Meet the Captain of the Largest Ship in the World

nbsp; As Royal Caribbean’s newest (and largest!) ship, Symphony of the Seas, prepares to set sail from Barcelona, Spain, to idyllic Mediterranean destinations, we’d like you to meet the man at the helm—Captain Rob Hempstead. Captain Hempstead has sailed with Royal Caribbean International since 1999, and has served as Master aboard six ships since 2005 making him well prepared to sail Symphony. “After working at sea for more than 30 years, I’ve never once wished for another life of less excitement, exploration and adventure,” he says. Captain Hempstead was born on the coast of Rhode Island, a famous sailing state. He first went to sea as a young boy with his dad, who carried on the family tradition of setting out to sea. There was never a doubt that Rob would someday set sail too, and in 1986, he graduated from the California Maritime Academy and accepted his U.S. Naval Reserve commission. Though he’s now on the largest cruise ship in the world, his career began with the U.S.

ATE03787GER.jpg Editorial picture agency Felix Features

Meet the 'Chief Dog Officer' on Royal Caribbean's New Ship — a

The World's Newest Wonder, Wonder of the Seas

They were on a luxury cruise, then the coughing began – the ship

Meet the 262-Foot 'Artefact,' the First Superyacht to Be Future Proof

Inside Look: Odyssey of the Seas Revealed

How to become a cruise ship captain

Worse things still happen at sea: the shipping disasters we never

Royal Caribbean International - Meet the captain behind the

Meet Captain Kate McCue

Wilhelm Gustloff, History, Casualties, & Facts

How the World's Biggest Cruise Ship Is Docked, Explained by a