LATTE was recently a guest aboard Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours’ Discovery Yacht, Scenic Eclipse, where we sailed the Caribbean Sea visiting ports in Jamaica, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and Mexico during the month of October, 2019.
We took the opportunity to speak with a number of crew and personnel while on board to learn more about their cruise industry background, their reason for joining Scenic Eclipse in its inaugural season, and some of their favourite ports and parts of the World’s First Discovery Yacht.
Introducing:
Jaime Soto, Bartender
Your previous experience with ships/yachts?
I’ve been working on cruise ships for many years. I started in 2006 and have worked with cruise lines including Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Pullmantur Cruises and most recently Seabourn, aboard Seabourn Sojourn.
When did you first join Scenic?
I joined back in late July 2019 in Pula, Croatia, before Eclipse was handed over. There was a lot of physical work back then, and a lot of hours. It was challenging, but I was excited and the end result was well worth the effort.
The debut of the ship was something I was very proud to be part of.
What was the appeal of joining Scenic Eclipse?
The launch of a brand-new ship was an exciting new challenge for me. My responsibilities included putting things in place. For the past 10 years working on ships, I would simply step on board and all the products were there and ready to go. All I had to do was adjust to the system and fit into it.
On Scenic Eclipse, there were a lot of things coming up. Where things would be placed for easy workflow, how it’s going to run, where glasses and bottles would be positioned. All my experience and that of my colleagues, and our feedback, was taken seriously to improve the design, down to the last touches. It’s been a really great experience for me and I’m appreciative Scenic would take my opinions into consideration.
Your favourite port that you’ve visited so far?
Iceland. I had travelled there many times previously on other ships but this was the first time I actually had a chance to step off and see the country firsthand.
Your favourite part of Scenic Eclipse?
The Lounge Bar! It’s wonderful when you have all the best drinks to offer that guests may want. We are not missing anything. It’s a dream job – whatever they want and however they way they want it, we can provide it. We offer the finest products. There is no cheap alternative here.
I feel very happy because you have everything you need to ensure guest satisfaction . This is kind of my baby now. On other ships it can be tough because you only have three or four products to offer. Here there is no limit and the quality of the products are top shelf.
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