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The day before a Carnival Cruise liner under the helm of Captain Francesco La Fauci docks at Circular Quay, the skipper always gives a little advice in his noon announcement to passengers and crew.
“Be on open decks at 10 past 5 tomorrow morning, because Sydney is the most beautiful port in the world,” will say the skipper, now sitting in his posse on the bridge of the Carnival Splendor.
“Such a beautiful approach, a beautiful port, into the opera house, the skyscrapers with the sunrise,” the captain looking almost wistfulfinishes.
“I mean, it’s unique,” he concludes.
It’s advice he has given for the last 10 years, when Captain La Fauci was permanently based in Sydney.
But yesterday was the skipper’s last friendly warning, retiring today after more than 40 years of cruising the world.
“My last day in Sydney,” says the captain, “which is my favourite city.”
After starting on oil tankers and a stint in the Italian navy, Captain La Fauci has since been at the helm of cruise liners for the last 40 years, and reveals that leaving Circular Quay can be a tricky exit.
“On departure, during weekends, the harbour can be very busy with sailing and pleasure boats.
“The most challenging manoeuvre can be coming out from this pier, turning by the Opera House and by the Bridge; with strong winds and strong current, it can be very challenging.”
The briny would have been hard to shake from Captain La Fauci’s blood, the son of a son of a Sicilian fisherman.
“I still enjoy fishing as well,” he says, “I have two fishing boats in Sicily waiting for me, so I’ll be captain of my fishing boats.”
And to be a cruise ship captain apparently needs more than a master’s licence.
“He likes to get out, he likes to entertain, he likes to mingle with the guests,” says Brad Coyne, director of fleet operations for carnival, “and most of all, he loves to sing!”
It seems the captain spent some time early in his career on the sea as a vocalist with a Latin band in the Caribbean.
Brad tells me the skipper’s go-to tunes are Volare and Quando Quando Quando, and they would always draw rapturous applause.
Over the last decade, hundreds of thousands of Australians would have travelled under the care of Captain Francesco La Fauci.
And as he safely delivered his three and a half thousand passengers safely back home, the Captain was getting ready to fly to Italy tonight.
So on behalf of those holidaying Aussies, I simply said, “Captain La Fauci, grazie.”
The wistful look returned, a life at sea now docked.
“Arrivederci Sydney,” would say the skipper.
