He had followed my career path for nearly 12 years, so I said, “OK, it’s my turn – you follow your dream!”
I got started in the maritime trades after receiving my Bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism management. I started at an entry-level office job. Then, the company needed someone who spoke Spanish, French and English to fill an Assistant Cruise Director role. They gave me the job because I speak six languages. I speak Maltese, which is my native language. I also speak English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. I was just 21 years old!
As a profession, cruise directors are the "fun" people. And we definitely bring the fun! We handle the ambiance. We coordinate among all the different teams on a ship, such as the hotel department, the expedition department, and the engineering department. We come altogether to create the best experiences for our passengers. We are very lucky because we are around people who are mostly happy during their vacation time.
It is an amazing professional calling to have a job that is about making people happy. Every job has its ups and downs; every job has its good parts and less-good parts. Sometimes things can get a bit tense behind the scenes, especially if there are a lot of last-minute changes for the guests. However, in general, the ambiance is incredible. In life, I think we have to try and choose professions that make us feel that we haven't worked a day in our life. I feel this way about my career!
Being a Cruise Director means being away from family. I spend about two-and-a-half months on each contract. I am away from home that whole time. However, I feel compensated by the experiences that I live, and by the people I encounter. It's unbelievable.
