Before joining SH Vega, you were involved in the reopening of SH Minerva. What did “reopening a ship” actually mean?
I was the Hotel Director for the reopening of Minerva. Successful, I must say. Minerva had been out of operation for three and a half years because of bureaucratic issues. When everything was solved, they started putting together a team to bring the ship back into operation: the crew, the rooms, the menus, everything. In Swan Hellenic in general, we have a good team – so on board of Minerva I had full support. We did a proper christening again, with a bottle of champagne breaking on the hull. Then we sailed from Montevideo going through the Falklands, South Georgia and ending in Ushuaia, with a little bit of Antarctica. It was a 17- or 18-day cruise, and it was successful. It was the beginning of a successful Antarctic season. So it was actually quite a good experience for me to be part of this important moment if the life of our company.

Do you enjoy changing ships?
It is good to change. It gives you a rotation of different atmospheres. The company is the same, the standards are the same, which is a good thing. There is not much to change there. But you get to go to different places also, and that is good. From last year to this year, I am jumping through the three ships. I did Minerva, now I am on Vega, and my next assignment will be Diana in August. So yes, it is nice. Going to different places is always good.

How different are SH Minerva, SH Vega and SH Diana?
Diana is different from Minerva and Vega because she is bigger, longer and carries more guests. The spa is different, and she has an extra card room on deck seven, a room for meetings or for people to play games. Everything is a little bigger. But everything else remains the same. The décor is the same, the design is the same, even the carpets are the same colour. So when our repeat guests come back, they do not feel that too much has changed. The crew may be different, but the feeling is familiar. And even the crew rotates. I came here and some members of the crew had been on Diana before.

How is crew rotation organised across the ships?
We have a crewing office in Manila that takes care of all that. Of course, with support from us on board, because they need to put the puzzle together. Usually, some of the crew finishing their contract here go home, and then later they may go to another ship. They rotate around. It depends on the position. For senior management, it is usually between three and four months. For lower positions, it can be from six months up to eight months. But that is always in agreement with the crew member.

What makes these contracts special for the crew?
A lot of them are happy to be here. Look at the people on this ship now. They have a great opportunity: to start in Antarctica, do South America, Central America, Panama, Canada, and then bring the ship to the Arctic. If you ask me, this is amazing. The opportunity to bring a ship from one polar region to another polar region is unreal. Not many crew members, not many people out there, have that chance within just a few months. It is a fantastic journey.

Do the crew really get a chance to see the places they pass?
As you know, this is a busy job. It is a busy environment. But once the guests are off the ship, the workload becomes a little easier, and eventually the crew can go ashore. In Antarctica, sometimes we organise Zodiac cruising for them, one or two Zodiacs, so they can go around and see glaciers, icebergs and wildlife. Whenever management can give them a break, they get a break. Longer breaks for going out are not always possible, but we always do our best.

And what about you personally? What do you do when you go ashore?
Lately, on the last cruise and this cruise, we have been around Chile and now Peru. I have been out mainly for work – scouting for products for the ship, fresh produce, exotic fruits, fresh fish, things like that. On these cruises we try to bring something extra on board. But that is also the beauty of the job. Whenever we have a chance, we jump outside to get something, to see something. Or even to buy a magnet to put on the fridge. I have plenty of those at home. My mother has plenty on her fridge. I also buy some for friends. I do not buy in every port, but I try to get at least one from each country, regardless of the port of entry. Even though they have never been to these places, at least it is something I bring with me.

Have you ever counted how many countries you have visited?
Actually, I have not. But many, many, many... From north to south of the world, basically. I have been as far north as the North Pole many years ago, and as far south as Australia. Not all the ports, of course, but I have been in a lot of countries. Just to give you an example: when I did West Africa, two years in a row, we went from Ushuaia in Argentina to Tristan da Cunha and all the way up towards the Arctic. On that journey alone we passed through 26 countries. Imagine all the other journeys, all the companies I have worked with. Dozens of countries, for sure. It is hard work, but at the same time it is rewarding when you get to go out and explore a little. For me it is not about telling my friends, “I have been here”, or posting on social media. It is more for myself, to be happy with myself. I rarely post anything on social media. I take photos for me and to show my friends, but mainly it is for me.

Do you have favourite places?
There are so many. I would say ports rather than countries. I like the Caribbean. I like Europe a lot. I like the Mediterranean, Northern Europe. And West Africa is very interesting.

What makes West Africa stay in your memory so strongly?
It can be challenging if you do not know where you are going. But I have experience in some of those countries – Congo, Togo, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast. When I went to a market in Congo, I was surrounded by many locals. They saw I was a possible buyer of fruits, vegetables or something like that. They were really all around me and the chef, but they never threatened us. I never felt in danger. Of course, you need to choose where you go. West Africa is very interesting because what you see on National Geographic, you see there in person. The poverty, the way people live, how they survive with so little. It gives you a life lesson. The first time, it was harsh. You see villages, streets, roads with big holes, and you ask yourself: how can people live like this? But it gives you a reality check. It makes you appreciate what we have – the life we have, the job we have, the things we have at home. When I go home, I tell my friends: I have been in places you see on National Geographic or in documentaries. I have seen it, I have witnessed it. So we should be thankful for what we have. We should not complain about life so easily. If you think your life is not okay, come with me and I will show you what “not okay” really means. You have to look positive.

Does Swan Hellenic also try to help in the places you visit?
Every time we can, we donate. Whatever we have and do not use – uniforms, safety shoes, clothes from lost and found after more than six months, things like that. If a crew member goes home and has T-shirts or clothes in good condition, we wash them, fold them and donate them. Backpacks that guests leave behind, water bottles – we wash them and give them away to kids. Sometimes we buy things specially. In Ghana, in Congo, we bought school materials: pads, crayons, things like that. We gave them to schools. In São Tomé and Príncipe, for example, we gave rice, beans, flour, oil for cooking – things people really need and cannot always access easily. How can you not do it? If you can help, you should. The social element is very important.

How do you decide what to give?
We are careful. We do not give anything that is close to expiration. That would not be fair. Also, it is not about giving just anything. In some places they do not need fruits and vegetables. They already have those. Giving bread or pastries may not be useful either, because people are not used to that kind of food. But if we give flour, rice, oil for cooking or olive oil, they appreciate it very much because those things may be difficult to access or expensive. That is why we adapt our donations according to their needs. That is the way it should be. Giving something just to give makes no sense. Give something they really need. So we call the people and ask: “We want to donate. What do you need most?” And they tell us. That is how we organise it.
Three years ago, we gave 5,000 kilos of rice. They knew we were coming, and it was a big thing, because rice was not easy for them to access. It had to be shipped in.

We are also looking at ways to help a couple of islands. But first we have to look at logistics, because sometimes it is not easy to donate equipment. For example, one island has drinking water, but it is not filtered properly, and that causes health problems. So we are looking into donating a water-filter system. But the idea is not just to give the equipment. We need to provide training. Who will take care of it? We need to show them how to maintain it, how to change the filters, all that. Otherwise it becomes a one-time thing. It works once, then it breaks down, nobody knows what to do, and the equipment ends up spoiled or thrown away.

Swan Hellenic guests do seem different from passengers on conventional cruise ships. How do you see them?
Our guests are not “normal” compared with some other cruise lines. I mean that in a good way. They come for the exploring. They come to see something different. They do not come just to go to a Caribbean island, have margaritas and come back. They really come to sightsee. They really come to enjoy the ports we visit. They also look forward to the lectures on board, as you have seen with the expedition team. They come to learn. They come to experience. This morning, for example, there was a lecture at 11:15 with a gentleman from the SETI group. He was talking about astronomy and related research. You saw how many guests were there. The silence, everybody attentive to the professor’s explanation – amazing. This is our guest. They come here to explore, to hear, to learn.

So your advice would be: take everything the ship offers?
Exactly. Do the most of it. Be around. Go everywhere. Anything we offer, take it all. If an excursion is 10 or 12 hours, take it. When are you coming back to this place? Maybe next year, maybe never. For many guests, this kind of trip is a trip of a lifetime. Antarctica, for example, is usually once in a lifetime.

And yet some people come back again and again. Why?
Because of us. The ship, the crew, the food – they say it themselves. They may say: “Okay, maybe now I will go to South Georgia, but I will come back again next year if my time allows, because I feel comfortable. I feel at home.” They like arriving in Buenos Aires, taking the charter flight, receiving the warm welcome by reception, by the gangway. People like to be acknowledged. They like when I say: “Welcome back.” That means I remember them. They say: “I do not mind spending the money to go where I feel welcome.” That is why they come back. For me, Antarctica is also special. I have done three seasons there, and every time I come back it is special. I do not mind the long flights from Europe to Buenos Aires because I know I am going to a special place. The Arctic is the same. When you feel good, you are always happy to be back.

What would you like people to understand about your work?
Even though we work hard here, we work hard for a purpose. We work hard to please our guests because that is what we do, and because we like it. Not because we have to. That is the only way you can do this job. You can see the smiles on the faces of the crew when they are walking around. And to anyone who comes on board, I say: take the fullest of the experience! Leave nothing behind. You might not have the chance to come back again. Not because you cannot afford it. Maybe you will not have time. Maybe you will choose somewhere else, because there are so many destinations out there. If you come, do not just lay back and relax. You will have time for that when you go home. You have weekends, you have evenings. While you are here, go everywhere! Do everything! The memories will stay with you, and you'll become rich - with experiences, feelings, thoughts, knowledge!