ICON OF THE SEAS – Here We Come!!

   April 11, 2024

PART ONE OF FOUR:

The father-son duo acted like guests some of the time, with early access to spectacular Icon of the Seas amusements like this colorful, convoluted water park.
The father-son duo acted like guests some of the time, with early access to spectacular Icon of the Seas amusements like this colorful, convoluted water park.

By Jeff Fleming | 12V Marine LLC

ORIENTAL – The FaceBook message said “marine electrical technicians needed for cruise ship, must be available January 3, 2024.” It was Dec 28, just 6 days away? Starting a service business requires good marketing and credibility. What would be better for our new company (12V Marine) than a reference from a cruise ship? We have the skills and experience, so we promptly replied to the message.

A few days later my wife and I were on our 43-foot sailboat participating in the New Year’s Day “Instead of Football Regatta.” I got a call from my business partner (my son Colyn). “Dad,” he said. “They need us to fly to Puerto Rico in two days.” My wife and I dropped the sails (we were way behind anyway) and headed back to Pecan Grove Marina in Oriental.

With the travel itinerary to Puerto Rico in hand, it was time to make a list of tools, equipment, and materials we would need to work on the ship. Ouch! The paper stayed blank. Our excitement had suddenly turned to anxiety. We were hired through a contracting firm that had very little information to provide. Reason? They were hiring all kinds of trades to get the Icon of the Seas ready in time for a late January maiden voyage.

Royal Caribbean officials asked Colyn Fleming (seen here) to dress as a regular cruise ship tourist so as not to be noticed. However, he had to gain access to high security areas, which tended to confuse the crew thinking he and his father Jeff were lost passengers.
Royal Caribbean officials asked Colyn Fleming (seen here) to dress as a regular cruise ship tourist so as not to be noticed. However, he had to gain access to high security areas, which tended to confuse the crew thinking he and his father Jeff were lost passengers.

Only after we were on board the massive vessel would we be given specific projects based on resources and priorities. The initial message to 12V Marine was for low voltage marine electricians. Low voltage implies networking equipment and LED lighting ‘kind-of-stuff.’ However, the Icon is basically a floating city so we had no idea what we were walking into. WE NEEDED TO BE READY FOR ANYTHING!!

As we were packing our lithium drills, razor knives, wire strippers, butane torches for heat shrink, and a bunch of other scary tools, it became obvious that our unusual ‘luggage’ would be of great interest to airport security and Puerto Rico customs.

As we landed in San Juan, our concern became real. Within the next few hours we were either going to be on the world’s biggest cruise ship or in a Puerto Rican immigration jail — either would be an adventure! I am sure customs could sense our nerves, but with other contractors flying in for the same reason I assume they weren’t too concerned with our contraband. We met up with the lead contractor (who had originally hired us) as well as several other technicians. After some logistic issues, the luggage was no longer an albatross around our necks! We were driving toward the wharf outside Ponce with 100 percent of our tools – READY TO WORK.

NEXT WEEK, PART 2 – Jeff & Colyn Fleming of 12V Marine are awestruck as they encounter the largest, newest, and most expensive cruise ship in the world. In Oriental, the Flemings can be reached at (252) 251-2900. Email: 12voltmarine@gmail.com

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