The crew is the secret ingredient that makes a cruise unforgettable

If you think a great cruise is all about the itinerary and the facilities on board the ship, then you're forgetting a crucial factor.

Aboard the riverboat Delfin I in the Peruvian Amazon – a place as foreign to me as anywhere on Earth – I’m grateful for the sage and comforting presence of Sandro Soria Del Águila. He’s the ship’s naturalist guide and, to me, the most important person on our four-cabin luxury vessel.

Del Águila comes from this place. He was born on a tributary of the Ucayali River in a village called Requena, not far from the Brazilian border. He seems to know every creature, plant and person and spends countless hours each day deciphering this fantastical landscape for me.

Águila means eagle in Spanish, which is funny because eagle-eyed Sandro can spot sloths and owl-like potoos from a hundred metres away or more, even when they’re camouflaged in dense rainforest. He can also pretty much summon any creature with his repertoire of animal calls learnt from his uncle, a hunter. You want pink river dolphins, monkeys and birds to marvel at? He’ll puff, grunt and whistle them into frame for you.

There’s barely a species we see that he can’t identify by common name and Latin binomial. And he seems to know everyone on the river, at least by sight, so we have insider access to remote communities. I couldn’t have asked for a more immersive, authentic expedition experience on the Amazon River, thanks to Sandro.

When booking a cruise most people are motivated by the destination, the itinerary, and the amenities and luxuries offered by a particular ship. But a crucial ingredient of any unforgettable voyage is the crew you sail with. The best ones will brighten and enlighten your days and generally add to the ease and enjoyment of a holiday on water.

Eagle-eyed Sandro can spot sloths from a hundred metres away or more, even when they’re camouflaged in dense rainforest. Picture: Mario Gomi/Delphin Amazon Cruises.

Del Águila is an excellent case in point, alongside his Delfin crewmates including barman Martín, who pumps out the Pisco Sours and, on occasion, joins velvety voiced maître d’ José for impromptu concerts performing as The Lady Killers. And white-gloved waiter Freddy, who assures me on day one that ‘Everything you need, we are working for you all day.” And so they do.

Making friends with fellow passengers is a lovely bonus of cruising, but a great crew is a godsend. I haven’t been to French Polynesia for almost two years but still remember vividly cruise director Maria Paz Garcia Pintado aboard Ponant’s Paul Gauguin. Besides organising our days in the Society Islands with her upbeat bilingual patter (for the mostly French and American passengers), there seemed to be no end to her talents and enthusiasm. 

One day we’d be out on a six-person speedboat stalking whale sharks; on another she’d be introducing the evening’s entertainment with a lusty cry of “Showtime!”. She even took to the stage herself one evening, lip-synching and shimmying to the Catalan rumba hit “Borriquito” (“Little Donkey”). Her energy was infectious.

The best crew members will brighten and enlighten your days and generally add to the ease and enjoyment of a holiday on water. Picture: Delphin Amazon Cruises.

When Seabourn cruise line made its debut in the Kimberley last year it did so with a crack international crew including Bevlyn the Jamaican barwoman, who loved to sing out guests’ drink orders – “Vodka and TOH-niiiiic!” – and generally brought sunshine to our days.

One morning on a sandbar off the Western Australian coast I found her at a pop-up bar serving Mimosas and Bloody Marys just after sunrise. She was so happy to be there. “This morning was amazing!” she exclaimed afterwards. “With the east wind blowing on my face – oh my god! – I felt freedom! It was wonderful.”

I’ve been on two Regent Seven Seas Cruises, both times in the Mediterranean and both memorable for some exceptional employees. On Seven Seas Splendor it was the dashing butler Shameer Ampopilakkil whose official role was to look after the American guests in the $10,000 a night Regent Suite, but he often seemed to be shadowing our media group – jumping behind the bar to fix drinks, keeping us company during the nightly shows and generally there whenever we might need him. I’m hardly surprised when he tells me Regent Seven Seas’ butlers, who service 80-plus premium cabins on each vessel, bring 70 per cent of loyalty guests back on board.

I’ve been on two Regent Seven Seas Cruises, both times in the Mediterranean and both memorable for some exceptional employees. Picture: RSSC.

Likewise, on sister ship Seven Seas Grandeur, I bonded with several staff members including Gennaro at Coffee Connection, who fixed my flat white every day, as he did for the rest of the Australians. We’d all worked out quick-smart that he was a master of the espresso machine and congregated there each morning. I’m not saying baristas are the most important crew members on board – I still think an excellent naturalist like Sandro is worth his weight in gold – but starting the day with a great coffee always bodes well on a cruise.

Chilly factor

Some crew encounters stay in the mind for the wrong reasons. Like the Russian staff on my Antarctic research vessel who were efficient but as cold as ice. And the German-speaking Sea Cloud crew who gave English speakers a wide berth.

Originally published as The crew is the secret ingredient that makes a cruise unforgettable