Have you ever wondered who makes sure that your cruise experience is comfortable, delicious, and safe?

Heike Berdos began her career training at hotel school, hoping to work for an international hotel chain so that she could see the world. A friend suggested that she take a three month assignment on a cruise ship, acting as hostess for German guests. She loved the cruising life and never looked back. Twenty years later she is the hotel director on the Azamara Journey where I had the pleasure of meeting her. An elegant, slim woman, she spices up her epaulette-trimmed uniform shirt and uniform trousers with fashionable high heels.

Heike Berdos of the  Azamara Journey

As hotel director Berdos manages myriad responsibilities to keep the guests of her floating hotel well-fed, watered and rested. Like her land-based counterparts, she manages all the operations of the stateroom housekeeping and of all the restaurants and bars. Unlike hotel keepers at home, she also supervises operations which a city hotelier could refer to municipal sanitation, transportation or safety operators. She supports the captain in making sure that everything has been thought of for keeping the floating resort comfortable and safe.

Food, beverages and other consumable supplies are taken into the ship at the start of each cruise or occasionally at an intermediate port. About thirty percent of each restocking consists of locally purchased dairy and produce. The remaining seventy percent is containerized non-perishable goods shipped out from Miami. Berdos orders the quantities needed about two months ahead, based on standard expectations for the number of days in each cruise. Decisions about brands and particular supplies are made by management in Miami. If Berdos sees that the mix of guests on an upcoming cruise will vary significantly from the usual, she might change quantities in the standing order. For example, she says, a sailing with a very high population of Australians aboard can be expected to consume more beer than usual. Having more Brits aboard will require more tea than normal.

So she oversees the ordering and intake of consumables; what of the waste generated by that consumption? Following legal requirements and company policies, the ship sorts, segregates, filters, recycles, and processes all manner of waste products and "gray" (lightly used) water. The ship's engineers oversee these processes which are efficient and highly specialized. "Black" water is discharged only into appropriate facilities in port. An environmental officer supervises the use and disposal of all toxic materials including paints, solvents, cleaning supplies, oils, other engine byproducts, and organic waste.

Who trains new personnel in their varied jobs? A new hire's direct supervisor teaches him/her the duties of the job, whether in housekeeping, wait staff, bar keeping, cooking, or front desk customer service. Security officers train them in issues of safety and security. The environmental officer teaches and supervises the use and disposal of potential toxins. The human relations department covers ethics issues.

The Hotel Director depends on department heads and all staff to keep the hotel "ship shape" and self-sufficient at sea. At the end of her four month tour Berdos will enjoy two months off in her adopted home port, Athens.

Certainly all of this is a big job. As someone who has benefited from Berdos' completeness and skill, I am glad that she does it so well.