What's better than a life at sea and being able to see beautiful new places every day? Today on People Who Do Things we are joined by Daniel, an Activities Manager onboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas and he's showing us the ropes of life at sea!
When you were younger what did you think you would do as a career? I always wanted to be a presenter for as long as I can remember. I wanted to be a TV presenter first, then I discovered radio when I was in Secondary School.
Okay, so is there someone in the entertainment industry that you aspire to? Nope! I don't particularly want to recreate anyone that I've watched or listened to. But I can take a lot of lessons from many other presenters...both for things I really like, and things I never want to do myself! I enjoy watching Graham Norton and listening to various speech presenters on LBC.
What is your role on the ship and what does your day to day life look like? My job onboard is Activities Manager, which means I'm responsible for the activities programme. I organise all sorts of entertainment, from quizzes to dance classes, games shows and parties. My days are always busy because there's always office work to get done as well as countless people to meet and chat to out and about around the ship.
What's your career path been so far to get this role? So far I've had a strange progression to where I am. I had many different work experience placements in TV and Radio, which then led into journalism. I was a freelance journalist for the Mail Online, and then suddenly ended up at sea! I took a bit of time back in the UK to work on some TV shows and then landed back on a boat after that!
When did you decide that you wanted to work on a Cruise Ship? I decided I wanted to work on a Cruise Ship once I had actually joined my first ship. I had been on a cruise once as a passenger, but we hit a storm, which I didn't enjoy, so it was a surprise to everyone when I accepted a job at sea! It was a lucky accident that I applied for my first job at sea.
What's your favourite part of your job? My favourite part of the job is probably hosting the evening game shows - it's a great thrill to plan something and then see everyone in the room enjoying what you've made for them. I also enjoy coaching my team to help each person perform at their best.
What advice do you have for others considering this as their profession? Working on a Cruise Ship is a fantastic experience. There are very few times when the ship is rocking enough to make you feel sick and they give out sea sickness pills for free anyway! If you keep busy and stay in touch with home when you're in ports then it's easy not to feel homesick - it's a small world now and it's easy to keep in touch if you want to! It's important to remember that you are coming to work, not a holiday! So be prepared for long days and no days off either! It's worth it if you enjoy chatting with people and entertaining, but if you're coming for a great time on the beach, get a different job or save up and pay for a cruise!
Sell me a cruise in five words! Food, Entertainment, Destinations, People & Memories.
How do the contracts work on the ship? You work for 7 months at a time when you first join a ship, shortening to 4 months if you get promoted. You then get 2 months off on land between each contract.
What is your side hustle? I have many different projects on the go at any point in time! I've set myself a challenge of taking a picture of every sunset I see as I travel around at sea, so I've got some really beautiful pictures (particularly in Northern Europe, when you get the midnight sun in the Summer). When I am on land I also write for my website and create YouTube videos for Psychology Unlocked.
And finally, the question we all want to know the answer to, what are the perks of the job? There are so many perks to working at sea - yes the food is free and you don't pay for accommodation....or travel! But more than that, you're in beautiful places every day, usually with lovely weather. Everyone around you is on holiday so there's a great atmosphere and it's easy to feel relaxed and happy. There's also so much opportunity to try out new ideas and practise because we are a self-contained unit when at sea, so you can make things as good as you want to - I see that as a big perk!
A massive thank you to Daniel for taking the time to share his role as an Activities Manager, I hope you found this interesting and keep tuned for a lot more interviews, I shall be posting a new 'people who do things' every other Sunday, So your next one will be up on Sunday 12th August!
If you're in a job that you love make sure to DM me on Instagram @greatestformofflatteryblog and I can feature you!
If you're in a job that you love make sure to DM me on Instagram @greatestformofflatteryblog and I can feature you!
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