Ep. 261 - What does it take to be a cruise ship’s dining area assistant manager? Danijel Spoljar takes us through his childhood in Croatia and how he ended up sailing on a cruise ship.
Danijel is the assistant manager of the dining room and is in charge of the specialty premiere restaurants on board the Azamara cruise line. He has been with Azamara since 2007. In this episode, Danijel describes his childhood, his inspiration to make a career sailing, and his experience working with Azamara.
Listen in to learn about Danijel’s background and his career experience working on cruise ships for decades. You will also hear what it takes to manage both the crew and guests, especially on matters of dining on a small cruise ship.
Key Takeaways:
- The responsibilities of a dining room assistant manager on a small cruise ship
- What it takes to manage both the crew and guests on a cruise ship
- The importance of being passionate about your job to reduce the stress that comes with it
- Have knowledge, be hard-working, and ethical to succeed as a cruise ship crew member
"If you take your job seriously and are ready for the job, you’re reducing the stress and the challenges.”- Danijel Spoljar
In this episode you will learn:
Daniel on when he joined Azamara and his time and experience over the years [0:42]
He describes his childhood experience in Croatia plus what inspired him to go sail [1:58]
How he first applied for a job on a cruise and later moved up the ranks over the years [6:30]
Why he loves working on the Azamara plus his job description as an assistant manager [8:35]
He describes the special restaurants he manages and the specialties that make them upscale [9:51]
The White Night – what it means and entails and his involvement in making it standout [15:26]
He explains the common challenges of his job and the Azamara crew [18:21]
Danijel on the skills you need to possess to get and keep a job on a cruise ship [21:33]
He talks about his other passions when he’s not working on the cruise [22:28]
CAREER
Danijel Spoljar was born in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. He was raised in the city and always showed an interest in the restaurant business.
He studied math and physics but found himself in the hospitality business. Since age 19 when he started as a barman, his passion was to work with food and people.
Therefore, it isn't surprising that when he is home, one of his favorite hobbies, along with car tuning and woodworking, is creating interesting, flavorful meals for friends and family.
Danijel has been with Azamara for more than twenty years and has worked on the Quest ship for the last 12 years.
When he is not on board the ship, he loves driving around the country. He is a fan of basketball, motorcycles, and cars. He played basketball for 20 years and has been driving motorcycles since he was 12 years old.