.
02:02They don't see the problems or the difficulties and challenges
02:05in the logistics that we have.
02:07And they're not interested to hear about it either.
02:09We just need to deliver, you know, the best of the best.
02:12That's what they expect.
02:14Today, Crystal Serenity is alongside the pier
02:17at one of the most popular ports, Sydney, Australia.
02:22In just eight hours, she's scheduled to set sail
02:25on a 19-day cruise called Sunset to Skyscrapers.
02:29Just one leg of a special three-month round-the-world tour.
02:36At this moment, it looks like there's going to be
02:38a little bit of strong wind.
02:39The 9,400-kilometre route will follow the coast of Australia,
02:43Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle.
02:47Then Crystal Serenity will head toward the equator
02:50and the ports of Bali, Semarang and finally Singapore.
02:59But before she casts off, Crystal Serenity's crew
03:03must load everything she'll need for the voyage.
03:06All stamped and signed.
03:07Thank you very, very much.
03:09Took off his itch.
03:11The attention to quality starts right on the dock.
03:15They are fantastic.
03:17That's where hotel stores manager Stefan Hoenegg
03:20oversees every item before it's accepted on board.
03:27When it comes to the produce, especially the fresh items,
03:30we are looking for the highest, for the best quality.
03:36Very good taste.
03:38One of the best jobs I had in a long time.
03:40Very nice and sweet.
03:41Executive chef Franz Weiss will squeeze, taste, poke and smell
03:46everything that enters the ship's kitchens.
03:49When they're firm, they're just very big.
03:52Those are definitely not nice.
03:56The food on this ship has to pass his highly discerning sniff test.
04:01The whole store fish.
04:03Excellent.
04:08While the provisioning continues,
04:10the real precious cargo begins to arrive.
04:12Afternoon. Welcome.
04:14Good morning.
04:16Passengers on this cruise expect exceptional service
04:19because they've paid through the nose for the experience.
04:22We want to give them as much attention as we can as well.
04:25Very personal.
04:29On this voyage, the ship is carrying 696 passengers
04:33and 629 crew members.
04:37That way, please.
04:39That's almost one crew member for every guest.
04:51For this voyage, prices on Crystal Serenity
04:53start at an eye-watering, all-inclusive $15,000.
04:59But passengers who indulge in one of the 120-square-metre
05:03Crystal Penthouse suites pay half a million dollars
05:07for a three-month world cruise.
05:10For that kind of money, everything on board has to be perfect.
05:14Even the anchors.
05:17Now, do we have any connection with them?
05:205pm. Crystal Serenity is due to set sail in just one hour.
05:25But there's a major hold-up.
05:27Tell the guys that they speed up.
05:29Her fuel tanks are enormous.
05:31It's nearly impossible to fill them up in smaller,
05:34remote ports like Bali.
05:35So, Crystal Serenity has to take on enough fuel here in Sydney
05:40to last all the way to Singapore.
05:42But the bunker barge bringing the final top-off is late.
05:47We need to leave on time here,
05:49because we're holding up a lot of other traffic,
05:52both inbound and outbound.
05:56Many people are signing up?
05:57Yes, many people.
05:59OK, have a nice day.
06:01It's not only the captain who must anticipate tricky situations.
06:05I will try my best.
06:07How is everything here?
06:08Fabulous.
06:09Fabulous.
06:11The man in charge of everything service-related
06:13is hotel director Josef Lumertsberger.
06:21Whenever something goes wrong, you can blame it on me.
06:24Doesn't matter what it is.
06:25Some of the others are not perfect either.
06:29Josef is so exacting that he's trained his staff
06:32to alert him to even a tiny carpet tear.
06:36Nobody complains to the captain.
06:38They'll come to me and want their money back.
06:41It's now 6.30.
06:43Crystal Serenity is half an hour late for her scheduled departure.
06:49Not a moment too soon, the bunker barge finally arrives,
06:53and the engineers rush to top up the 16,000 tonnes of fuel
06:57they'll need to make it to Singapore.
07:00Measuring in at 250 metres in length,
07:0332 metres across, and nearly 68,000 gross tonnes,
07:08Crystal Serenity is taking up prime Sydney Harbour docking space.
07:14Today, really anxious that we should be out of here as soon as possible.
07:18The captain must cast off now.
07:21This vessel is on the verge of causing a massive traffic jam,
07:25as 25 other ships jockey for position in Sydney Harbour.
07:31All lines on deck forward.
07:37That's good, Captain.
07:42Almost immediately, the captain faces a tricky manoeuvre.
07:47See, the problem is we don't fit under the bridge.
07:49The famous Sydney Harbour Bridge looms straight ahead.
07:53The Sydney Harbour Bridge looms straight in the path of Crystal Serenity,
07:57as she backs up to execute a three-point turn.
08:00The bottom of the bridge sits 50 metres above the water.
08:04Crystal Serenity rises 51 metres high.
08:07If she ventures too close, she'll collide with the underside of the span.
08:12Oof, are you kidding?
08:14Captain Edwardson guides his vessel with such delicate moves,
08:18his passengers on the open deck don't realise there's more at stake
08:22than a brilliant photo-op.
08:28Just when it seems as if the ship is about to collide,
08:31the captain and harbour pilot engage the ship's propellers to move forward,
08:35safely avoiding a nasty encounter with the bridge.
08:45As Crystal Serenity sails past the iconic Opera House,
08:49it's a special moment for the guests aboard.
08:53But Captain Edwardson can't relax.
08:56He still has to navigate the traffic in Sydney Harbour.
09:00Sydney Harbour is not like one straight line.
09:03There is a lot of manoeuvring.
09:04Some places are narrow and there is current.
09:07There's a lot of things to pay attention to.
09:10And when you cruise the whole world, no passage through harbour is routine.
09:16Almost every port is like a new port for you
09:19when you haven't been here for so long.
09:21This is only the beginning.
09:22Over the next two and a half weeks,
09:24Crystal Serenity will be forced to navigate shallow reefs
09:27and dangerous harbours.
09:29Challenges that will push her crew to the limit.
09:39It's day two of a 19-day cruise from Sydney to Singapore,
09:44the standout leg of an around-the-world tour
09:46on the luxury liner Crystal Serenity.
09:50She's sailing the Tasman Sea,
09:5219 kilometres off the coast of Australia.
09:56She's heading for Bali and Singapore eventually,
09:58with stops along the way in three Australian cities.
10:02Morning, ma'am, how are you?
10:04I'm very well, thank you.
10:05That looks very nice.
10:07Onboard Crystal Serenity, it's never too early for champagne.
10:11Are you going to come and have a look at Hubert's jewellery?
10:13Of course I am, you know I am.
10:16At the ship's jewellery boutique,
10:18the well-heeled guests start their day contemplating purchases
10:22like this $600,000 Hubert Gesser diamond ring.
10:26South American opal inside here, all the beads here are all sapphire.
10:30It's absolutely beautiful.
10:32I'm not taking this off, I'm keeping it.
10:35Go and find my husband.
10:40Meanwhile, below deck, hotel director Joseph Lumetzberger
10:44deals with all the unseen details that continually need attention.
10:51Like hand-pressing the laundry of the penthouse guests.
10:57The people sent down really entire few pieces.
11:01And none of the crew wants to burn a hole in a designer outfit.
11:06It's all expensive stuff, there's lots of pressure on the guys down here.
11:12I was coming down to you.
11:14Oh, that's wonderful.
11:16Meet Ural Korkmaz.
11:18He's one of the personal butlers assigned to the penthouse suites.
11:22Miss and Miss Feinberg, may we come in?
11:26Today, he's transforming the penthouse of passengers Margot
11:29and Robert Feinberg for a private party.
11:32Seafood, lobster, shrimp, crab claws, everything what you like.
11:35Wonderful.
11:37So, basically, it takes one week planning, slowly, slowly, you know?
11:42It takes the skills of a diplomat to be a butler on board this ship.
11:48We'll be on here for 94 days and they'll never say no.
11:52I wish my wife would listen to that.
11:55We don't say no, of course, but sometimes,
11:58let's say, some things we don't have.
11:59We try our very best, I think, so the most important thing,
12:02if the guests are happy,
12:04so the most important thing,
12:06if the guests realise that we are trying.
12:09While the Feinbergs enjoy Ural's service...
12:14..out on the pool deck,
12:16things are not going well for the guests who want to swim today.
12:22A crew member has discovered pool water leaking into the casino below.
12:27And that's a major headache for the vice-captain,
12:30Nedad Wilhelm, and the hotel director.
12:34It's full of water everywhere.
12:35So, when you open up here, there will be water in there.
12:38It's all full of water. It's all full.
12:41On a day like this,
12:42the crew can't afford to keep the pool closed for long,
12:45or they'll have some pretty unhappy guests on their hands.
12:50It's difficult to do any lap swimming when there's no water in the pool.
12:55So, I guess I'm not going to do it today.
12:58There's a broken drain line to be fixed first.
13:05The maintenance crew will have to squeeze through a narrow air duct
13:08to locate the break.
13:10They've got orders to get the pool back up and running
13:12in less than two hours.
13:15People, push it up.
13:20Luckily, there's other activities to keep the guests happy.
13:27On any given cruise, half are repeat passengers.
13:31Guests and staff become like family to each other.
13:35Hello, how are you?
13:36It's so nice to meet you.
13:40So much so that the Feinbergs are throwing this early cocktail party
13:43in honour of the entertainers on board.
13:48We're serving you today.
13:49Oh, my goodness.
13:50The caviar, the lobster... Caviar and sushi.
13:53..and the Cristal champagne.
13:54LAUGHTER
13:55I love you, too.
13:58All the while, hidden from passenger view,
14:00the maintenance crew pushes hard to fix that mess.
14:04They've got to get the broken drain line from the pool.
14:08Let us know when you're finished, then we can fill up the pool.
14:13Hot sun, no water.
14:15Not a good mix.
14:18But finally, they can refill the pool
14:21and Josef Lumitzberger can heave a sigh of relief.
14:26Half the pool was emptied,
14:27so we were lucky that somebody saw it right away
14:30and we could stop it from flooding the entire casino.
14:33The captain cleans up, too.
14:35On this ship, partying is a duty.
14:37The navigation is the most important part of a captain's job,
14:41but it's 10% of my job.
14:44Captain Edvardsson is throwing a cocktail party of his own
14:47for the penthouse guests.
14:50It's fun to see you.
14:53Socialising with the passengers is a vital part
14:55of the captain's job description.
15:00Especially on a world cruise like this,
15:02on a cruise like we are on now,
15:04because these people I know very well from before,
15:06they have a lot of expectations, they want to meet me again.
15:09Ladies and gentlemen of Watercruise Serenity,
15:11we are 629 crew on this particular cruise.
15:16All of us are here for the very same reason,
15:18and it's to give you the most wonderful location ever.
15:23While the guests at his cocktail party dance into the evening hours,
15:26the captain slips away.
15:28It's time for him to prepare for the most important part of his job.
15:33By 2am, the passengers are tucked into their beds.
15:37But Captain Edvardsson and his crew are wide awake,
15:40readying for their approach into the port of Melbourne, Australia.
15:46That's quite a beautiful challenge.
15:49As his ship enters the harbour,
15:51the captain will take on an area known as the rip,
15:54with powerful currents up to 9 knots or 17km per hour.
15:58Then he'll confront a very narrow,
16:00restricted entranceway into Port Phillip Bay.
16:04And he has to do it all in the pitch dark.
16:07So it's lights out on deck as the crew looks out for hazards ahead.
16:11We need to make sure that we are exactly on the leading light
16:14as we are making that approach.
16:16At one crucial spot, the water is just 17m deep.
16:20That only allows Crystal Serenity 9m deep.
16:24We don't want to enter that area,
16:26as it's way too shallow for us to enter.
16:29These are tense moments, as the captain and the harbour pilot
16:32battle the current to squeeze Crystal Serenity through the narrow gap.
16:37We need to keep the speed... You know, she's so light, you know.
16:40And she's coming, drifting sideways, almost.
16:44It takes another two hours,
16:46but finally the ship makes it safely to the dock in Melbourne.
16:50We're alongside now.
16:52At sunup, guests head ashore.
16:54They have no clue how hard their crew has just worked to get them there.
16:58And no idea what Crystal Serenity will face
17:01on the next leg of her journey.
17:04It's a long journey.
17:06It's a long journey.
17:08It's a long journey.
17:10It's a long journey.
17:12It's day four of her Sunset to Skyscrapers tour,
17:15and Crystal Serenity has left Melbourne behind.
17:19She's cruising the Bass Strait,
17:21heading toward the port of Adelaide, Australia.
17:25These days at sea are an opportunity for the guests
17:28to take advantage of the facilities on board.
17:32It's a long journey.
17:34It's a long journey.
17:36It's a long journey.
17:39Early in the morning of day five,
17:41Crystal Serenity navigates smoothly into the port of Adelaide.
17:49The guests disembark, ready for adventure.
17:52They expect their shore excursions will be as exclusive
17:55as the service on board the ship.
17:58And the management of the cruise ship
18:00will be as exclusive as the service on board the ship.
18:04And the man in charge of that is James Coghlan.
18:08Mr and Mrs Olman, they've got an 8.30 private arrangement.
18:10The driver is down here ready as well.
18:17You want to make sure that the tours
18:19have the best experience possible,
18:21because you can never get that back.
18:22It's not about the money, so to speak.
18:23It's about the experience.
18:24You ready?
18:25Ready.
18:26Oh, yeah.
18:27In each port, James Coghlan has to coordinate tours
18:30for up to 600 guests,
18:32who want to visit places like private vineyards
18:35and shop at unique boutiques.
18:38Today, he has something out of the ordinary planned
18:41for one group of adventurers.
18:43Let's do it.
18:44Our guests are probably the most spoiled guests,
18:47and I mean that in the nicest possible way.
18:50That's why passengers like Carol Orr,
18:53a Spanish-American,
18:55are the first to board the ship.
18:57That's why passengers like Carol Orr
18:59are spending an extra $2,400
19:02to experience the force from 3 Gs of acceleration
19:07in a vintage 1960s Nanchang fighter plane.
19:17A few heart-stopping barrel rolls
19:19and aeronautical gymnastics later,
19:21her plane does a flyover of Crystal Serenity,
19:24docked in the harbour.
19:27It's a fitting end to a remarkable shore excursion.
19:32I don't think I can top this.
19:34It was fabulous.
19:36We survived!
19:39After eight hours on land,
19:41the passengers return to their luxury cruise ship.
19:45Crystal Serenity will soon be on the move again.
19:48Next stop, the port of Fremantle, Australia.
19:52For three days, Crystal Serenity sails the waters
19:55known as the Great Australian Bight.
19:59Tremendous winds constantly buffet the seas,
20:02and most smaller vessels refuse to sail here.
20:07It gets to a point where it's not so much fun anymore,
20:10you know, if it really gets rough.
20:15The captain makes a strategic course change,
20:18to give everyone a smoother ride.
20:21Why don't we make a little shortcut here?
20:24Just a little bit.
20:28While the passengers head out to explore the port of Fremantle,
20:31Hiroshi Nagaguchi goes on a fishing expedition.
20:35He's the Nobu-trained executive chef at Silk Road,
20:38the exclusive on-board Japanese restaurant.
20:42Two passengers have asked him to track down
20:44some tasty seafood,
20:46and two passengers have asked him to track down
20:48some tasty local fish for them to try.
20:53But there's a problem.
20:55The chefs have never been here before,
20:57so they have to search for a fish market.
21:00They didn't know?
21:02No.
21:04We'll go back to number 46.
21:08When you work for a cruise line whose motto is Never Say No,
21:12failure to locate the fresh fish is not an option.
21:17Finally, they discover a small shop that holds some promise.
21:22This local pink snapper should fit the bill.
21:35With the passengers off the ship, the captain doesn't rest.
21:38The next leg of his trip is several days long
21:41on remote, open waters.
21:43The well-being of his more than 1,300 passengers and crew
21:46is a huge responsibility.
21:48So while the guests are touring onshore,
21:51safety never takes a day off.
21:59These emergency drills are conducted frequently
22:02and seriously on Crystal Serenity.
22:06No jokes, nothing, eh? We talked about this before.
22:10The passengers participated in a mandatory evacuation drill
22:13before leaving Sydney.
22:15But out on the open seas, it could be hours before help arrives.
22:21So the crew does extra simulations, including firefighting.
22:30Caring for an injured passenger.
22:35And full deployment of lifeboats.
22:41If we have the abandoned ship,
22:43everybody needs to know exactly where to go and what to do.
22:47So there is no confusion.
22:50The drills wrap up, and by four o'clock,
22:53the passengers are back on board for a 5 p.m. sailing.
22:56Copy that. Take the gangway.
22:59Then, a real emergency strikes.
23:02Hi, Doctor. Jason here.
23:04Good. I'm just on the phone to the paramedics.
23:08Marine Services Manager Jason Glynn
23:10calls in help for a very sick passenger on board.
23:16So is everybody over there?
23:19The ship's doctor is already caring for the passenger.
23:22She's a frequent guest, well-known to the captain and crew.
23:28There's another complication.
23:30The captain has just been informed
23:32that he must land in Bali a full half-day earlier than expected
23:35because Crystal Serenity is being redirected
23:38to a brand-new docking area there.
23:44Despite on-board medical care,
23:46the passenger is too ill to continue
23:48and must be admitted to hospital.
23:51Crystal Serenity will have to set sail without her.
23:56Let go of all arms. Let go of all arms. Forward and arms.
24:00The remaining passengers bid farewell to Fremantle
24:03as the ship leaves port.
24:16Crystal Serenity is late for Bali, so it's full speed ahead.
24:23Good morning, Chief.
24:25Welcome.
24:27I need all six engines. We need to speed up here.
24:30At the moment, we're doing only 13 knots,
24:32but I like to do over 23 knots.
24:35Down in the engine room,
24:37the pressure is on Chief Engineer Rob Bayfield
24:40to keep the engines running at full capacity for the voyage to Bali.
24:47But running full speed is not the Chief's only concern today.
24:52He has two contract engineers on board
24:54to install a new fuel-oil system to fire the boilers.
24:58Crystal Serenity must burn a lighter, cleaner fuel
25:01when she enters port with strict environmental rules.
25:05With any large maintenance,
25:07we try and plan it around where we are
25:09and make sure we have the spare parts on board.
25:12Because some places we go to, it's a logistical nightmare.
25:15The job must be completed before they reach Singapore.
25:19When this boiler is finished completely,
25:21everything is OK, we have to move on to the next one.
25:24So we've got to try and fit it in in the sea days.
25:30So for Bali, we're set?
25:32Yeah, everything's set.
25:34All the tours are rearranged?
25:36Everything's rearranged. The weather's not looking the greatest.
25:39In the excursion office, everyone's gearing up for the arrival in Bali.
25:42So there's a few tours I want to check out.
25:44That's how we go most of the day.
25:46Crystal Serenity will be one of the first cruise ships
25:49to arrive at a brand-new docking area.
25:51All the tour arrangements will be untested.
25:54OK, guys.
25:56For tomorrow, Bali.
25:58If James Coghlan doesn't keep a tight rein on the tour schedule,
26:01there could be chaos on the dock.
26:04Make sure the guests are happy before they actually leave.
26:07Because if there's any issues or concerns,
26:09we can take care of it right then and there
26:11instead of waiting until later, because then it's too late.
26:15They have been on open seas now for three days.
26:18The landing in Bali is only four hours away.
26:23This is probably the most tricky one.
26:25Besides that, there hasn't been a ship of this size here before.
26:29Captain Edvardsson will be depending heavily on his bridge crew
26:32throughout the challenging night ahead.
26:35It's important that you create a culture among your people on the bridge.
26:39Although the captain is always in firm command,
26:42on this vessel he encourages his officers to speak up
26:45if they think he has overlooked or misjudged a situation.
26:49It is this approach that has helped keep his ship safe all these years.
26:54I call it the bridge team management.
26:57Probably one of the most important things,
26:59because, after all, the captain is only a human being, you know?
27:05Good evening. How are you?
27:08Meanwhile, the guests, as usual, are enjoying their dinners.
27:19You have to put the sauce first.
27:21The second one is coming up, guys.
27:23Down in the kitchen, executive chef Franz Weiss and his team
27:27is working through the evening's first dinner seating.
27:30If you want to have a luxury food,
27:32you can have basically anything, starting from fresh lobster,
27:35king crab, shrimps, caviar, oversold.
27:41His kitchen never repeats a dish on the three-month world cruise.
27:48Well, it takes a lot of preparation homework for me.
27:51We have to contact all our suppliers in the various ports.
27:54And if something is not available, we have to be flexible
27:57and change the menu basically last minute or last day.
28:00As for the special order of pink snapper?
28:03Tonight, those discriminating passengers
28:06will finally get to taste their request.
28:10All right, here we are.
28:12Ta-da!
28:13Oh, that is beautiful. That is really beautiful.
28:16That is gorgeous.
28:22The entrance into Bali presents the ultimate challenge of this voyage.
28:26The captain expects to aim his ship at leading lights on land
28:30to establish his course through the channel.
28:33Hazards are everywhere.
28:35He'll have to avoid shallow waters and coral reefs
28:38that narrow the passage all the way in.
28:43One wrong move could run Crystal Serenity aground.
28:47Do you see the leading light?
28:49Well, I can see the leading light, but...
28:53The leading lights are misplaced,
28:55and the bridge team realises most of the buoys marking shallow waters
28:59don't match their charts.
29:03When the local pilots come on board, hopes are high.
29:06Surely they will clear up the confusion.
29:10Good morning. Good evening. Good evening, sorry.
29:13Good morning, sir.
29:15Good morning, sir.
29:17Good morning, sir.
29:19Good morning. Good evening. Good evening, sorry.
29:23Instead, the pilots just make matters worse.
29:26We cannot enter with this current.
29:28Captain Edvardsson is not about to risk the safety of his passengers.
29:33His vessel has to make a tight turn in the five-minute window between tides
29:38when the currents are absolutely calm.
29:41It's called slack water.
29:43That's impossible.
29:45Impossible? No, no, no.
29:47I want to enter when it's slack.
29:50It's becoming obvious these pilots have never guided a ship this size before.
29:56Do you see the leading light?
29:58Yeah, but then we are north, but on the radar we are south.
30:03Misplaced or burned-out lights could steer the ship straight into danger.
30:09Why don't you have some lights on the bloody sticks?
30:13Another unexpected hazard emerges from the dark.
30:18Fishing boat?
30:23A commercial fishing boat has dropped anchor right in Crystal Serenity's path.
30:28The captain has had enough.
30:30Tell him to move it.
30:31The crew is just narrowly able to steer around the fishing boat.
30:35Almost at the head now.
30:37It's exactly slack water. No current at all.
30:41The moment Captain Edvardsson has been waiting for.
30:44We will approach now, eh?
30:48Creeping along at two knots, it's time to make the tightest turn of all.
30:55The captain must engage the ship's powerful bow thrusters
30:58to pivot his 250-metre long ship in a space that's only 200 metres wide.
31:07The bow thrusters make the whole ship shudder.
31:10Crystal Serenity...
31:17It's just after 9pm on Crystal Serenity's approach to Bali.
31:21The first time a ship this big has sailed into this new port.
31:27Captain Edvardsson and his crew have pulled off a precise turn into Bali's harbour.
31:32But they're not clear yet.
31:34Many fishing boats but not many lights, eh?
31:39The Bali harbourmaster has allowed several small vessels
31:42to lay anchor in Crystal Serenity's path to the dock.
31:46The papers I received is a deal.
31:48Everything should be clear. Nothing is arranged.
31:51The moored fishing ships mean the captain won't be able
31:54to swing Crystal Serenity around to back into the dock on the starboard side.
31:59Instead, her propeller will run close to a shallow coral reef.
32:06I'm really not happy with your harbourmaster.
32:10After two harrowing hours, Crystal Serenity is finally able to dock in Bali.
32:18Not a moment too soon for the frustrated captain.
32:24The passengers have no idea of the skill their captain displayed
32:28in getting them here safely.
32:40It's 8am and already a humid 30 degrees in Bali.
32:45The passengers are eager to explore the tropical island.
32:51Shore excursions manager James Coghlan heads out as well.
32:55He's hunting for new organised activities
32:58that will live up to the high standards guests expect.
33:03On board the ship, if the guests want some more lobster,
33:06we can give them some more lobster.
33:08If they want another drink, we can get them another drink.
33:11So how far away now from the volcano?
33:13But once on land, in exotic parts, it's a challenge to guarantee service.
33:19Because we don't want to have a situation
33:21where we send guests out to the unknown.
33:23It's very, very important that we try to control those challenges that we have.
33:27Hey, guys. Good, good.
33:30Near the top of the volcano, James is judging
33:33whether this location qualifies for his most adventurous clients.
33:38But even here, he finds himself troubleshooting.
33:42OK, you know, can we give the guests an option?
33:46There's a request from guests on the other side of the island
33:49who want an extra stop on their shopping tour.
33:52So James Coghlan juggles shuttle buses by phone.
33:55It's never-ending.
33:57No, but the most important thing is to give the guests an option.
34:04And it's quite an option that he has discovered up here on the mountain.
34:09A sure-to-please tour of remote villages and rice paddies.
34:16They really get them out of their comfort zone and see this
34:19the way that you wouldn't see it any other way.
34:21A fantastic experience. Absolutely brilliant.
34:25Crystal Serenity may not return to Bali for another year.
34:29But when she does, this excursion will be waiting.
34:34Back on board the ship,
34:36passengers settle in for the next leg of their journey.
34:39It takes a little time to manoeuvre.
34:41And then back out and turn.
34:44On the bridge, the crew is leaving nothing to chance.
34:48OK, that's all right.
34:51For the departure from Bali,
34:53they have painstakingly calculated every mislabelled buoy,
34:57every burnt-out light and errant fishing boat.
35:00All the impediments that could jeopardise their departure.
35:04Yeah, where is the dock now?
35:06Over there. Ship on the port side.
35:08And we have fishing boats behind us.
35:14Once more, Captain Edvardsson throws on the powerful bow thrusters
35:18to execute a 180-degree turn.
35:23This is nothing like the fiasco the captain faced last night.
35:30Very well. Very well tonight.
35:38Dawn breaks on the Java Sea.
35:42Crystal Serenity will be on the water for the next two days
35:45as she steams toward her next port of call, Semarang, Indonesia.
35:51The ship is nearing the equator
35:53and passengers will while away the next 48 hours
35:56under hot tropical sunshine.
36:00At a special equator-crossing celebration,
36:02the captain again, as he and the crew become the life of the party.
36:12But it's not fun and games for chief engineer Rob Bayfield,
36:16who's pushing his contractors to finish installing the new fuel system.
36:20We need to get them off the ship.
36:22They said they would do it in two weeks.
36:24They've got to do it in two weeks.
36:26Time is running out.
36:28Within a week, Crystal Serenity will dock in Singapore.
36:32The installation must be done by then.
36:35Otherwise Crystal Serenity won't be allowed to dock in ports
36:38with tough new environmental regulations.
36:47After two days at sea,
36:49the port of Semarang, Indonesia, appears on the horizon.
36:53It's an almost picture-perfect arrival.
36:58But looks can be deceiving.
37:00The ancient pier where this sleek modern cruise liner must dock
37:04is slowly sinking into the sea.
37:08Do you expect the water to come over the pier today?
37:11The pipe water is flooding.
37:13Over the pier?
37:14Yes.
37:16That potential flooding brings urgency to the day's itinerary.
37:20Semarang is not a usual port of call for Crystal Serenity.
37:24But today, there's a special cargo waiting on the dock.
37:33A truckload of new deck furniture.
37:36Just put them here.
37:39Hotel director Josef Lumitzberger and the vice-captain
37:42must coordinate a rush operation
37:44before the high tide swamps the pier.
37:49As you see, the pier is very low.
37:52Do you have any other options
37:54than bringing all the furniture through the main gangway?
37:57Three or four bags on each level.
37:59OK, we are there.
38:00Just put the rest in and then after we're going to...
38:03OK, thank you. Thank you, bye.
38:05It's all hands on deck for a speedy load.
38:08And that means all hands.
38:10Even the dining room waiters in their shiny uniforms
38:13are pressed into service in the 34-degree heat.
38:18They've got just half an hour to bring it all aboard.
38:22Then the furniture must be unpacked and assembled
38:25before the passengers return from their tours on shore.
38:30It's a close call.
38:32The tide is rising and the sea is rushing in.
38:36Crystal Serenity pulls out of Semarang at high tide.
38:41We need to get out of here.
38:43The floodwaters swamp the pier.
38:47It seems as if the ship's powerful wash
38:50will finally cause the pier to sink beneath the waves once and for all.
38:58Crystal Serenity's Sunset to Skyscrapers tour is nearing its end.
39:03Two more days at sea and the ship makes land in Singapore.
39:07Guests and crew ramp up for the final festivities.
39:12And down in the engine room,
39:14the chief engineer celebrates the final tweaks to the new fuel system.
39:19Today we're pressure testing the line.
39:21Later this afternoon, everything will be ready.
39:25It's the last day of Crystal Serenity's grand voyage.
39:29Dawn breaks on the island of Singapore, the final port of call.
39:35The captain hasn't docked here in quite a while.
39:38The captain hasn't docked here in quite a while.
39:41And he's looking forward to some direction from an experienced local pilot,
39:45if he can find one.
39:47Crystal Serenity calling Singapore Pilot.
39:50Yeah, we are one mile from the pilot's boarding ground
39:53and we cannot make any contact with the pilot.
39:56Singapore Pilot, Crystal Serenity.
39:59With only seconds to spare, the pilot boat comes alongside.
40:05How are you this morning?
40:06Fine, thank you.
40:07Now Crystal Serenity is able to thread gracefully through the harbour traffic,
40:12heading toward a prime berth on the Singapore waterfront.
40:18But there's one final impediment they'll have to squeeze under.
40:24There is a cable car.
40:26Crystal Serenity may not fit below the Singapore cable car.
40:30Because she's low on fuel, the ship is riding extra high in the water.
40:34Even right now it's a little bit on the borderline,
40:36so they're going to make a height check before we actually are allowed to proceed.
40:42The local port authority aims a laser beam from a nearby building
40:45to measure the vessel's height.
40:48Hopefully we pass.
40:53The result is in. Crystal Serenity can proceed.
40:57She'll squeeze in, literally, just under the wire.
41:01Finally, the ship is at the dock,
41:03and Captain Edwardson prepares to end this epic leg
41:06of his ship's around-the-world voyage.
41:10But he's interrupted by a call from the pier.
41:16Is he not able to move this at all?
41:18The port's gangway falls just short of the ship's loading hatch.
41:24After travelling 9,400 kilometres from Sydney,
41:27the end of Crystal Serenity's journey is marked by a struggle
41:30over half a metre of wiggle room.
41:4240 minutes of manoeuvring, and at last, the landing is complete.
41:49On the dock, tour manager James Coghlan has to deal
41:52with hundreds of passengers who are an hour late.
41:57Some are behind schedule for their tours.
42:00What is really a snowball effect when the ship's late?
42:04There's no time to breathe for any of the crew.
42:11In just 24 hours, there will be a major stateroom turnover
42:15as 400 passengers disembark and 600 new guests come on board.
42:21It has to go forward. Don't block the space here.
42:24Keep only the port here. The consumer boats all forward.
42:27After a 19-day voyage, hotel stores manager Stefan Hohenegg
42:31is once more a man on a mission.
42:35It's just like Sydney all over again,
42:37as he rushes to get 17 containers unloaded, examined and stored.
42:43Welcome to Singapore.
42:45The next day, the crew of Crystal Serenity will set sail again
42:49on the next leg of their round-the-world cruise.
42:53They have delivered on her pledge to provide the ultimate
42:56in luxury service to their sophisticated passengers.
43:01People may forget what you said, people may forget what you did,
43:06but they will never forget how you made them feel.
43:10And the passengers never even saw them sweat.
43:14Crystal Serenity has lived up to her billing.
43:22CRYSTAL SERENITY
43:25CRYSTAL SERENITY
43:29CRYSTAL SERENITY
43:33CRYSTAL SERENITY
43:37CRYSTAL SERENITY
43:41CRYSTAL SERENITY