A group of Hospitality students sampled the delights of a luxury cruise-line recently, and it has already inspired several to realise the opportunities available to them at sea.
The group boarded the Holland America cruise liner, the Nieuw Statendam (the second in their line of pinnacle ships) on Thursday 5 September, and embarked on an eye opening visit.
The ship which was docked at South Queensferry, had just waved goodbye to its 2,000 guests, who had disembarked for a day of sightseeing in Edinburgh. The FVC students and staff were welcomed by Matt Horton, Director of Operations, Viking Maritime, who met the group at Port and had coordinated the visit.
As part of the day students were introduced to ‘life at sea’ as an employee, with a welcome talk surrounding the company’s standards and expectations when working for an international cruise company. They were then led on a full ship tour, which included all access to the innovative dining options and first class entertainment venues on offer for guests, and were also shown around the staff cabins and facilities.
A wonderful buffet lunch on board the ship was next up for the lucky students, who were able to select from a full selection of cuisines that were on offer for all guests aboard, that day.
Paul Cunningham, Curriculum Manager in FVC’s Department of Creative, Digital and Leisure Industries, said: “This was a fantastic day for all of our students. The experience provided a unique insight into working in Hospitality at sea, gaining access to all areas of the ship and meeting a wide range of Heads of Services aboard.
“The experience has provided a great insight for the students, allowing them to realise that this could be a realistic opportunity beyond their studies at Forth Valley College. They all reacted very positively to the experience, with some now exploring the opportunities for employment in this sector post studies. A memorable experience for all staff and students involved.”
For more information on the Hospitality courses at Forth Valley College visit https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/hospitality-and-cookery
