C’mon Snnipe! You can’t just throw that out there and walk away.
Not specific to cruise ship captains, but John McPhee wrote an interesting story called “The Ships of Port Revel” about a center in France where trainees learn piloting skills on scaled-down ships. Port Revel website
See post #8. 
If that training place didn’t exist, Wes Anderson would have to invent it.
Do you mean the fact that deck officers don’t control the engine systems or the stories?
I will assume the stories.
My dad was oiling on the 2nd assistants watch in the 30s when the Captain entered engineering spaces without clearing it with the Chief. The 2nd walked up to the captain spun him around and picked him up by his shirt and threw him out of the engine room. Captain got up dusted himself off and walked away.
On the training ship of CMA the Captain had ordered up 130 RPM as full ahead. But we in the middle of a storm and the extra speed was beating up the ship. The Chief Engineer wanted to slow to 110 turns. I understand there was a big argument in the officers solon and the Captain refused to change his orders. The Chief Engineer went to both engine rooms and put in the day book that the max RPMs for the main motor was not exceed 110 RPM. From what I heard from the Deck Midshipmen was the Captain blew his top. And tried to order a speed increase back to 130. And I guess he turned many different shades when he was told that the max speed would be 110 turns.
The there was the time the 2nd Mate, the Commandant of Midshipman, was showing guest around the ship when we were in San Diego. He told his guest look here indicating the peep sight. Then instead of opening the door to the peep sight he slammed the air register closed to the burner. That boiler really began to pant and shake. He reopened the register turned to his guest and said I think we have seen enough here and left.
Then there was the time when I was a 3rd and the tanker was anchored off San Pedro. I come back from the boiler room to find the 1st running around. He asked me if I had the steering motor running yet? I looked at him and said HUH! Seems the captain forgot to tell the chief engineer that we would be sailing soon. The 1st tells me that they are casting off lines that was how he knew were getting under way. About this time one the EOT the bridge rings up “Stand by Engines”. I looked at the 1st and he looked at me and said he was heading to the bridge and I had better line up everything. I grabbed the EOT answered Stan By Engines and then rang up Finished with engines, then headed back to the steering engine room. The 1st late told me by the time he go to the Bridge only the bow and stern line had not been cast off. And everyone was wondering why I answered back finished with engines. The Captain forgot that you do not leave port without the Chief Engineer’s permission.
There have been many stories on direct drive diesel ships of the engine room having to call the bridge to limit the number of times they can ring up and direction change. the reason is they have rang up too many in a short period of time and the engine room is beginning to run out of starting air.
There are a few stories.
Deckies do not study marine engineering and know little about how the engine room works.
The California Maritime Academy in Vallejo has a bridge sim. And being on it is like being on a bridge of a ship at sea or in port, it is almost unreal.
:smack:
Well, yeah…but…anyway, the John McPhee story is still worth checking out. 
Unlimited Master versus Navy Captain: which one has weapons release authority? :rolleyes:
OK you got me there