career: a shorex career - a visual review 2015

Visual review of a seaborne career 1999 -

2006

1

From 1999 to 2006 I worked in

onboard American cruise ships

Initially with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) for 1½ years, then with Holland America Line (HAL) for the remainder. Not many people know what it entails to work in Shore Excursions (or ‘Shorex’ for short) on cruise ships, so this presentation is meant to not just recount the salient facts of my Shorex career, but also to pro-vide a glimpse into the challenging world of cruise ship employment and the skills you take away from it.

Intro

http://www.ncl.eu/

http://www.hollandamerica.com/


Content

The Job ................................................................................ 3The Teams .......................................................................... 12The Ships ............................................................................ 14The Itineraries ................................................................... 17The Guests ......................................................................... 21The Results ......................................................................... 23So much for the facts ..................................................... 32Few jobs require ...............................................................

35In closing ............................................................................ 45Appendixes ........................................................................ 49

Presentation

2

MS Westerdam Shorex Team, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas,September 2005

The Job

For (almost) every port of call the cruise ships offer a range of Shore Excursions ashore, that guests can purchase (pre-cruise or onboard). Depending on itinerary, Shorex can be one of the biggest onboard revenue generators.The Shorex department is the coordinating hub of this program, providing an onboard point of sales and tour information, coordi-nating operations with agents ashore, handling the logistics of tour dispatch and more...

I was in charge of the onboard

for the ship’s guests in port

4

The Job

The Shore Excursion department is a relati-vely autonomous unit, operating under the authority of the Hotel Manager and the overall direction of the corporate shore excursion department in the head office.

The department consists of a manager and (itinerary dependent) up to 5 assistants and one Port Lecturer, all holding officers rank. The department is one of the few onboard guest service providers that have as much (if not more) communication and interaction with shoreside partners as they do with fellow departments onboard.

HOTEL DEPARTMENT

ENGINE DEPARTMENT

DECK DEPARTMENT

MEDICAL DEPARTMENT

Chief enginee

rChief officer

Chief doctor

Hotel director

Shore excursion

sF & BCruise

staff

Shorex mgr

CAPTAIN

House-keeping

tour agents

destinations

guests

staffcorporate office

essentially a guest

for adventures & activities ashore

5

The Job

Sightseeing tours by bus / on footConventional guided tours by bus or on foot, half-day and full-day formats

Passive adventure toursTours by special vehicles: Boat tours, jeep safaris, flightseeing by plane, helicopter or hot air balloon, tours by bike, Segway, etc.

Active adventure toursTours with physical activity: Horseback rides, diving & snorkeling, watersports tours, etc.

Specialty tours Special interest / occasion tours: Cooking classes, cultural events, workshops etc.

Overland tours Group tours to far-flung inland attractions involving elaborate travel arrangements and hotel overnights away from ship, e.g. 3-day Machu Picchu out of Lima, Peru.

Private tours Tours by private cars / vans w. personal gui-des and customized individual itineraries

Transfers & Shuttle servicesStraight shot transfers to popular destina-tions | Transfer to airport / hotel for debark guests | Shuttle service port to city (when required)

I managed a wide variety of

6

The Shorex department has a counter on-board, where staff handle guests’ tour bookings and related queries during de-signated office hours. Itinerary dependent, this POS can generate anywhere between 40 – 70% of total sales. The remainder of sales come from pre-cruise online bookings, which the Shorex department downloads, updates, prints, organizes and distributes onboard. The Shorex manager is responsible for mana-ging these sales channels optimally.

The Job

I was in charge of

and the management of pre-bookings

7

The Job

Available onboard marketing channels :

• The live Shorex talk (taped & broadcast

on a designated TV channel)• The onboard booking form in print• Pre-show trailers in the movie

theater• Plasma screens throughout the ship• Shore Excursion Kiosk terminals• Flyers and brochures distributed to

cabins• Cross-promotions with other

departments

and I directed the onboard

to increase tour sales

8

For every port visited I coordinated the ship’s excursion sales, dispatch logistics and special arrangements with one or more local tour operators.

The extent of coordination required in each port would vary – from simply pro-viding running updates on participation counts, to relatively elaborate prepara-tions, like flight- or hotel manifests for overland tours, special visa requirements, private arrangements etc.

The Job

guests

shorexmgr

local tour agent

staff

onbo

ard

tour preparations

I managed the

with local tour operators in every port

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Sending guests on tour is not just a matter of opening the door and saying ‘Go!’

Shorex is responsible for the smooth and orderly dispatch of up to 1500 guests in the span of just an hour or two. This involves meeting guests onboard, dividing them into groups with a sticker system, briefing them on directions and proce-dures and dispatching them at the mana-ger’s discretion. This sounds simple but anyone who has dealt with large crowds of people in holi-day-mode will know that it is a challenge.

The Job

and planned and directed the

in every port of call

10

The Job

Supervision, scheduling and training of up to 5 Assistant Managers and a Port LecturerMonitoring customer service, operational standards and new revenue opportunitiesCoordination and cooperation with other onboard service departmentsOngoing financial and operational repor-ting to onboard/shore side managementImplementation of Marine Hotel policies and procedures within Shorex Department

Finally, I handled the daily

of onboard Shorex operations

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The Teams

* Not what you think! In this context it means ‘Spouse On Board’

From small teams of 2 on the smaller ships and all the way up to 4 assistants, 1 part-time SOB* and a Port Lecturer on the larger ships on tour-

intensive continental itineraries.

All with wildly different backgrounds, skills, experience and nationalities

I managed a number of different

in the course of my career

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The Ships

From the new & big; the (then) brand-new MS Norwegian Sky from 1999 (2000 pax, 800 crew)

To the old & small; the ‘old’ MS Noordam from 1983 (1254 pax, 520 crew)

I worked a number of different

in my career at sea

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For a comprehensive overview of all the ships

I have worked on, see Appendix A

The Ships

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The Itineraries

Always eager to discover new destinations, I frequently requested new itinerary

assignments and eventually got to do most of the popular cruising destinations.

7-day Glacier Discovery 2003

10-day Roman Empire 2006

30-day South Pacific 2005

I did mostly 7 – 14 day cruises but also got to do a number of longer repositioning cruises and grand voyages of up to 30 day duration.

I worked a number of different

around four continents

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Hawaii & South Pacific

South America

Pacific Central America

Alaska

Caribbean

Transatlantic /US East Coast

Canada /New England

Mediterranean /North Africa

Baltic & Norway

Western Europe

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Pacific North

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The Itineraries

All in all, I worked in more than

in more than 35 countries

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For a comprehensive list of all the ports I have visited in a Shore Excursion capacity, see Appendix B

The Itineraries

20

The Guests

Primarily North American guests. A fair share of other nationalities. A fairly young demographic: many singles and families with kids

Primarily North American guests. Some other nationalities, itinerary dependent. An elderly demographic: many couples and retirees

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MS Oosterdam Shorex wins trophy axe for bestseasonal sales on Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show, Ketchikan, Alaska - August 2004

CRUISE TARGETCRUISE ACTUAL

10/W 11/E 12/W 13/E 14/W 15/E 16/W 17/E 18/W 19/E 20/W 21/E 22/W

$500,000

$550,000

$450,000

$400,000

$350,000

VOYAGE$300,000

REVENUE

MS Noordam | Summer 2006Eastern / Western Mediterranean

The Results

I frequently reached my targets for

and went beyond

24

The Results

MS Noordam, Med Summer Season 2006‘Needless to say that Jacob far exceeds the targets for this season and has set the bar extremely high for the next season… (He) has achieved the (passenger quality standards and ratings) on a season average, a task not easily done on these European sailings with such high numbers of shorex participating guests.

Jacob is clearly in charge of his department in every sense of the way. He is a strong and dedicated leader, who gets the job done at higher than anticipated results. It is obvious that Jacob has a higher mission in his life on board to just perform his job. He really ought to be in our corporate office as he brings a refreshing set of values and thoughts to work that both are apparent in his results as well as make his department and our ships operations successful.’

Henk J. Mensink, Hotel Manager, MS Noordam, June 18 2006Overall rating: exceeds expectations

For more evaluation statements from my Shorex career, see Appendix C

I consistently received excellent

from department heads

25

The Results

It was not unusual to be assigned assist-ants who had no previous Shorex or desti-nation experience, which was a big handi-cap.I always wanted my teams to be confident, empowered and well-informed so to that effect I devised lesson plans, introduced team briefings and rotating duty rosters, wrote manuals and cheat sheets, and took as many staff as possible out on fam trips.Many of the assistants I trained went on to become successful managers and I hear some of my training material is still in use.

I pioneered a lot of

previously not prioritized

26

The Results

This was the Noordam 2006 team – my best team ever.

Their hard work set new revenue records for Mediterranean itineraries, consistently exceeding revenue targets by an average of 20% for a full season

Three of them went on to become success-ful managers in their own right

One went on to become my wife

That’s how good the teamwork was!

with continuously

to show for it

27

The Results

New team schedules with improved task delegation, IPM (In Port Manning) duties and rotating days off to increase efficiency, lift team spirit and prevent ‘contract burn-out’

A Mail-Merge procedure to print guests’ names and cabin numbers on the prepaid ticket envelopes, rather than handwrite hundreds of envelopes.

The use of Powerpoint slides during tour dispatch in the Main Lounge to communi-cate important tour information to guests.

Other Shore Excursion

I pioneered onboard

28

When Shore Excursion self-service kiosks were installed on the Zuiderdam in 2004, they went largely unnoticed by guests. It was not hard to see why – the terminals were discreetely embedded in the walls in high-traffic areas and carried no signage, save for a tiny notice on an otherwise blank terminal screen. Working with the IT officer I came up with a way to install eye-catching PowerPoint slideshows on the dormant screens to attract guest attention. This innovation re-sulted in an immediate quadrupling of kiosk bookings and became standard fleet-wide practice.

The Results

Before

After

Plus I was responsible for the

29

The Results

Basic Safety Training in compliance

with STCW-95, regulation VI/1 § 2: Personal Survival Techniquesas set out in table A-V1/1-1 Fire Prevention & Fire Fighting as set out in table A-V1/1-2 Practical training at Houston Fire Dept. & Houston Community College Systems Elementary First Aid as set out in table A-V1/1-3 Personal Safety & Social Responsibili-ties as set out in table A-V1/1-4Norwegian Sea, 14.01.00 | 12.09.00 (Document # IH091200-01)

ISO14001 Environmental Compliance

Tier 1 – ISO14001 Familiarization Training

Tier 2 – Basic ISO 14001 TrainingZuiderdam 13.03.04 | Westerdam, 12.05.05 | Ryndam, 19.02.06 | Noordam, 30.04.06

Security Training Level 2Oosterdam, 30.07.04

Crowd Management in accordance with STCW Regulation V/3-1Norwegian Sea, 24.07.00

Marlin’s English Language Proficiency

Zuiderdam, 08.09.03 (Test score 91)

I obtained a number of

required for shipboard duty

30

The Results

and finally, I made an unforgettable

on the Statendam in 2004

31

Those familiar with the industry and the realities of a shipboard career will already know all they need to know about me at this point.For those that are not, please continue with the next section to learn more about what it takes to work on a cruise ship…

32

Sometimes when I tell people how I used to work on cruise ships in faraway destina-tions they respond with a knowing grin and an ironic ‘Yeah, working hard, I bet...’

The implication being that life and work on a cruise ship could not possibly be hard or unenjoyable, but rather an endless succes-sion of Fun in the Sun, parties and carefree living in the lap of luxury.

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... there was a lot of that!

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But it’s also the hardest, the most challenging, the most engrossing job I have ever worked and here’s why...

... there was a lot of that!

34

Work hours

On a cruise ship, you finish work

when you are finished working!

This is no 9 to 5 job – you work until you are finished with everything that needs to be done that day and that can easily mean 10-12 hour working days with minimal breaks.

And you do that seven days a week for up to six months at a time...

...while always smiling and being courteous.

Just saying.... It’s not for everyone.

Only 5 months to go Few jobs require longer

35

On a cruise ship, time is very finite!

Barring mechanical, medical or nautical emergencies, the ship’s itinerary is set in sto-ne and your Shore Excursion deadlines are as solid and immovable as the shoreline you are approaching. There are very few tasks you can conveniently postpone – you are either ready for it or you are ‘ed.

Under those circumstances, you quickly learn to manage your time, streamline your proce-dures and delegate your tasks effectively and (hopefully) still have some free time left.

Time management

Few jobs require more

36

Flexibility

On a cruise ship, anything can

(and frequently does) happen!

Phone call from the Hotel Manager at 10:00 pm on the first night of the cruise:

‘Yeah, sorry for that late notice but the Captain has decided to switch itineraries because of hurricane Irene. You have until 9am tomorrow morning to produce a new tour program for 4 different ports.’

And that’s all there is to it! Take a deep breath, count to ten, and go back to work.


37

On a cruise ship, you rarely work alone!

With only a handful of staff looking after the tour arrangements for hundreds of guests in each port, solid and effective teamwork is es-sential to get things done on time. Everyone pitches in with whatever tasks are still out-standing and no one leaves the office until everyone is finished.

You work, live and socialize with the same people every day for up to 6 months at a time, so everyone makes the extra effort to cooperate professionally and get along.

Teamwork


38

On a cruise ship, you’re only ever a wrong turn away from

trouble!

Shore Excursion staff regularly meet and dis-patch large tour crowds from inside the ship, swiftly dispatching hundreds of guests through narrow corridoors and stairwells, that were never designed for this kind of intense traffic.

Unless you have a finely tuned instinct for how best to do that, you get congestion, chaos, delays and complaints.

Crowd management

Few jobs require better

39

On a cruise ship, the Devil is in the details!

When planning the Shore Excursion program for an upcoming cruise, you may be dealing with as many as 10-15 ports, each with an average of 5-10 different tour options. That quickly adds up to a myriad of tour details that you had better get right in your set-up and your sales material.

Any mistakes or typos in planning or adver-tising can come back to bite you hard, cau-sing you loss of revenue and guest com-plaints.

Attention to detail


40

On a cruise ship, customer service is a way of life!

As part of the hotel staff you are expected and encouraged to smile, greet, chat with guests as well as answer any and all questions as best you can – wherever and whenever you are, on duty or off duty.

Not just at your work station, but when moving about the ship, when trying to get a quick meal in on the Lido Deck and even walking around ashore. Customer service quickly becomes second nature.

Customer service

Few jobs require more dedicated

41

On a cruise ship, you are selling dreams!

In Shore Excursions you are not selling a product per se, but an experience and if you want guests to come back for more it had better be as good as (or better) than they imagined it would be. That means taking your time to talk to guests and find out what they like, what they expect and what they can do in order to guide them to the most suitable and enjoyable option.

Sales skills

SHORE EXCURSIONS

Few jobs require more finely honed

42

On a cruise ship, diplomacy is a survival skill!

Ever heard of ‘Cruise Rage’? No? Well, let me assure you, it exists! When balls are dropped or expectations not met on someone’s dream vacation, the fallout can be disproportionally strong and highly vocal. And you had better know how to deal with that.

And let’s not even get into what kind of conflicts you can have within your own team when one dislikes another or any of them step out of line.

Conflict resolution


43

On a cruise ship, you work with up to 40 other

nationalities every day!

And you interact on a daily basis with guests from all around the world.

And as a Shore Excursions manager you ad-ditionally work with local agents and staff in several hundred destinations worldwide and get to experience their cultures first-hand.

Respect and tolerance for all races, creeds, and customs is a must. As a cruise ship em-ployee you are a citizen of the world.

Cultural sensitivity


44

Outro

I hope you found this (relatively) brief review of my Shore Excursion career infor-mative and should you have in questions about this part of my working experience, I will gladly elaborate further.

I have previously given seminars and courses on the cruise tourism industry, local cruise handling and more for stu-dents of tourism and for guides, and I re-main available for such engagements in the future.

45

Contact

(+45) 50 34 60 [email protected]

Jacob Lyngsøe

46

mailto:[email protected]

Other presentations

A visual review of my DMC Key Account

Manager career 2007 - 2012

7 pioneering achieve-ments from my career with DMC 2007 - 2015

10 clues to me – a personal presentation

on my LinkedIn page

Resume of a Great Dane – my master visual resume

47

A The Ships .....................................................................

I - IIIB The Destinations .......................................................

IV – VIC The Evaluations .........................................................

VII – XD The Credits .................................................................

XI

The Appendixes

49

Appendix A: The Ships 1999-2001

NORWEGIAN SKY NORWEGIAN WIND

NORWEGIAN SEA NORWEGIAN DREAM

MS

MS

MS MS

Assistant Manager 1999-2000• East/West Carib from Miami

Assistant Manager 2000• West Carib from Miami• Repo Miami - Vancouver (via

PanCanal)

Assistant Manager / Manager 2000-2001• West Carib from Houston

Assistant Manager/ Manager 2001• South America, Buenos Aires –

Valparaiso• Repo Valpariso - Miami (via PanCanal)

- Rome (Civitavecchia) - Dover• Baltic Capitals from Dover I

RYNDAM

VOLENDAM NOORDAM

ZUIDERDAM

MS

MS

MS

MS


Assistant Manager 2000 + 2001-2002• Southern Carib from Ft. Lauderdale• PanCanal Repo Los Angeles – Ft.

Lauderdale

Assistant Manager 2000• WestMed from Rome / Barcelona• Repo Rome – Copenhagen V/V• Baltic Gems from Copenhagen

Assistant Manager / Manager 2003 + 2006• Alaska from Seward / Vancouver• Southern Caribbean from Tampa

Manager 2003-2004• East/West Carib from Ft. Lauderdale

II


OOSTERDAM STATENDAM

WESTERDAM NOORDAM

MS

MS

MS

MS


Manager 2004• Pacific Mexico from San Diego• Alaska from Seattle

Manager 2004-2005• Pacific Central America & PanCanal• Circle Hawaii from San Diego• South Pacific Explorer from San Diego

Assistant Manager / Manager 2005• WestMed from Rome / Barcelona• Repo Rome – Copenhagen V/V• Baltic Gems from Copenhagen• Transatlantic repo Rome – Ft.

Lauderdale

Manager 2006• Transatlantic repo New York – Rome

V/V• East / West Med from Rome

III


Appendix B: The Destinations

Alaska• Seward, Alaska• Haines, Alaska• Sitka, Alaska• Juneau, Alaska• Ketchikan, Alaska• Victoria, British

Columbia

Baltic / Norway • Copenhagen, Denmark• Aarhus, Denmark• Warnemünde, Germany• Tallinn, Estonia• St. Petersburg, Russia• Helsinki, Finland• Mariehamn, Finland• Stockholm, Sweden• Visby, Sweden• Kalmar, Sweden

• Ystad, Sweden• Oslo, Norway• Flåm, Norway• Bergen, Norway• Stavanger, Norway

Canada / New England• Montreal, Québec• Québec, Québec• Saguenay, Québec• Baie-Comeau, Québec• Gaspé, Québec• Charlottetown, P.E.I.• Sydney, Nova Scotia• Halifax, Nova Scotia• St. John, New Brunswick• Bar Harbor, Maine

Caribbean• Nassau, Bahamas• Freeport, Bahamas• Great Stirrup Cay (NCL)• Half Moon Cay (HAL)• San Juan, Puerto Rico• St. Thomas, USVI• St. John, USVI• Tortola, BVI• Philipsburg, St. Maarten• Basseterre, St. Kitts• Roseau, Dominica• Fort-de-France,

Martinique• Castries, St. Lucia• Bridgetown, Barbados• St. Georges, Grenada• Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

For the sake of entirety, here is a comprehensive list of all the ports

I have visited in a Shore Excursion capacity, listed by region:

IV

• Palma de Mallorca, Spain

• Mahón, Spain• Barcelona, Spain• Séte, France• Marseille, France• Saint Tropez, France• Cannes, France• Ajaccio, Corsica• Cagliari, Sardegna• Monaco/Monte Carlo• Genoa, Italy• Livorno, Italy• Civitavecchia, Italy• Napoli, Italy• Venice, Italy• Messina, Sicily• Catania, Sicily• Palermo, Sicily• Valetta, Malta• Mgarr, Gozo• Dubrovnik, Croatia• Korcula, Croatia


• Corfu, Greece• Katakolon, Greece• Santorini, Greece• Mykonos, Greece• Pireas, Greece (Athens)• Heraklion, Crete• Kusadasi, Turkey• Istanbul, Turkey• Casablanca, Morocco• La Goulette, Tunisia

Pacific Area• Kona, Hawaii• Lahaina, Maui• Honolulu, Oahu• Kauai, Nawiliwili• Uturoa, Raiatea• Vaitape, Bora Bora• Opunohu Bay, Moorea• Papeete, Tahiti• Taiohae, Nuku Hiva

Caribbean• Isla de Margarita,

Venezuela• Kralendijk, Bonaire• Willemstad, Curacao• Oranjestad, Aruba• San Blas Isl., Panama• Puerto Limón, Costa

Rica• Roatan, Honduras• Puerto Barrios,

Guatemala• Belize City, Belize• Costa Maya, Mexico• Cozumel, Mexico• Cancun, Mexico• Georgetown, Grand

Cayman• Ocho Rios, Jamaica• Houston, Texas• Tampa, Florida• Key West, Florida

Mediterranean / N. Africa• Gibraltar, Great Britain• Ceuta, Spain• Valencia, Spain

V


Transatlantic / US East Coast• Las Palmas, Gran Canaria• Ponta Delgada, Azores• Horta, Azores• Funchal, Madeira• Hamilton, Bermuda• Norfolk, Virginia (drydock)• New York, New York• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida• Miami, Florida

Western Europe• Dover, England• Harwich, England• Amsterdam, Holland• Rotterdam, Holland• Antwerp, Holland• Le Havre, France• Vigo, Spain• Cádiz, Spain• Lisboa, Portugal

South America• Montevideo, Uruguay• Buenos Aires, Argentina• Puerto Madryn, Argentina• Ushuaia, Argentina• Port Stanley, Falkland Isl.• Punta Arenas, Chile• Puerto Chacabuco, Chile• Puerto Mont, Chile• Castro, Chiloe Isl., Chile• Talcahuano, Chile• Valparaiso, Chile• Coquimbo, Chile• Iquique, Chile• Arica, Chile• Lima, Peru• Manta, Equador• Cartagena, Columbia• La Guaira (Caracas),

Venezuela• Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

(Orinoco River)

Pacific Central America• Ensenada, Mexico• Cabo San Lucas, Mexico• Puerto Vallarta, Mexico• Mazatlan, Mexico• Manzanillo, Mexico• Zihuatenejo, Mexico• Acapulco, Mexico• Santa Cruz Huatulco,

Mexico• Puerto Quetzal,

Guatemala• San Juan del Sur,

Nicaragua• Puntarenas, Costa Rica• Amador, Panama• Gatun Lake, Panama

Pacific North America• San Diego, California• Los Angeles, California• San Francisco, California• Astoria, Oregon• Gray’s Harbor,

Washington• Seattle, Washington

VI

Appendix C: The Evaluations

MS Oosterdam, Alaska Summer Season 2004

‘Jacob is keen on recognizing (revenue) oppor-tunities and making them happen… Targets were met during the last several cruises during Jacob’s tenure and because of his persistence in setting up the parameters to do so, the 2005 season should start off at a higher level than 2004.

Jacob communicates well with tour operators and the corporate office, discussing in his weekly reports ways to improve and critical points to be considered. Good analytical skills and logistic knowledge. Excellent (communication skills), clear and concise with a friendly demeanor.

Here are some select quotes from contracts evaluations I have received

over the years, both from Holland America and from Norwegian:Jacob’s calm and professional demeanor is reflected on his staff and projected to our guests, giving them a sense of comfort knowing that they are being professionally and efficiently dealt with. Jacob developed a new assistant as well as kept his current staff at a nice level of production, developing a good overall team.

Jacob is an integral part of the team when it comes to devising solutions or overcoming problems and can be relied upon to handle such events receiving positive results.’

Mark Pells, Hotel Manager, ms Oosterdam August 12, 2004

Overall rating; exceeds expectationsVII


MS Zuiderdam, Caribbean Winter Season 2003-2004

Jacob is a committed and knowledgeable manager who ensures he and his staff do the best possible. (He) handles the vagaries of the Shorex operation in a confident and professional manner. Solid performer with a calm communi-cation style that is a useful asset in his position. He leads his teams effectively and has had no personnel problems. He has demonstrated good abilities to cope with the inevitable pressure and emergency situations that come with the position. Jacob interacts well with both guests and co-workers and is a respected member of the departmental team.

P. Fealy, Hotel Manager, MS Zuiderdam, January 7, 2004

Overall rating; achieves expectations

MS Ryndam, Alaska Summer Season 2003

Jacob is a thorough worker and sees a job through from start to finish to make sure each task is done correctly and on time… (his) calm and clear approach is something that is a big strength in a situation that can most of the time be quite hectic. Jacob’s first language is Danish although with no accent, you would not believe it, He is fluent in German as well as English. He communicates well with all in a friendly positive manner. Jacob is a popular team member. His approach is positive and this does rub off to create a great working relationship

Victoria Swift, Shore Excursion Manager, MS Ryndam, August 28 2003

Overall rating; exceeds expectations VIII

MS Volendam, Caribbean Spring Season 2003

Jacob is pleasant with the guests, yet maintains his authority as/when it is required in terms of guests’ queries. Wonderful to work alongside and always positive and supportive of the manager’s decision, as well as providing valu-able input himself. Jacob has the ability to step up to a manager’s position whenever. He has an excellent working knowledge of the entire department.

Kassie Peters Walker, Shore Excursion Manager, MS Volendam, April 16, 2003

Overall rating; achieves & exceeds expectations


MS Volendam, Caribbean Winter Season, 2001 – 2002

Jacob is very positive and represented the department in a professional manner. (Jacob operated) with extreme dedication; on many occasions completing projects before they were due to be completed. Jacob is extremely depen-dable and adapts well to changing priorities, schedules etc. as required. He is a strong team player and assists in any shorex duties as required.

Kevin Farwell, Shore Excursion Manager, MS Volendam, February 2, 2002

Overall rating; achieves & exceeds expectations

IX


MS Norwegian Dream, South America to Europe Spring season 2001

Jacob has done an excellent job as Shore Excursion Manager on a ship where it is an extremely difficult and time consuming job. He always conducts himself in a very professional manner, is extremely conscientious and his shorex presentations are always very polished and on the ball from the point of view of information. Shores revenue has been extremely high under his management. We would love to have him back.

Brian Walters, Hotel Manager, MS Norwegian Dream July 30, 2001

Overall rating; excellent (5 out of 5)

MS Norwegian Sea, Carib beanWinter Season 2000 – 2001

…l have found (Jacob) to be extremely capable in this position. His desire to give high quality service to guests and his intentions on a weekly basis for increased revenue make him an integral part of the Cruise Staff and Shore Excursion Team. Thank you for a job well done.

Lawrence Lee, Hotel Manager, MS Norwegian Sea, January 7, 2001

Overall rating; excellent/very good

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Appendix D: The Credits

Front slide / VEDM in PanCanal - halcruises.comPage 4 / Shorex brochures – hollandamerica.comPage 14 / NADM at sea - nieuw-amsterdam.blogspot.comPage 15 / Norwegian Sky – dunenovels.comPage 15 / Noordam - www.panoramio.comPage 16 / Norwegian Sky png - Cruise-ships.comPage 17 / Cruising through Venice – www.seabreezes.co.imPage 18 / Itinerary maps – hollandamerica.comPage 19 / World map png – airdot.netPage 21 / ZUDM verandas - flickr.comPage 22 / Guests NCL - blog.icruise.comPage 22 / Guests HAL – wetu.comPage 48 / Cruise ship sunset - whotalking.comAppendix B / Ship PNG’s – Cruise-ships.com

All other images used taken or owned by creator.

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career: a shorex career - a visual review 2015

Career