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Top Insider Advice
Working abroad was a huge step, working at sea was an even bigger one. I had moments at the start, where I thought I would never pass my STCW course (sea safety, fire fighting etc, a course that is required to work at sea) I ended up having to do the course 3 times throughout my career as it has to be renewed every 5 years. I never thought at the start of my career at sea that I would become an actual uniform wearing officer. What I mean by this is an officer in a white uniform with gold stripes (Epaulettes) on my shoulders - but I did when I became the Front Office manager onboard Thomson Spirit, what a massive learning curve I did it!
Career path
Destination Services Executive
Marella Cruises / TUI UK & I
Started 11/2021 to PresentCompany
What do you like about your job and the company?
Ultimately moving from waking up in a different port everyday to being land based has been challenging. But the best part about my current job is I still get to travel. I get to do site visits to new regions/ports we are taking the ships to (if i'm looking after them). I also get to visit the ships to support the teams and to meet the agents I speak to on a regular basis in person. Plus I get to attend industry events such as Seatrade. But I also get to see my family more than once every 6 months which is wonderful, as whilst travelling is fantastic you do miss out on a lot of the simple things like Christmas. I missed 7 Christmas's in a row whilst working at sea, summer BBQ's, birthdays, weddings etc as they didn't match up with my assigned vacation time.
Greatest achievements
I believe I am a lucky person, as I can sit and think of many moments (some funny, some unbelievable, some scary) in my career that I am proud of. Some I'm proud of because I survived and I probably shouldn't tell you about those! But through those experiences I learnt that I am resourceful, I'm strong in a crisis, I'm dependable and that I can find solutions to problems in the hardest of circumstances. I've made some dreams / lifelong ambitions for some people come true a long the way and seeing how people react to seeing places for the first time is always magical.
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Chloe P
Finance Analyst
Top Insider Advice
Everyone is always so friendly and willing to help so just be yourself!
Chrys S
Volume Assessment Team Leader
Top Insider Advice
I would like to think the key thing to remember is that we are individuals, and as individuals, we share a common passion for travel. My best advice to any potential candidate is BE YOURSELF! I have always brought my personality to work and always made friends all over the world in each destination I've worked in, to date. One other piece of advice I'd give, is use your nerves to your advantage; the reason we get nervous is because we are doing something far outside of our comfort zones. Starting a career with us means you'll eventually overcome those nerves the minute you step foot on the plane when you're travelling to your new destination. Keep an open mind, learn new languages, cultures, experience different things and you'll see just how big the world really is!
Ana B
Top Insider Advice
Always try to do what you enjoy the most, and have fun while doing it. Be true to your principles and values, and always stay true to yourselves. Don't be afraid to try, and above all, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Always be genuine, and try to evaluate situations from various perspectives. Our reality and preferences may not always be the best for the company and the team, and we shouldn't let that discourage us or make us give up.
