“Gazing out to the sparkling blue ocean, I took a sip of my delicious cocktail. ‘Wow, this could have been my life,’ I thought," says Janine Santos from Cardiff, Wales.
“My husband Damon, and I were sailing around the Caribbean to celebrate my 40th birthday. It was my first time on a cruise ship, but I’d always dreamed of working on one.
“As a teen, I remember flicking through the local newspaper and spotting a job advert for people wanting to work on a cruise. I thought it sounded incredible, but I had no idea how to make it happen.
“So, I followed my friends, enrolling in a hair and beauty course, which I very quickly realized wasn’t for me.
“Quitting, I landed a job in retail and met Damon around the same time. When I fell pregnant with our son Keanau at 20, he became my priority and my dreams of working at sea sailed away.”
A sudden loss
“Life was great. I enjoyed my job and family life. But in July 2021, my lovely dad, Robert, died suddenly from lung cancer, aged 66. I was devastated and also shocked.
"It made me realise just how precious life is. 'You need to live your best life,' I told myself.
“So I quit my job to spend quality time with my family. I had no idea what I’d do next, but I believed in the universe. Something good was going to happen."
The job offer that changed everything
“And a few months later, it did. A recruiter dropped me an email about a retail manager position she was looking to fill on a cruise ship. It was so out of the blue and it wasn’t something I thought I could do at this stage in my life – I had a husband and son to think about.
“Still, feeling curious, I decided to have a video call to find out more. Speaking to the recruiter, I explained that I was married and had a family – the thought of leaving them to work on a cruise was so daunting. 'The contract is for six months. Why don’t you try it and see? If you don’t like it, you can leave, but you might love it,' she said.
“The role sounded so good but I felt a bit scared – things suddenly felt real. Broaching the subject with Damon, he said, ‘Don’t be silly, you don’t need to do that!' but he could see that I’d had a challenging time with losing Dad.
"This was an opportunity to do something for myself and I needed to seize it.”
Taking the plunge
Janine found herself checking off bucket list destinations daily
“In May 2022, I drove to Southampton, England, where we set sail, heading to incredible spots in the Caribbean. Waking up every day in a new, beautiful place, I couldn’t stop pinching myself. These destinations had been on my bucket list forever and now I was ticking off a new one every day.
“Being away from Damon and Keanau was hard at times, but we kept in touch with lots of video calls and messages. And I quickly bonded with the crew, making friends for life.
“Six months flew by and when I arrived back home, I knew my cruise career was far from over. 'I know how important this is to you,' Keanau [in his 20s] said when I told him I wanted to go again.
“After six weeks at home, I was back out on the sea again, exploring more stunning parts of the world.
“As well as the travel perks, I genuinely loved my job. I gained new skills and thrived working in big teams. So, when management told me that they wanted to promote me to fleet manager, I jumped at the chance.
“This new role still consists of six-month stints, but I spend a few days working on land in the UK, which means I can spend quality time with my family. I manage 12 ships and spend a week or two on one vessel before moving to a new one.
"The time zones can be exhausting, but I wouldn’t change it for the world."
It's never too late to make a change
Janine has loved every minute of her job traveling the world
“Over the years, I’ve experienced so many dream places that I never imagined I’d actually visit. Highlights include sampling stunning beaches in Bora-Bora and Tahiti, holding a koala in Australia and spotting sloths in Costa Rica.
“It’s now been three years since my first cruise job and I’ve loved every minute. I don’t imagine I’ll do the job for much longer as I want to spend more time with my family, but it’s an experience I’ll never forget.
"It’s opened my mindset and reminded me just how big and beautiful the world really is.
“For anyone contemplating a career change, no matter how big or little it is – I urge you to take the plunge and just go for it. We aren’t here forever and life is for living, so go and do it!”
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