Sabrina Tsimonidis U Host

What does your work entail?

My work is split into two categories. The first is the behind-the-scenes preparations. This entails setting up our transport, visits and knowing what is happening in the towns we are going to so nothing is left to chance. Having various scenarios accounted for and plans B & C ready is always in my mind as well. Sometimes things may not go the way we hope for a variety of reasons, and knowing I can go with the flow (excuse the pun) allows me to give our guests a whole-hearted and dedicated version of myself.

The second part starts the moment guests arrive on board. I want them to know I am there for them, visible and energetic, so that when they get off that long plane ride, they know there is warmth and genuine enthusiasm there and that the team and I will ensure they are looked after.

Welcoming them all, giving them a fun and enthusiastic presentation about their cruise with us, breaking the ice so that the 120 strangers that see each other for the first time can share their experience together, that is the first step.

Then the entertainment comes in to play, which I organize with my U Host colleague, in order to show the guests that it’s not just about getting to shore and becoming a local, but also about having fun, laughing, learning, dancing, biking, yoga-ing, down time on the deck and relaxing onboard our ships too. By the time they leave us, they don’t just talk about how good the food was, but what their soul and mind feel too.

Tell us about your journey with Uniworld. What do you love most about your job?

The creativity of bringing the U by Uniworld brand to life has always been the main drive for me. Being able to be part of that, to know I am encouraged to think outside the box and be part of a team that has the same goals is very important. I adore the fact that I not only trust, but know, that our product is brilliant and will only get better and more seamless in time.

These are the parts I love most about the job, coupled with knowing the crew has the same drive and that we’re an extended family. I love that we can insert our own personality into the job and set out to personalize those “Tiny Noticeable Touches” that make it so worthwhile. I love the multi-tasking, the guiding and the daily activities that roll in to the night-time entertainment.

I think it’s essential to love what you do, and because I so do, I really can’t put my finger on one specific aspect. Even the tough times look positive in retrospect as we have comradery at the heart of what we do. It’s like small pieces of artwork which, when put together, become a masterpiece.

This year's International Women's Day theme is #ChooseToChallenge. What are you doing, or will you do, in your role or in your life, to help create a gender equal world?

Women are my heroes. Astronauts, single mothers, CEOs of multinational companies, teachers, fictional characters, any woman that has strived and succeeded in proving that it’s not a man’s world. We’ve come so far, yet there is so much road ahead. I strive to be that example to other women and girls. I hope my life can make a difference in someone else’s perception of what they can be, give them the allowance to dream bigger. It’s not about men and women anymore, it’s about all genders and all races living on this planet we call our home. Inclusion is the most important part of creating this gender equal world I dream of.