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How similar are the tasks of a captain and a mayor? This was one of the questions discussed at the annual reception of the Flieden community.
Flieden – The show and entertainment program is part of the fixed concept on the ships of the cruise line AIDA. Pedro Ziegler has now proven in Flieden that this definitely includes the captains. Based on the “AIDA Primetime” format, in which boaters and other crew members answer questions from the guests, the Rhön native took a seat on the couch between Mayor Christopher Gärtner and Michael Gensler from the Happ travel agency, which was a partner at the reception.
AIDA captain is a guest at the annual reception in Flieden
Ziegler, who initially worked as an electrician in Pilgerzell and Hilders, has been wearing the four golden stripes on his shoulder since 2009 – first in freight transport and then, since 2012, in cruise shipping. “Aside from the fact that you swim in the same water and are exposed to the same forces, it has nothing to do with each other,” said Ziegler, admitting that both have their charm and he doesn’t want to miss one or the other.
The most emotional trips as a captain are probably the first ones, “if you know: now I can't ask anyone anymore,” he revealed with a smile and reported: “On my first trip on the cargo ship, I drove right past the harbor.” And not everything went smoothly on the first AIDA tour either. He had to cancel a port because of the weather in the Caribbean.
“We then stayed overnight in Miami, but had to change the dock. So we put down the music, turned the ship around and moored it to the new berth. That was probably the most exclusive harbor tour for the guests,” the former Ferdinand Braun student remembered with a laugh, after raving about sunsets at sea, the Geirangerfjord in Norway, the ports in Kotor and New York and the Panama Canal Passage.
A number of the visitors empathized with Ziegler's descriptions on many points. However, when asked questions, he did not ignore the current global political situation. He admitted that the fact that his shipping company decided early on to cancel Oriental destinations was courageous. “As we now see, that was right,” he emphasized. In response to the critical question about the fuel consumption of a cruise ship that has 4,000 passengers and 1,000 crew members on board, Ziegler gave an insight into the technology. AIDA has done a lot for drive technology and shore power supply in recent years. For the pure propulsion of a ship, around three liters of fuel per person per 100 kilometers can be expected.
Visitors also asked critical questions about the cruise business
And then there was Gärtner's question that the jobs as mayor and captain certainly had many parallels: “Water supply, sewage disposal, logistics – that concerns you as much as it concerns me,” Gärtner speculated. It is certainly challenging both on the bridge and in the town hall, said Ziegler. “However, I compare my job more to that of a managing director.”
Before the informative and at the same time amusing round of discussions, Gärtner looked back on the past year in the kingdom a number of groundbreaking projects for new development areas from playground renovations to celebrations and excursions. However, he also emphasized how challenging times are for municipalities – especially given the tense financial situation.
Before Tobias Firle presented the image film of the Economic and Interest Forum (Wifo) for the first time, he also spoke of stressful times for the economy in view of rising costs. “The fact that the traders continue to do so is due to their values. As Wifo, we should make these transparent and visible,” said Firle, promoting regional purchasing. The evening's music was provided by the band Grapppa.
