This Cruise Ship Captain Has Spent 47 Years at Sea. Here’s His Best Advice for Travelers.

You could say that Captain Birger Vorland was destined for a life at sea. His father made his living as a captain on large tankers and cargo ships, and Vorland himself grew up on a small island called Bømlo, not far from Bergen, Norway.

"My dad was away for two years at a time," Vorland said, recalling his childhood in the 1960s and '70s. "That was just life. Nobody questioned it because he was providing for the family."

By the time he turned 19, Vorland had followed his father's career path, working on ships; he made the switch from cargo to cruises in 1983, working at Cunard before joining what was then known as Crystal Cruises in 2002.

He's been with the company, more or less, ever since, with more than 27 years as a captain. I had the chance to meet him in person on his final voyage, an eight-day trip from Marseilles, France to Civitavecchia, Italy, aboard the Crystal Serenity. I wanted to see what the man with so many nautical miles under his belt could teach me about what cruisers get right—and what they miss on every single voyage.

On our first day at sea, I went to meet the man most people call "Cap'n Birger," in the Bistro on Deck 6. He was already there, chatting with two long-time Crystal travelers over coffee. It seemed that everybody who walked past said hello—and the Captain addressed almost every one of them, guests and crew alike, by name.

"For me, this has been a great career," he said. "Everyone has a story."

Affable and easygoing, Vorland projects a sort of effortless, good-natured authority honed over a long career at sea. He's also a practiced storyteller, who launched into some memories soon after I sat down.

"I once spent twenty minutes chatting with former U.S. President Gerald Ford," Vorland recalled. "We were just chatting, like people."

"And I spent two weeks on a Baltic cruise aboard the little Sea Goddess with Gene Hackman and his wife," he added. "He'd come up on the bridge every morning and have coffee with me. He was always up there with pastries and coffee. I never asked about his movie career, though. If he would have brought it up, I would have been happy to."

We also spoke about one of the most notable cruise journeys of Vorland's career, when he was in command as the Crystal Serenity transited the Northwest Passage, sailing from New York to Vancouver, in 2016. It was—and still is—the largest cruise ship to ever make the trip, and Vorland still has fond memories of the voyage.

"My favorite port of call—ever—is Ulukhaktok," he said, of the town in Canada's Northwest Territories. "If you go to Ulukhaktok today and say that you know Captain Birger, they will know me. It's a small village. It's a very, very special place."

Captain Birger Vorland's Tips for Being a Better Cruiser

Eventually, our conversation turned to the captain's best advice for passengers. I asked what it is that most cruise passengers forget on every sailing. I expected him to say something like sunscreen or a good book. But I should have known that his answers—gleaned from close to five decades at sea—would run deeper than that.

"If someone wants to listen to my opinions, I'm fine with that—I have a lot of them," he said, with a laugh.

Don't Be Afraid to Meet New People

"That's probably the biggest reward of cruising," Vorland said. "To meet people and to sit down, have a meal or something, have a conversation. I'm known for always having a story. We have a lot of guests that don't just come for one cruise, they come in for two or three. You meet all these people, these tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people that I met in my career. Everybody has a story. And that's one of the fascinating things about cruising: you meet so many people from different nationalities and different backgrounds."

Don't Plan Excursions at the Last Minute

"Be prepared," Vorland said. "Even if it is 'just' the Caribbean."

His advice for travelers is to ask as many questions as possible before you arrive in port. Crew members, many of whom are very well traveled, will often have bits of advice or suggestions that go beyond what can be found with an internet search or an AI query.

"Everywhere there's always some small little thing that the big crowds don't go to—and all of us in this industry, we're selling bragging rights," the captain explained. Vorland drove the point home by quoting the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen: "He always said, 'There's no such thing as bad luck, only bad planning!'"

Don't Expect Outdated Dining

A big buffet is a well-worn cruise-travel cliche, but Vorland points out that many guests actually prefer that style of casual dining, even when on board a luxury ship like those operated by Crystal.

"Crystal Cruises started in 1990, and there has been continuous change since then, as people's preferences have changed," he says. "When we started, there were basically two seatings for dinner, and no one went to the Marketplace Buffet. Now, everyone goes to the Marketplace."

He also notes that, like many high-end brands, Crystal has upgraded its specialty restaurants. "We have chef Nobu's restaurant," Vorland says, referring to Umi Uma , a sushi and Nikkei cuisine concept from Matsuhisa Nobu. "And we have Beefbar, which is really incredible," he adds, of the global steakhouse brand that got its start in Monaco.

Don't Miss the Boat

Though it rarely happens aboard Crystal Serenity , people do sometimes push the limits of the posted "All Aboard" time in ports of call. "In the Caribbean, people go ashore, drink too much, and miss the ship," Vorland said. "We have very little of that, thankfully, but this is really a problem across the industry." He went on to explain that waiting in port for passengers who aren't back on time is more than just an inconvenience: the cruise line can rack up considerable extra costs for things like fuel when departures don't go as planned.

Don't Forget Your Flashlight

The only must-have thing Vorland never travels without? A flashlight. "I travel with a couple of miniature small black flashlights," he told me. "You never know when you're going to need one. Never in my checked bag. Always in my carry-on."

A Final Farewell

As we neared Civitavecchia, I had one more chance to meet with Cap'n Birger. Over pastries, tea, and coffee, he explained that he was packing up a lifetime of treasures that he had aboard the ship.

I wondered, Will you miss this?

"I'm done with that," he said with a laugh. "No, I've been a captain for twenty-seven years, and it'll be a few days short of forty-eight years at sea when I retire. I want to go out when I'm still on top."

Still, there's a slight pause in his voice. "I think it will be harder than I imagine," he said.

He explained that he's excited to spend more time at home, near Los Angeles, with his wife. But then a sly smile creeps onto his face: "I've been the captain now for twenty-seven years, and I have no problems going home and being second in command!"

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