Careers for women in cruise business

Female Maritime students were welcomed aboard the Mersey’s new favourite cruise ship, Bolette, to inspire them to future careers in the industry.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines welcomed a quintet of future female talent from LJMU’s suite of acclaimed Masters courses to mark International Women in Maritime Day.

The cruise line recently announced new high-profile routes to the Mediterranean and the Norwegian Fjords from Liverpool.

The students – Jonecar Ermino, Gizem Kandemir, Hatou Tangikora, Gloria Jeruto and Al Anood Saud Habib Al-Zadjali – boarded the 62,000 tonne 12-deck ship and met some of the city’s female maritime leaders including Abbie Sanders, Master Mariner at Fred. Olsen; Simone Roche MBE, Founder and CEO of We Are PoWEr; Louise Robinson, Ship Superintendent at Mersey Ferries and Charlotte Fenton, Customer Service Manager at Peel Ports.

They also attended a programme of presentations and an expert panel discussions, where speakers shared personal experiences and career insights, highlighting the breadth of roles available within the industry and the importance of representation at every level.

The panel was chaired by Angie Redhead, Head of Operations at Culture Liverpool, and attended by LJMU expert in maritime law Dr Anna Kaparaki, who said: “With women representing just 1.2% of the global seafarer workforce, the event aimed to increase visibility of maritime careers, support future recruitment, and celebrate the achievements of women across the sector.

Abbie Sanders, Compliance Manager and Master Mariner at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: “Having progressed through a career at sea, I recognise how pivotal and beneficial these events are to young people, and especially young women, looking to pursue a similar pathway or explore the opportunities within the maritime sector.”

Attendees had the opportunity to network with organisations operating across Liverpool’s maritime sector, including Liverpool Cruise Port, Mersey Ferries, Peel Ports, Mersey Maritime, Denholm Port Services and Liverpool City Council.

A video about the event was published by Liverpool Cruise Port on LinkedIn: