HOME country: I was born in Suriname, but now I live in the Philippines. How long have you been working on cruise ships? Since 2001. I started with Seabourn, then Silversea, then worked shoreside for 15 years before coming back on board with Holland America Line in 2019. What’s the...
HOME country: I was born in Suriname, but now I live in the Philippines.
How long have you been working on cruise ships? Since 2001. I started with Seabourn, then Silversea, then worked shoreside for 15 years before coming back on board with Holland America Line in 2019.
What’s the best thing about working aboard MS Noordam? I love the fast-paced environment we are in – not one day is the same as the next. There are 101 people in my team, and I really enjoy helping them achieve their best through planning, management and motivation. When you look at the number of events we cater for, it’s just incredible, and when we do a ship turnaround it’s a whole new environment that we are creating. Every day is a new day, and I love getting results together. I see myself not as a boss, but a coach and I really love building the capabilities of my team.
What is your favourite cruising destination? My favourite city would have to be Buenos Aires in Argentina. It’s a fabulous mix of the modern and historical, with such a variety of neighbourhoods each with their own style and chemistry.
Explain what your job is day-to-day? I start in the morning at about 7:00am in the Lido Market, checking in with my team before a meeting at 7.45am where we make sure things are on track. I look at the requisitions from the team for the following day, making sure they are available and within budget. That’s followed by looking at the lunch setups, and then I usually go to the gym for about an hour before a bit of a nap. I look at the future orders coming on board, and also oversee sanitation which is the foundation of everything we do culinary-wise. Before dinner we do a food tasting, and then there are usually a lot of emails to be dealt with. It’s busy but i honestly wouldn’t know what to do if I had a day off.
Who is the most famous person you’ve served? An absolute highlight was meeting one of my motor racing idols Arie Luyendyk – also known as “the flying Dutchman”. He’s an Indy 500 winner and one day I heard he was dining in the Pinnacle Grill! He cruises with HAL quite a lot and we have become friends.
How do you spend your time at home? I spend time with my family – I’m about to become a grandfather. I am a keen golfer, do daily workouts, and of course when I’m home it’s my turn to cook.
