The river cruise ship’s head waiter tells Amie Keeley he is proud he can almost always say ‘yes’ to guests’ special requests.
I start the day with…
A coffee. I get up at 7am then head to the restaurant and kitchen to check everything is ready for breakfast. I speak to the waiters and go round checking the tables are all set correctly before guests start arriving.
My daily duties involve…
Welcoming guests and speaking to diners to check they are happy and everything is up to their expectations. I manage 13 waiters and bar staff so we have daily meetings to go through the schedule for the day ahead.
I also go round and check all the cutlery, glasses and plates are clean and not damaged, and organise all the drinks orders with our suppliers. I liaise with the chef to make sure they are aware of any dietary requirements from guests.
I’ve been in my job for…
Five years. I joined AmaWaterways in 2010 as a waiter and was promoted to maitre d’hotel in 2012 on AmaDolce. I started on cruise ships 18 years ago and have also worked for Oceania Cruises and Royal Caribbean, also as a waiter. I was recently promoted to hotel manager.
I became a maitre d’hotel on ships because…
I love to travel. I was working as a waiter in my home town of Sinaia, Romania, and a friend who worked at Oceania told me about a job, so I applied.
My favourite destination is…
The Seychelles. I fell in love with this place – the landscape and the climate is so exotic.
The most rewarding part of my job is…
Seeing happy customers and knowing everything you have done has paid off. These are people’s holidays and it might be the only time they visit the places we travel to or sail on a river cruise, so it’s important they leave with only happy memories.
The most challenging part of my job is…
Managing difficult customers! Some guests have a lot of demands. We do everything we can to please them but it’s always disappointing when you’ve done your best and they’re still not satisfied.
The most common thing I am asked is…
There are a few. ‘Please can you help me?’ ‘Can I have a special table for dinner?’ ‘Can I have such and such food for dinner tonight?’ Usually the answer is ‘Yes’.
The worst thing that’s happened at work is…
When the schedule changes. I remember once we were stuck on the Danube when there had been heavy rain which raised the water level. This meant we couldn’t sail under low bridges so everything was delayed and passengers had to travel by coach to go on excursions.
To relax I like to…
Go on holiday with my wife and daughter. I like going to different parts of Romania or Greece.
The one thing I would take to a desert island is…
A knife, to survive!