The Man On The Bridge: Meet Captain Emiel de Vries

Hailing from Holland, Captain Emiel de Vries began his career with Holland America Line as a 4^th Officer and worked his way up to the rank of Captain. He has sailed on every class of Holland America Line ship and has been fortunate to sail the seven seas and visit all seven continents.  Currently, Captain Emiel is serving as Eurodam’s captain and is cruising through the eastern Caribbean.

Captain de Vries says, “What makes working for Holland America Line so special is meeting so many friends on board, and I’m convinced that we truly have the best crew out on the high seas. It’s a privilege to work with them.” When I had the pleasure of meeting him last week, I could tell that this was truly evident in the gracious way he interacted with his crew. Captian Emiel also stressed the importance of communication between all the crew. He mentioned that they hold briefings on the bridge with senior officers and bridge staff multiple times a day. Though this, Captain Emiel is able to effectively communicate with his crew and make sure all of his staff are staying on point. One Holland America employee I spoke with even said that Captain Emiel and his Hotel Director, Stan Kuppens, were two of the most humble Holland America Line staff members.

Captain Emiel is married to Susan, his wife from Ontario, Canada, and they have a two year old daughter who is already a Mariner! In fact, Captain Emiel even had his family sailing with him last week! In his spare time, Captain Emiel mentioned he is an avid photographer, which is understandable because of the beautiful views he must see while working on the bridge.

Captain Emiel is truly one of Holland’s great captains because of the way he interacts with his crew, socializes with his guests, and safely pilots his ships throughout the world. I was honored to have Captain Emiel as my captain last week and I hope to sail with him again very soon.

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Photo courtesy of Holland America Line.

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