FACE-2-FACE: Trevor Thwaites

1. What is the favourite part of your job?

Presenting our beautiful product to trade members and our shared guests, especially when they’ve never seen or heard of us before.

2. What attracted you to a career in the cruise industry?

The adventure. Every cruise is an adventure, whether it’s sailing on a ship for the first time, or a first visit to a new port on a new itinerary.

3. What is the key to success in the cruise industry?

Love what you do, and be positive. We’re all very lucky to call this industry ‘work’. Imagine being one of those people who dread getting up to work each day.

4. What is the biggest challenge facing the industry?

Overtourism. Some ships are capable of individually doubling or tripling a town’s population in a single visit, but this is giving brands with smaller ships like Oceania Cruises the opportunity to “spread the load” by taking guests to new and undiscovered destinations.

5. What was your best fam?

It’s hard to go past Alaska. I’ll never forget sitting at the back of the ship with the running lights on, sleet falling, and waterfalls on either side of us, with lumps of ice floating past.

6. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully still in the industry, contributing in some way towards making it better.

7. Advice for up‐and‐comers?

Don’t stop learning. There is always someone who can add new elements to how you go about your work.

8. How do you wind down after a busy week?

A solid gym session, a few drinks, or sometimes both.

9. What should the cruise ship of the future look like?

Greener. All the things we’ve come to love, but with a smaller environmental footprint.

10. When not at work, how do you spend your (me?

Playing with my kids and riding motorcycles.

11. The celebrity you would most like to cruise with?

John Oliver – possibly the funniest yet worldly comedian.