From Cruise Retail Sales Success to His Next Opportunity at Sea: Guilherme’s Story
What happens when you already have cruise retail experience but you're ready for the next step in your career?
That was the position Guilherme was in.
Based in São Paulo, Brazil, Guilherme came to the Cruise Retail Academy already knowing what it was like to live and work onboard.
He had several years of cruise retail experience behind him, experience with international guests and a particularly strong track record in watches and sunglasses.
This wasn't about discovering whether a career at sea was right for him.
It was about deciding where that career could go next.
Building his sales experience in Brazil
Before working onboard, Guilherme developed his customer service and sales skills through several roles in Brazil.
His experience included telecommunications sales, where he worked with customers to understand their needs and recommend suitable products and services.
He also gained customer support experience working with Samsung customers, dealing with product enquiries, device assistance and repair requests.
Different products, different environments — but skills that would later become very useful onboard.
Moving into cruise retail
Cruise retail introduced Guilherme to an entirely different sales environment.
Working onboard meant serving guests from around the world while developing experience in luxury retail, inventory management, financial transactions and visual merchandising.
He also developed particular expertise in watches and sunglasses.
And that's where the results become particularly interesting.
Second in fleet-wide sales
During a Brazilian season, Guilherme ranked second fleet-wide in sales for watches and sunglasses.
That's a pretty decent line to have on your CV.
But strong performance onboard isn't simply about selling.
Cruise retail teams work in a fast-moving international environment. You need to understand your products, communicate with different types of guests, adapt quickly and contribute to the wider team.
Guilherme's experience has also included helping to train new employees and supporting his team in achieving its sales targets.
Working with international guests
Language skills can also make a real difference when working at sea.
Alongside his native Portuguese, Guilherme lists English, Spanish and Italian among his language skills.
Combined with several years of working with international cruise guests, that's given him a strong foundation for continuing his career in the industry.
Not everybody is looking for their first ship
At the Cruise Retail Academy, we work with people at very different stages of their careers.
Some candidates are trying to secure their first opportunity onboard.
Others, like Guilherme, already understand ship life and come to us because they're ready for their next opportunity.
That's an important distinction.
For an experienced candidate, it isn't about starting again.
It's about looking at the experience they've already built, understanding where their strengths lie and preparing for whatever comes next.
Guilherme already has the cruise experience.
He already understands international guests.
And he has the sales results behind him.
Now it's time for the next chapter. 🚢
Congratulations Guilherme. 🎓
We're really pleased to have you as one of our Academy Graduates and look forward to seeing where the journey takes you next.
Looking for your next cruise retail opportunity?
Whether you're looking for your first opportunity at sea or already have cruise retail experience and are considering your next move, the Cruise Retail Academy helps candidates prepare for careers within the global cruise retail industry.
Explore the Academy and current opportunities at:
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