Elise, Reception and Events Manager

Ever since she was a little girl, Elise knew her destiny and dream was to work at sea. Throughout her childhood and into her teens she sailed on P&O Cruises ships with her parents, all the while watching the fleet evolve and grow.

The photograph on the left depicts the first time Elise stepped onboard Aurora when she was just three years old. That was back in 2001 when her parents, who were regular cruisers with P&O Cruises, brought her onboard for her first cruise. Fast forward twenty two years to the picture on the right and Elise is back on Aurora as a hotel officer in the role of Reception & Events Manager!

Once out of school, Elise enrolled in a Travel & Tourism college graduating with a diploma in 2016 and immediately applied for a job with P&O cruises. She was accepted into the apprentice receptionist program and underwent a one year internship that blended work experience at Carnival House in Southampton (head office for P&O Cruises and Cunard), a 5-star hotel and three months at sea working on a P&O Cruises ship.

After successfully completing the program in 2018 she was accepted as a full time receptionist and walked up the gangway on P&O Cruises Azura to begin her dream career.

The rest is history! She excelled as a receptionist receiving plaudits from guests, colleagues and supervisors, so no-one was surprised when she was promoted to manager in 2022.

Why does she Elise love working for P&O Cruises?

“The job and environment has made me a more confident person. I’ve also gained valuable new skills because the environment and challenges onboard a cruise ship are so unique.

I also love working with such a diverse and focused group of individuals – we work hard but are always there to support each other and sometimes have a bit of fun at the end of the working day. It’s a very rewarding feeling.”