A Career with Royal Caribbean—Built to Last

Original Article by Lora Waugh for Hospitality Careers
Posted Thursday, November 15, 2012

The small plane is late. In the harbour waits a 220,000-ton cruise ship with 5,400 guests and crew on board—and it cannot delay its departure. As the Associate Hotel Director, Joao Mendonca has to act quickly. The Captain wants an ETA—the sightseeing tourists should have been on board the vessel 10 minutes ago. Joao calls his Hotel Operations support team and the search is on….

The first impression Joao gives is one of a passionate and thoughtful leader—coaching, directing, and carefully guiding his team. He wants positive feedback on crewmembers and strives to nurture and promote his team. I notice how important it is to him that guests have a great vacation. Joao’s goal on board the Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship is to deliver a superb guest experience.  It is a complex, fast-paced work.

As the Associate Hotel Director, Joao oversees 11 Hotel Operations Divisions. He works with all the different division heads and has wide-ranging responsibilities. I learned a curious detail—in the unlikely event of an emergency on board any Royal Caribbean vessel, it is his duty to evacuate all guests and crew.

I ask Joao how he decided to embark on his successful hospitality career.

“I was born in Lisbon, Portugal and grew up on the ships as I like to say,” he replies. “In fact, I grew up in Lisbon and South Africa.  The ‘root cause’ of my entering a hospitality career was my cousin. He had a restaurant and bar in Lisbon and while in school I helped on weekends. I finished high school at 16. Then, I completed the hotel management course in two years.”

After working at five-star hotels in Lisbon, Joao made his way to London in the UK.

“I worked at a trendy Italian restaurant, where I learned Italian language. Knowing a few kind words in another language is a great icebreaker! If you have the right approach and an interest in people, you soon find yourself surrounded with many friends.”

After London, Joao moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands where he had the opportunity to join Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, which later changed its name to Royal Caribbean International. Joao has been with the company for 25 years.

Married to a wonderful and understanding wife, Joao is also the proud father of a daughter. “It is hard to believe but I have been married for 18 years,” he says. I spend more time on the ship than at home. The secret is to be on a honeymoon every time I am at home.”

I ask Joao to give me some idea how his day unfolds.

“My day starts early, and even earlier if I have a USPH (United States Public Health) inspection.” He replies. “I review morning emails and administrative work; I go on the floor and do my rounds through the areas. I have meetings and morning appointments on either guest- or crew-related matters. I try to take a short break in the afternoon and return to the floor by 5:00 pm. The busiest day would be embarkation day. We debark and embark nearly 4,000 guests. A manager needs ‘savviness’ to ensure a superb guest vacation experience and the team’s adherence to standards at all times.”

Joao has launched all the Freedom Class vessels (Freedom, Liberty, and Independence of the Seas) and the Oasis Class vessels (Oasis and Allure of the Seas). He has seen a huge change in the demands on hospitality employees over the years.

“The industry has changed substantially over the last 10-15 years,” says Joao. “There is a strong competition between the hotels and cruise ship companies. The industry is ever innovative and guests have high expectations. Guests demand a great dining experience, diverse and dazzling entertainment, and overall comfort and safety. We strive to develop the skills of our staff. We have a pool of talented individuals and fast track them through effective training. We recently launched the Building on Talent Program, which is now effective across all vessels. Foreign languages are a must in our field—after English, I am fortunate to speak fluent Spanish and some Portuguese, Italian, and French.”

…“ETA of 5 minutes for the missing passengers,” reports the Hotel Operations team.

I do not ask why the sightseeing plane is late. The opportunity to try various onshore tours and scenic flights is a special feature on a Royal Caribbean International cruise. Guests can marvel at a 1,000-foot raging waterfall from a seaplane… but the ship must leave on time. Once again, Joao sets about pulling together another seamless departure.

Learn more about Royal Caribbean International on Hcareers.com!