Cruise Report

Jan.15th

Today, we had the opportunity to speak to the Hotel Manager, Cornelius and learn about behind the scene of his work onboard the Ocean Dream. Cornelius, who hails from the Netherlands, is a professional in his field who has worked at sea in the cruise industry for over 46 years. He was originally training at a culinary school with plans of becoming a chef, but quickly changed his career plans to a life at sea after deciding that he wanted to see more of the world. When he first started his career, he worked in food management, but worked his way up to the position of hotel manager.

Currently he has two children, and tries to spend as much quality time with family as possible when not working. He is particularly invested in his children’s education, and his daughter can speak 7 languages! When on holiday, sometimes he brings his family onboard for vacation. Above all, Cornelius was happy to share about his life onboard, which included things about his profession and his family.

“It is also wonderful that you can interact with many different cultures onboard” said Cornelius. This pertains to both passengers and staff, as staff too are very international in the cruise industry. The passengers who board the ship are of various nationalities, and as such share differences such as in food or culture. The same goes for crew and staff members, and especially when working closely together onboard, cultural differences in work style or communication come in to play. “Working onboard is no easy feat, but it is a place where you can learn a lot. I think over the years, working with people of so many nationalities has helped me hone my skills in understanding different cultures,” said Cornelius happily, as he talked to us about his various experiences aboard cruise ships. In addition, he spoke at length regarding crew members’ work hours, the history of the Ocean Dream, how much food is prepared and eaten onboard, and much more, demonstrating his expert knowledge in many aspects of cruise work life.

The last question of the session was “what is the best thing about traveling by ship?” Cornelius answered, “the fact that your journey is guaranteed to be exciting, one where you’re not sure what might happen tomorrow.” His passionate answer speaks volumes to his love for travel. Our life onboard the Ocean Dream is only possible because of these wonderful people who work onboard. Actually getting to speak to crew members and people who work behind the scenes, like Cornelius, was a great experience that allowed us to put a face to the people who keep us safe on a daily basis. Knowing who they are, and what they’re like, made us all the more appreciative about traveling on the Ocean Dream.