| FACE-2-FACE: 07 Sep 21

WITH Fiona Heron, Strategic Sales Manager Queensland, Celebrity Cruises – Tell us what your favourite part of your job is: I love working with trade partners to grow their Celebrity sales and love hearing how much their clients enjoyed their experience onboard. It’s also fantastic to see the look on our trade partners’ faces when they get to experience one of our stunning ships firsthand.

2. What attracted you to a career in the cruise industry?

I have always loved to travel and started travelling at quite a young age, it was a natural progression into cruise as cruising provides freedom, convenience and luxury and allows you to explore a multitude of destinations with only having to unpack once. There is also something relaxing and mesmerising about the ocean and I love to be in or around the ocean at any given opportunity.

3. What is key to success in the cruise industry?

Delivering on your promises, honest, open and consistent communication and keeping your product knowledge up to date by experiencing the product both personally and professionally.

4. How has COVID-19 changed the way you do your job?

As I am based regionally away from our head office in Sydney I am used to working from a home office environment, however the major change was not being able to meet up with trade partners face to face which definitely takes away some aspect of the personal relationships you build on when visiting someone in their office. It has been great to be able to have consistent catch ups with agents via the phone or Zoom in the absence of face to face meetings, however I have really enjoyed finally getting out and about again in the last few months to catch up in-store with some of our key partners in person.

5. What is the best thing to say to people who are hesitant to cruise?

If you are unsure if you will like cruising then a short sampler itinerary such as a 2 night cruise to nowhere is perfect to get a taste of cruising and to find out whether you like the experience and like sailing on that particular ship/brand.

4. When not at work, how do you spend your time?

Usually I am in and around the water, at the beach, swimming, soaking up the sun and walking my doggie Chester the cheeky cocker spaniel.