He Spent Years Training Sales Teams. Now Anzelem Is Starting a New Career at Sea.

From Kenya to cruise retail: meet Anzelem, our latest Cruise Retail Academy Graduate, who is taking more than a decade of sales and training experience into a completely new working environment.

There's something particularly rewarding about receiving that first photograph of a candidate onboard.

For Adrian and me, it's one of the best parts of what we do at the Cruise Retail Academy.

This week, it was Anzelem's turn.

Standing proudly in his uniform, surrounded by the retail displays of his new workplace, he looks completely at home.

But what makes Anzelem's story interesting isn't simply that he's joined a cruise ship.

It's the experience he's bringing with him.

The man who spent years helping others succeed

Before joining the cruise industry, Anzelem had built an established career in Kenya, working across sales, marketing, customer relationships and training.

For several years, he worked with top clients on amazing projects, where he helped train sales promoters, supervisors and new employees.

His responsibilities included developing product knowledge, improving sales techniques, coaching teams and helping people become more confident in front of customers.

And he had his own impressive sales record.

Over the course of his career, Anzelem reported building relationships with more than 1,500 clients, increasing new customer acquisition by 31% and regularly exceeding sales targets.

He was also recognised as Top Sales Consultant of the Month on six occasions and received an Employee of the Year award.

These achievements tell us quite a lot about him.

He's somebody who understands customers, knows the importance of product knowledge and has spent years helping other people perform at their best.

Now, he's the one learning the ropes in a new industry.

And I rather like that.

A new career doesn't mean starting from zero

One of the things I often discuss with candidates is how much of their previous experience can be relevant to working onboard a cruise ship.

People sometimes assume that unless they've worked at sea before, they have very little to offer.

That simply isn't the case.

Cruise retail involves much more than selling products. It's about understanding guests, building relationships, learning about different brands and working with colleagues from around the world.

Anzelem already has years of experience in many of those areas.

Of course, life onboard will bring new challenges. There are different routines, expectations and working environments to get used to.

But he's not arriving without experience.

He's taking everything he's learned throughout his career and applying it somewhere completely different.

That's an exciting prospect.

From Academy preparation to his first photograph onboard

At the Cruise Retail Academy, we spend a lot of time helping candidates understand the opportunities available at sea and what to expect when they join.

And while the training and preparation are important, there's something special about seeing the result.

A photograph arrives.

The candidate is wearing their uniform.

They're standing in the shop where they'll be working, sometimes thousands of miles from home.

And suddenly, all those conversations about working onboard have become a reality.

That's exactly what this photograph of Anzelem represents.

He's made the move from a successful career on land to a new opportunity in cruise retail.

There will be plenty to learn, new colleagues to meet and experiences ahead that he probably can't imagine just yet.

For now, though, it's lovely to see him there.

Anzelem, enjoy every minute!

I hope Anzelem takes every opportunity to learn, develop his skills and enjoy everything that working at sea has to offer.

He's already achieved a great deal in his professional life, and it will be interesting to see how he uses that experience in this new environment.

From Adrian and me, congratulations, Anzelem.

We're really pleased to see you onboard, and we wish you every success.

Welcome to the Academy Graduate club! 🎓🚢❤️

Could your experience take you to sea?

Anzelem's story is a reminder that you don't necessarily need previous cruise ship experience to explore a career in cruise retail.

If you've worked in retail, sales, customer service, hospitality, marketing or another people-focused role, you may already have valuable skills that could transfer into an onboard position.

At the Cruise Retail Academy, we help candidates explore opportunities and prepare for careers at sea through guidance, training and free learning resources.

Interested in finding out more?

Visit academy-onboard.com to explore cruise retail opportunities and begin your own journey.