Cruising with Azamara Master Captain Antonio Toledo | Day in the Life Travel Series

Special Feature -Replicating the Christopher Columbus Voyage on the "Santa Maria" Ship

Ep. 260 - Master Captain Antonio Toledo

How many people can enjoy following the same career path they envisioned for themselves as children? Antonio Toledo always dreamed of becoming a captain, and that is exactly what he does now. He talks to us about his journey, his role, and his experience as Azamara Pursuit’s captain.

Master Captain Antonio Toledo is the captain of the Azamara Pursuit cruise ship and has sailed all over the world. He has a master’s degree in navigation and maritime transport and has always had the dream of becoming a ship’s captain since he was a child. In this episode, Captain Toledo talks about his childhood, sailing career background, and his role as Azamara Pursuit’s Master Captain.

Listen in to learn the qualifications of a ship’s captain and an idea of what it looks like to experience a once-in-a-lifetime sailing expedition, replicating Christopher Columbus’s voyage. You will also learn the role and duties of a captain as the CEO of the ship, plus some of the challenges he faces onboard.

Key Takeaways:

Requires dedication, effort, and patience to become captain of a ship
How to pursue joy and happiness in your job especially after achieving your goals
Why we should embrace diversity and living together in harmony as they do at Azamara

"If I can be a captain, everybody can be a captain; it’s a matter of dedication and effort.”

In this episode you will learn:

Captain Toledo on his childhood experiences in Spain and his fascination with sailing at a young age [0:52]

His education in navigation& maritime transport, plus his experience being part of an expedition [5:26]

His sailing career journey plus his experience working as a captain for the Azamara Pursuit [16:58]

The prime duties of a captain plus his role as the leader of his crew [20:41]

The challenge of trying to keep the team together and applying discipline as a ship’s captain [23:42]

He explains why exercising discipline and operations can be hard decisions to make [26:42]

How marketing and other factors impact where a ship gets to go [28:46]

Master Captain Antonio describes his and the Pursuit’s experience during the pandemic [31:38]

The top skills and requirements you need to possess to become a captain of a ship [35:47]

Antonio Toledo’s’s hopes for the world, plus his thoughts on the impact of climate change on cruising [38:57]

CAREER

Captain Antonio was born in Melilla, a Spanish city located on the North African coast. He lived there only for a few years before moving to different cities in Spain due to his Father's commitments in the military.

Captain Tolson worked with different well-known cruise companies as Cadet, Officer, Safety Officer, Staff Captain, and finally Captain before joining Azamara.

Always attracted by the sea and navigation, he was a member of the expedition for the 500 years anniversary of the Christopher Columbus One for the Discovery on a replica of the "Santa Maria."

In the Ready Reserve (Spanish Marines) he was deployed in the Horn of Africa EU Naval Force counter-piracy mission in 2021.