Jaume Fuster: ‘Baleària has grown because it has taken risks’

Jaume Fuster Cervilla, a Mallorcan merchant navy captain, considers himself above all a man of the sea. For the past three years he has been in command of the Jaume III, which operates on the Alcúdia-Ciutadella route, allowing him to stay close to his family and his home territory.

Looking back on his career at Baleària, which began in 2007 on the Ramon Llull, he highlights the first time he was given command of a ship, the Jaume I, on the Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to Freeport (Grand Bahama) route; and the positioning voyage of the Jaume II from Algeciras to Florida. The Jaume vessels have undoubtedly played a central role in Jaume Fuster’s professional life.

But what surprised him most when he joined Baleària as an officer was ‘the great flexibility to change destinations, both for crew members and for ships operating scheduled services’. He also remembers the warm treatment he received from his colleagues: ‘On passenger ships, the relationship you experience is usually like being part of a large family, something that is particularly evident at Baleària.’

‘I have always been connected to the sea in one way or another, and I think it gives you a different way of understanding life. I cannot imagine going a day without seeing the sea and, when I cannot see it for whatever reason, the day does not feel complete; I feel as though something is missing,’ explains Captain Fuster. That is precisely why he remembers how difficult the worst months of the pandemic were for him: ‘The disease changed the world, or at least people. So many ships stopped operating, especially fast ferries, and the crews had to stay at home without seeing the sea. The return to normality was hard… fortunately, it is behind us now.’

Key moments

In contrast to the difficult memories of the pandemic, Jaume Fuster recalls the construction and entry into service of the Baleària+ ferries: ‘I think that moment was key in Baleària’s history, as was the launch of the Caribbean route between Florida and the Bahamas, which I was part of; and also the great moment when the Dénia ferry terminal opened, which is truly worth seeing, inside and out.’

Captain Fuster has no doubt that Baleària’s leadership in its sector is primarily due to ‘making the right important decisions at decisive moments; doing so with courage, a forward-looking vision and a willingness to take the risks that come with it’. He believes the values he has brought to the company are ‘professionalism, responsibility and commitment; and, personally, empathy with people who need help solving any kind of problem’. He has also learned, he explains, ‘to tackle the problems that arise each day and to do so carefully when it comes to making important decisions’.

All of this has allowed him to experience Baleària’s growth with great pride: ‘Every step Baleària has taken has contributed to its growth; it makes you proud to see what this company has become today.’