My first ever Christmas at sea taught me more about real learning than any structured program ever has. As per custom, we opened a full guest dining venue exclusively for the crew. The kind of place most of them only passed by on their way to service, never imagining they’d sit there one day—no uniforms, no rush, no deadlines. The chefs went all out: suckling pig glistening under the lights, Christmas pudding still warm, trays of yule log slices, custard tarts, and desserts t

After years of training across ships and island resorts, I’ve realised something simple: Most learning doesn’t happen when we plan it. It happens when the job forces it. I’ve seen waiters freeze during peak service even after perfect classroom scores. What helped them wasn’t a refresher. It was a supervisor’s one-line correction delivered in the heat of the moment. Those micro-lessons stick differently. During a Phase 2 pre-opening at an Indian Ocean resort, our villa team ke

Over the years, my role has grown in scope and complexity—but one practice has stayed constant:  I still walk the floors. Not as a...