We asked Cruise Director Anna about about what her days are like, both at sea and in port.

What is a typical sea day like for you?
A sea day is usually a little bit more calm than a port day. We usually have a morning meeting, then we start the activities. Mostly there are a lot of sport activities like mast climbing, gymnastics, aquagym, etc., but also additional programs like treasure hunts and quizzes.

I prefer to do paperwork on these days because I never leave the ship like the other days for excursions. So I have the maximum time to do the paperwork. On the other hand, its also a great day to do lectures because everyone is on board. The lectures are about historical subjects, etc.

What is a typical port day like for you?
In port we have a lot more activities and I have to be in many different places. The most important thing is that the tender service is working properly. We have tenders going in and out for excursions and everyone has to be in the right place at the right time. So I am on the ship doing paperwork, leaving the ship to meet the excursion agents, going back to the ship and writing the program, going back to shore and picking up the excursion again…

Besides that, there are a lot of water sports activities as well, either from the ship or from the beach which take place at the same time as other activities.

I don’t really have a typical day. Most of the activities strongly depend on the arrival and departure time, so I might either start with an excursion in the morning or with the conception of the next daily program or with a lecture, sports activity, dance class, quiz, paperwork … Usually I start very early in the morning and try to finish as much work as possible, then I take a little break after lunch or go out myself and then I start again in the afternoon. After the evening entertainment “the job is done” but I like to stay with the guests in the bar and talk to them.

What activities do the guests seem to enjoy?
As there is a very wide range of activities, almost every guest can find the perfect entertainment for himself or for herself — from fruit carving to knot tying. Usually the “special” activities are very much appreciated, such as mast climbing, the photo tender around the ship, engine room visit, talent show … It depends on the type of passengers, but usually they like everything that makes the ship and the cruise special and everything that is personal like the talent show. The don’t want to watch a movie on tv, they appreciate more the entertainment where they are in a direct contact with the crew.

What are your favorite kinds of activities to arrange?
I always try to find the corresponding activities for the type of passengers. I think excursions with a historical background are quite interesting, but also typical sailing ship activities like mastclimbing. I am personally very much into scuba diving and sailing in general. My favourite activity is actually being on deck when we have the sailaway. Still after many cruises its so impressive to stand on deck and listen to the sailaway music while seeing the lights fading away.