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Gostelow Report: Life of a cruising hotel manager

Marius Octavius Sima must be flexible – as hotel manager for Silversea’s Silver Cloud luxury cruise ship he works seven days a week, four months on, two months off, but sometimes he has to extend a contract, or help on a world cruise.

The all-inclusive Silver Cloud has 148 guest rooms (suites). Of the 222 crew, apart from bridge and engine, and maintenance, 180 report to Sima, who holds daily 9:30 a.m. GMs meeting. “But I must adjust timing, depending on port visits,” Sima added.

If bad weather eliminates a port, what about provisioning? Basics are loaded at voyage start, with scheduled top-ups. Menus, determined at head office, are localized so that Kansas beef, typically chosen by 70% of diners when listed, might come with a creole sauce (order ahead for kosher or vegan). Millennials and groups hit the free wine heaviest.

Silver Cloud hotel manager Marius Sima stays fit by walking the ship for 30 minutes before his morning meeting.
Silver Cloud hotel manager Marius Sima stays fit by walking the ship for 30 minutes before his morning meeting.

Silversea has 70% repeats. “They choose a specific room when booking, so no onboard changes,” Sima said.

All new guests check in within three hours, starting at noon. Arrival is so well tuned with Champagne and white-glove rooming that few realize previous guests disembarked around 9.30 a.m. (there are no last-minute quibbles over bills as interim statements record spend on spa, sundries and Internet). Boarding photos are displayed back of house for crew recognition. Butlers and room attendants, mostly Filipino, generally use guests’ names for their 14 suites within 24 hours. Motivation is enhanced by passenger recognition and employee of the month awards.

After University of Bucharest (management), Sima bartended at the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel and then joined friends at sea.

Back on land, he disastrously (2008) opened a restaurant and decided hotel life at sea was preferable.

When aboard there is no respite. “I often run the deck for half an hour before starting at 7:30 a.m., and my day finishes 11 p.m., with only a two-hour afternoon break,” he said.

Sima hosts formal dinners most nights and is available to guests, and crew, at any time. “Without flexibility, I could not survive,” he concluded.

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