DAY IN THE LIFE MY ROLE IN TRAVEL
EDUARD ROIU MAITRE D’HOTEL, AMAKRISTINA, AMAWATERWAYS
The river cruise ship’s head waiter tells Amie Keeley he is proud he can almost always say ‘yes’ to guests’ special requests
xxxxx
I start the day with… A coffee. I get up at 7am then head to the restaurant and kitchen to check everything is ready for breakfast. I speak to the waiters and go round checking the tables are all set correctly before guests start arriving.
My daily duties involve… Welcoming guests and speaking to diners to check they are happy and everything is up to their expectations. I manage 13 waiters and bar staff so we have daily meetings to go through the schedule for the day ahead. I also go round and check all the cutlery, glasses and plates are clean and not damaged, and organise all the drinks orders with our suppliers. I liaise with the chef to make sure they are aware of any dietary requirements from guests.
I’ve been in my job for… Five years. I joined AmaWaterways in 2010 as a waiter and was promoted to maitre d’hotel in 2012 on AmaDolce. I started on cruise ships 18 years ago and have also worked for Oceania Cruises and Royal Caribbean, also as a waiter. I was recently promoted to hotel manager.
I became a maitre d’hotel on ships because… I love to travel. I was working as a waiter in my home town of Sinaia, Romania, and a friend who worked at Oceania told me about a job, so I applied.
My favourite destination is… The Seychelles. I fell in love with this place – the landscape and the climate is so exotic.
The most rewarding part of my job is… Seeing happy customers and knowing everything you have done has paid off. These are people’s holidays and it might be the only time they visit the places we travel to or sail
on a river cruise, so it’s important they leave with only happy memories.
The most challenging part of my job is…
Managing difficult customers! Some guests have a lot of demands. We do everything we can to please them but it’s always disappointing when you’ve done your best and they’re still not satisfied.
The most common thing I am asked is… There are a few. ‘Please can you help me?’ ‘Can I have a special table for dinner?’ ‘Can I have such and such food for dinner tonight?’ Usually the answer is ‘Yes’.
The worst thing that’s happened at work is… When the schedule changes. I remember once we were stuck on the Danube when there had been heavy rain which raised the water level. This meant we couldn’t sail under low bridges so everything was delayed and passengers had to travel by coach to go on excursions.
To relax I like to… Go on holiday with my wife and daughter. I like going to different parts of Romania or Greece.
The one thing I would take to a desert island is… A knife, to survive!
TOP: Eduard Roiu (second right) with AmaWaterways colleagues
LEFT: Checking the dining tables
40
travelweekly.co.uk 28 September 2017
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
