I'd say Nick Bates was one of the most popular captains; loved as much by passengers as crew. Some are far from popular from the crew viewpoint. However affable they appear in public, some can be distant and work by the book, operating an officious regime of crew discipline, crew cabin inspections and the like. Not Nick Bates. What you saw was what you got with pax and crew alike. He was a pragmatist and crew duties were performed with sympathy. He is a man of the people, and he relished his relationship with his crew, and they loved him for it.
When I first worked on QE2, (from 1997) it was not unusual for crew to have worked on no other ship than QE2, for years and in some cases, decades. Nick was through and through a Cunard man with over forty years service. He had worked his way up from junior officer on QE2, via other Cunard ships to Master. Nick knew the all the long-term QE2 crew like family. He spent leisure time with them, fished with them and drank with them. Other than Nick, I don't recall another captain welcomed in the F'o'c'sle Club.
I first met him when he was QE2 Staff Captain, (or deputy captain; XO in military terms). Carnival had recently taken over P&O, and were hell bent on swapping captains between lines, despite a marked cultural difference in management. P&O captains came to QE2 and vice versa. Nick was sent to Princess.
Fortunately he returned to QE2 as Master after that, and I was on board at that time too. His Captain's midday Bridge daily announcements were awaited with baited breath. I believe he was unique in delivering his 'funnies' following the day to day Nav and weather reports.
Thank you bobso for reminding me of a great man.
I have just bought his book via his site.
