“The Dream Ship”: Is the new crew slowly growing together?

“The Dream Ship”
Is the new crew slowly growing together?

“Das Traumschiff” (ZDF) set sail for the first time on November 22, 1981. 40 years have passed since then and the crew members have kept changing. Captain Max Parger (Florian Silbereisen, 40) and staff captain Martin Grimm (Daniel Morgenroth, born 1964) have been on board since 2019 and hotel director Hanna Liebhold (Barbara Wussow, 60) has been a year longer, since 2018. The newest addition is ship doctor Dr. Jessica Delgado, who has been played by Collien Ulmen-Fernandes (40, “jerks.”) Since 2021 – she has already made four “Traumschiff” films and four more are pending.

In the new episode “The Dream Ship: Sweden” (December 26th, 8:15 pm) the four crew members go on a tent trip to grow together as a team even better. In an interview with spot on news, Ulmen-Fernandes reveals what the team and family feeling looks like behind the scenes.

In the “Dream Ship: Sweden”, Captain Max Parger (Florian Silbereisen) and the closest crew members take part in a tent excursion as a team building measure. What was particularly exciting while filming these scenes?

Collien Ulmen-Fernandes: According to the script, Flo had to dislocate his arm, but as a practical matter, a doctor was there for the team-building measure – Dr. Jessica Delgado, well me – who could put him back in place. Of course, I had to practice that beforehand so I wouldn’t break the flo. The medical staff, who are always on board during the shooting, showed me and fortunately he was unharmed.

Speaking of team building measures. You are also relatively new to the “Traumschiff” team. Do you already feel like you belong?

Ulmen-Fernandes: Definitely. With every “dream ship” shoot, you get to know each other better, of course. For this film we were based in Stockholm and the four of us were taken by car to the location of the tent excursion. In the two-hour drive there and back, we had a lot of time to talk and I found out, for example, that Barbara Wussow writes a diary every evening. Interesting. I was wondering if we would also be featured in it. And if so, what do you think she is writing about us? On site we stayed one night in a kind of youth hostel that opened especially for the film team. It really felt a bit like a school trip. In the evenings we all sat outside by the water for ages and talked.

Is there already such a thing as a “dream ship” friendship or do you get along with everyone equally well?

Ulmen-Fernandes: Generally speaking, the family and team feeling is extremely high on the “dream ship”. This is very important to everyone. You get on the ship, you are warmly welcomed and hugged by everyone and you feel comfortable and at home. We are a team, we stick to each other, we don’t talk badly about each other – you can feel this atmosphere immediately. When someone’s birthday everyone goes there – no matter how tired you are. That’s touching – when you’re on the ship, the world is all right. And I think that’s the feeling that comes across in the movies. This is probably also the reason why the series has been running so successfully for 40 years.

She and Barbara Wussow also go kayaking in the “Traumschiff: Schweden”. Could you do that before?

Ulmen-Fernandes: No. Barbara and I first had to go to kayak training in Stockholm, and we were both afraid of capsizing during training or, worse, while shooting, falling headlong into the water and then having to be blown dry again. We’re both absolute beginners – luckily, we should be in the film too. In the end, we stayed dry during both training and filming.

How did you like it in Sweden in general? And would it be a private travel destination for you or do you prefer warmer regions?

Ulmen-Fernandes: That was actually the first “dream ship” shoot that made me freeze. Otherwise it is more likely to travel to destinations like the Maldives with endless beaches and temperatures of around 30 degrees. This time we wore down jackets and winter boots outside of the shooting. Somehow it was completely different. It didn’t feel like a “dream ship” at all. The others said that too. The landscape in Sweden is of course beautiful, but personally I’m more of the Maldives vacationer.

What should never be missing in your “dream ship” travel bag?

Ulmen-Fernandes: Since I’ve been on the “dream ship”, I’ve always had a multiple socket with an extension cable in my luggage, because there are no sockets on the bed and there is only one socket in the living area. When the cell phone is charged in the evening, you cannot lie comfortably in bed and talk on the phone, read, write or watch something at the same time. In addition, I always have duct tape with me in my luggage to cover up the illuminated light switches and a hand fan, because it is often very warm on the dream ship – unless we are filming in Sweden. (laughs)

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