Captain Morley joined the Royal Navy’s Amphibious Command Platform HMS Albion in September 2010 just ahead of the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review. He talked to Patrick Boniface about his career and his command, which has since been placed in extended reserve.

When did you join the Royal Navy?
I joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1988 and served on board the Type 42 destroyer Newcastle, the aircraft carrier Invincible and the patrol vessel HMS Starling, which was based at Hong Kong. My first command was the mine countermeasures vessel HMS Dulverton, which served off Northern Ireland between 1997 and 1999. After a number of staff posts, I was promoted to Commander in 2003 and took command of the Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster for two years until 2006. When promoted to Captain, I took command of HMS Albion.
 

The master of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ popular Black Watch, Captain Ingar Neerland, talks to Peter Newall about his career at sea, which started at the age of 12.

Where did you spend your childhood?
I was born in Kristiansund in 1972 and we lived on Smøla, a small island on the west-coast of Norway, which only has just over 2,000 inhabitants.

Do you come from a seafaring family?
My grandfather Anders Neerland started a fishing trawler business in 1948 with a small ship, Miloy. In the mid-1950s he bought Ertnan, a 271gt coal-fired trawler, which had been built in Germany in 1907, and in 1964 he added the much larger 149ft Remman (1948/400gt) to the fleet. My father Arne was chief engineer of Remman, which was sold in 1988.

After a career spanning more than 30 years, Italian master mariner Tullio Socchi feels very much at home on the Irish Sea as captain of Stena Lagan, running between Birkenhead and Belfast. As he explained to Russell Plummer, the vessel has undergone three changes of operator since he joined her in 2008.

When did you first go to sea?

In 1978, while I was at Nautical College in my home city Trieste, as part of training, students had the choice of spending some time at sea in either bulk carriers or oil tankers. I chose bulkers and joined Sagittarius, a 26,401gt vessel built in 1963 and then sailing worldwide for Genoa company Sidermar Spa.
 

What was your first command?

This was the seismic research vessel OGS Explorer, operated by NW Geophysical and surveying for major oil companies, including BP and Shell. We later went to Antarctica for the Italian Government, sailing from New Zealand to the Ross Sea.

Captain Leif Karlsson, master of Azamara Quest, talks to Byron Clayton about his career and the ship he now commands.

When did you first go to sea?
I am from Åland, Finland, which makes me Finnish, but I speak Swedish. I went to sea when I was 15 years old as a deckhand. I wanted to go when I was 14, but my parents refused to sign the papers until I finished my schooling. On the last day of school, I finished at 1200 and was on board the ship at 1500. Since that day, I have been working at sea.

Captain Arnolf Fredrik Remo, master of the Southampton-based Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Independence of the Seas (2008/154,407gt), talks to Andrew Cooke about his career at sea.

How and when did your career at sea get under way?

I was born and raised in Ålesund, Norway and come from a family with a long association with ships. From the age of four I loved to sail with my family so, perhaps, it was no surprise when I chose to follow the family tradition. After joining the Norwegian Navy in 1962, I went to the Naval Academy and Captain’s School in my home town. My career began in 1967 on board the 20,000gt bulk-handling ship Havgast.
 

How has your career developed?

I have been with RCCL for around 35 years and have witnessed the substantial changes and developments in the company. In the early days RCCL had just three ships, so jobs were few. I was promoted to Chief Officer in 1978 and to Staff Captain in 1980. Later, in 1988, I was elected as supervisor for RCCL’s newbuilding projects in St Nazaire, France (Sovereign of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas). This lasted three years and, upon my return to the sea, I was promoted to Captain on the 1971-built Nordic Prince, and later became Captain of Monarch of the Seas. Between 1995 and 1997 I worked at Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Head Office in Miami developing RCI’s Safety and Quality Management.