We spoke with Captain Melani in Genoa, where we attended the coin ceremony for Explora Journeys' second ship, Explora II, at the Fincantieri shipyards.
By Virginia López Valiente
He began his career 33 years ago and, like most, he did so on cargo ships, tankers, roro ships, and even livestock transports.
She says she was never particularly drawn to cruising, but she was very curious about all the possibilities and options for developing her career. There are several levels to climb in the cruise industry, starting with Carnival Cruise Line and moving into luxury with Regent Seven Seas, where she was eventually promoted to Captain. Now she's in charge of a ship for MSC's new luxury line, Explora Journeys.
The cruise industry is increasingly moving towards gender equality. We've come a long way to get here. “My goal was to have this opportunity, to have equal opportunities so that everyone can access the officer career path without having to copy a model, the male model. I am as unique as anyone, but I am also unique because I am a woman, and it took me longer to get here. Along the way, I faced discrimination, and that ultimately teaches you a lot. I believe I can contribute another perspective, another experience.”
Sustainability and families as a central focus.
Sustainability is one of Explora's main objectives. The company maintains that in the future it will likely be one of the most sustainable cruise lines in the world, and it is also the first luxury cruise line to focus on families, which is not very common in that segment.
“Look, regarding sustainability, I live on an island, and my house is environmentally friendly. We are self-sufficient in obtaining drinking water, energy, and recycling. Sustainability and respect for the environment are extremely important to me, almost as important as the sea. In the last 33 years, there has been enormous improvement. I remember when I was a child, going to the sea, and my father would try to keep me from getting covered in oil. This doesn't happen anymore, and more and more things are being recycled. I was a waste officer on a cargo ship, which is less careful. Nobody talked about recycling or the waste that washed ashore. We will undoubtedly reach the highest standards; for me, it is essential.”.
When it comes to families, it's all about education. Our guests will experience onboard amenities similar to those they enjoy at home, because we want them to feel just as comfortable. Is luxury possible for families? Absolutely!
And of course, one of the other highlights of the company is the wide variety of beautiful destinations around the world they'll explore. How many of them have you never been to?
“There are some destinations, but very few, honestly, although you can visit some places many times and experience them differently each time. The approach to some destinations is infinitely different, not only because of the time you have available but also the way you experience it. To give you an example, you may have been to Rome thousands of times, but if you can visit the Vatican at night on a private tour, the experience changes dramatically.”
We asked him how involved the captain is in the construction of a cruise ship. “Building a ship is very complex; it begins long before the shipyard work, sometimes four or five years in advance. A lot of technical information has to be gathered from the people who work on board and from the destinations we plan to visit. I was very involved from the beginning, contributing my experience as a luxury ship officer and also participating in the recruitment of officers and, of course, itinerary planning. The company has been completely open to the advice of everyone who comes from a different company, and this has certainly been another very interesting point for me: bringing together people with different experiences on board the ship but also in the office. So, it's one of the things that is definitely making a difference compared to other companies.”
