Top tier talent joins Interislander for summer sailings

Trained commis and pastry chef Chalani Apsara Uralagame wanted to achieve the next level of customer service. “I wanted to experience something quite different. I’ve always worked in hospitality, so I had a lot of transferable skills,” she says. Chalani has worked in restaurants, supermarkets and a cinema, but felt the ship environment was something special. 

New to New Zealand, Karolina Rek is from Poland and has been living here for just five months. She was also looking for a new adventure. “This is quite different for me – I was an accountant before,” she says. 

Young athlete Alex Jaquiery was drawn to the role because of the ability to work six days on, three days off. “It allows me to properly focus on my training and boxing in my spare time.” 

And Bronwyn Trass lives in a house truck with partner Pare Ruru. The pair enjoy a life of travel, supporting themselves with seasonal work. “I was drawn to the role because it was for six months, which seemed perfect – but now I’ve started, I think I would love to stay on longer,” she says.  

Learning new skills

All the new recruits were positive about the intensive training they received to be ready for their their first sailing. “There’s a huge variety of things to learn,” says new recruit Kahea Blain. “First aid, firefighting, lifesaving skills – it’s all really hands-on training. I love that we’re not just sitting down the whole time.”  

Dazney Ryanne Mayor, who wanted to experience living outside of Rotorua before university, says the first aid training has given her a head start for her course in nursing. “It’s been a great experience, especially meeting new people with a wide variety of ages and experiences.”  

“And it’s a great way to form relationships going into a new role,” says Alex.  

Reaping benefits 

Another thing all the recruits agreed on was the fantastic range of perks on offer. “A real perk is getting that extra marine ticket,” says Pare, who also came to the role looking for a new experience. “You can work in a variety of places with the qualification you get here. It opens up so many opportunities.” 

“You also get special access to holiday homes all over the country, you get travel discounts and you can share a lot of the perks with your family.” 

There was unanimous agreement on the food, which is free and freshly prepared for the crew.  

Pushing boundaries

A few of the new recruits had to overcome fears and push boundaries to complete their training, which is tailored to Interislander’s ships and can be physically demanding.  

Karolina says: “I was actually afraid of swimming before I joined. The training made me challenge myself. Everyone was so supportive though, and now I feel totally confident in the water.”  

Firefighting is a requirement of maritime regulations and must be achieved before the recruits can work on the ship. Bronwyn says she spent half a day talking herself into the fire training but managed to push herself and conquer her fears. “I was surprised to learn something new about myself at my age.”  

Setting sail

All the new crew members were excited to get out on the water and start sailing, where they say no two days will be the same.  

“There are different roles on board, you might be working in the shop or serving at the bar or restaurant. You could be in the kitchen and helping with the cleaning, or making beds in the cabins. There’s a huge variety,” says Bronwyn. 

“Every swing you get to do something different, so you pick up loads of different skills.”