Marina Karastamati

I have purposely chosen this place to have more international guests, bigger work flow and higher demand of skills. I wanted to get as much knowledge of this role as I could, in order to better understand the working process of a bigger hotel on land, comparing it to my experience at sea.

• Enhanced guest satisfaction by efficiently managing check-in and check-out processes.
• Processed payments and informed individuals of further financial responsibility to facilitate timely payments.
• Responded to inquiries in person and over the phone, helping to resolve issues or providing further guidance.
• Trained new front office clerks/Auszubildende, contributing to a well-prepared team capable of providing exceptional service.

Changing from cruise ship industry to a new career span in a new to me country made me humble towards my job performance. I went for a job title, which gave me more freedom to explore this new to me environment and getting comfortable with communication in German language.

• Updated reservation system regularly, ensuring accurate room availability information for both online booking platforms and walk-in guests.
• Provided personalized recommendations for local attractions and dining options, enhancing guest experiences during their stay.
• Responded to inquiries from callers seeking information.

Although I had acquired a new role during COVID pandemic, I continued being a Celebrity Cruises employee and accepted the new contract as soon as there was a chance to restart the cruise industry, adjusting to a new reality of after-COVID-life.

• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless event execution and positive outcomes.
• Conducted post-event analysis, identifying areas of improvement for future events.

During COVID lockdown this was a perfect solution to continue expanding my skills and keep myself busy, when the whole world stopped and future suddenly became so unpredictable.

Being a completely new area for me, it pushed me into taking courses for teachers, becoming creative in new ways and building new to me interpersonal connections with my students.

• Boosted student confidence in their language skills through consistent encouragement and positive reinforcement.
• Integrated real-world examples into lessons to increase relevance and practical application of language skills learned during tutoring sessions.
• Worked with students in-person and via online classroom technology.

Fleet Guest Relations Manager offered me a role of Event Coordinator, expressing their willingness to have me as a part of the team. This was flattering and at the same time highly important to me, as I felt that I am an asset to the company.

• Coordinated with shore side team in regards to any special events, unusual requests and teams abilities to facilitate variety of events onboard.
• Organized weddings, vow renewals, burials at sea, gender reveal paries, proposals, planned in advance as well as spontaneously.
• Performed regular socializing with guests as a part of Officers' team on board, having two stripes, which refers to a Third officer rank.
• Established positive relationships with clients, ensuring their needs were met throughout the event planning process.

After some period of time in the same position of a bar server I felt an urge for further development. Doing cross-training to a new position while completing my full working hours was a challenge, that showed me my determination for change and carrier advance.

• Supported executive staff through scheduling meetings, coordinating travel arrangements, and preparing crucial documents.
• Took part in a project of opening a new ship, getting a new experience in the ship yard, working next to high-level management and helping with facilitating trainings from Forbes Travel team.
• Assisted with human resources tasks such as updating employee files or submitting time-off requests per company policy guidelines.
• Assisted in onboarding new employees, providing training materials, and coordinating orientation schedules to ensure a smooth integration into the team.

Decided to change the company due to lack of growth opportunities at the previous business. Was able to experience a more complex business structure with more customer oriented environment.

• Vastly expanded my exposure to customers and multinational working environment, boosting my social skills.
• Provided exceptional service to VIP guests, ensuring their needs were promptly attended to throughout their visit.
• Improved the overall ambiance of the bar area through careful attention to lighting, music selection, and table arrangements.
• Maintained a clean and organized bar environment, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.

First time being in a completely new environment with communication exclusively in English, new to me work ethics and international customer experience.

• Enhanced customer satisfaction by providing attentive and friendly service during busy hours.
• Collected trash, wiped up spills, and removed trays to maintain fresh and clean customer areas.
• Kept close eye on customers to quickly spot leaving guests and clear tables for future patrons.

Opened for myself new level of service, dealing with positive and negative feedback, learning to keep my attitude on professional level. Got my first experience of having a teamwork and possible challenges connected to it.

• Handled cash transactions and maintained sales and payments records accurately.
• Scheduled appointments for hairdressers and manicurists, assuring their time is used efficiently.
• Maintained a well-organized reception area with updated materials, contributing to a welcoming environment for visitors.