Victoria Hill

Name: Victoria Hill

Employer: Princess Cruises

Area of work: Cruise liners

University: University of Plymouth

Subject: BSc cruise operations management

I want to forge a career in the cruise industry so I chose to do my work placement on a cruise liner to get a valuable insight into life onboard a ship.

My job

I spent my first two weeks training on one of the biggest ships in the fleet. While cruising between Seattle and Alaska I trained in cash handling, customer service, operational procedures, health and safety, and product knowledge. After successfully passing my exams, I was flown to my next vessel ready to take up the role of junior assistant purser. This role included dealing with customer complaints and requests, manning the bureau de change, providing port information and managing customer accounts. I continued on an Alaskan itinerary for two months and the following two months were spent cruising the Mexican Riviera and California.

Best and worst

The shifts were long with lots of early mornings and late nights. But I still managed to enjoy myself – I took part in several shore excursions while working day shifts. Two to three hours shopping or sunbathing on the beach made a nice change to being on board! I have had some wonderful experiences over the last four months, from horseriding along the beaches of Cabo San Lucas to taking a steamtrain into the mountains of Alaska.