What in the World Does Char Do?

My job on the ship is quite simple - I sell cruises! So when people on board are happy and want to do more cruising, they come to see me and I set them up with their next cruise. Our ships have the best itineraries taking people all over the world and since I have been to so many places, I can find just the right trip for people. Here's a photo of me at my desk on the Westerdam, talking with a bright young man who was very curious about all aspects of ships and cruising. At the end of the cruise, he came to see me with his Mother and they booked a future cruise that he had personally selected, right down to the actual stateroom choice and dining options.






This job is really a perfect fit for me but I never realized that I had been training for it for several years. I began work on ships in the Purser department (Purser - keeper of the purse - this is accounting work which I had done all my life). Other experience that helped groom me for the position include secretary to the Captain & Hotel Manager which taught me so much about the things that go on behind the scenes in cruise ship operations. I have been intrigued with Alaska for a number of years and had the opportunity to live for two summers in Skagway, the northern most stop in the inside passge. I was a port agent there which means I was the shoreside rep for all the cruise lines that came into that port. We had 25 cruise ships each week visiting bringing approximately 600,000 visitors per season. And the final experience which led me to my job as Future Cruise Consultant was staying home (not working onboard ships) for four years as a home-based travel agent. All of this opened the door for me to be in this dream job.