Lead Port Operation & Visa Services

Journey with us! Combine your career goals and sense of adventure by joining our exciting team of employees. Royal Caribbean Group is pleased to offer a competitive compensation & benefits package, and excellent career development opportunities, each offering unique ways to explore the world.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Silversea is the defining name in luxurious cruise travel by distinguishing itself in the ultra-luxury market with its elegant, all-suite ships, all-inclusive pricing, worldwide itineraries and genuine hospitality. All our ships feature spacious, ocean-view suites with butler service, and most include private verandas, meaning you can sip your champagne from the comfort of your deck while watching the vistas beyond. Whether you want to gaze at icebergs or palm trees, the choice is yours. Our ships sail pole-to-pole to over 900 destinations on all seven continents, leaving (almost) no part of coastline uncovered.  We are proud of our reputation as the "World's Best" cruise line and seek individuals who take personal pride in their work to join our award-winning team.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Support Port Operation Manager with global vessels services in daily operations.
In particular, ensure close communication with vessel’s management in case of adverse weather conditions and coordinate the possible change of itineraries with all the other departments involved.
Coordinating all port activities (running operations and planning) supporting the ships’ command.
This position ensures that all port, services affecting guests experiences are achieved in a timely and professional manner according to established department and company standards.
Visa processing ensuring applications are assessed and decided through the effective administration of immigration policy and procedures, and in accordance with immigration law.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage Guests port services in the terminal included but not limited to Online Check in Experiences and Guests hospitality desks.
• In charge of communicating all related port services by port inside the organization and create a databases with all updated information.
• Responsible for sending port services emails to embarking guests advising embarkation procedure, immigration requirements and restrictions , port address and contact information.
• Coordinate the different internal functions to produce and deploy the guests’ notifications.
• Keep the internal teams up to date on the notifications sent to guests and travel agents.
• Plan and prepare guest operations and logistics for the group’s turn-around ports worldwide.
• Ensure Silversea service level expectations for port/terminal operations are met by operators.
• Liaising and building robust relationships with port agents.
• Consolidating key information from Port Agents globally
• Liaise between on-board and onshore stakeholders to ensure guest’s expectations are met throughout their journey to and from their cruise.
• Drive and develop key projects effectively and efficiently to benefit stakeholders and customers.
• Develop and drive the implementation of operational requirements.
• Assist with other marine personnel projects.
• Visit vessels to train and up-date key onboard personnel.
• Updating customer files with accurate notes, and contacting clients to resolve issues with documentation.
• Provide guidance and expert assistance to passport agencies on cases involving clearance problems.
• Maintain knowledge and interpretation of passport regulations and procedures.
• Advise on visa requirements and processing times where needed and conducting research with regard to immigration requirements both domestically and abroad.
• Research visa requirements with multiple sources for US, CAN, UK, & AUS passport holders. Information must be kept current.
• Create invoice visa messages for FT, UK and AS offices pertaining to the nationalities they book.
• Maintain visa message database program and constantly check for accuracy.
• Any changes to visa information an Update Notice to be created and pushed to all effected bookings and the visa messages updated on the invoices. Email to Reservations and Consumer Sales departments in FT/UK/AS offices alerting them.
• Determine what voyages will require Yellow Fever certificates and what can be accepted in lieu of the certificate.
• Work with Port Agents and guests to ensure we obtain and forward any advance documentation required.
• Create spread sheets listing visa/ vaccination requirements for US, CAN, UK, AUS covering all itineraries.
• Work with Pinnacle Travel Documents to ensure they post accurate information on their website pertaining to Silversea voyages requiring visas. Answer any questions from them regarding visa inquiries they get so they can answer accurately.
• Negotiate and now full project in house no third party rate to negotiate. create “Visa Packages” for all World Cruises and Grand Voyages for all offices covering US, CAN, UK, AUS, NZL and now EU nationals.
• Go through all the mid land shore excursions to see what visas need to be upgraded and arrange for SSC to pay for WC guests either directly or through SBC reimbursement. Communicate all the arrangements with the Financial Officer and Shore ex.
• Check for alternate nationalities inquiring to find out if we can get visas on arrival for them they need beyond what we post for core nationalities. Examples: Russian, Chinese, Indian, Columbian or Philippine passport holders.
• Create letters for guests to submit to consulates with travel arrangements when required.
• Generate Daily Passport Report with listing passports expiring within 6 months of travel date.
• Generate Travel Warning Report.
• Take input from ships staff Financial Officers and Senior Accountants to add messages or sent Notices to bookings to improve operations.
• Support Reservations with training and/or providing documents to help them better understand visa matters.
• Handle any escalated calls or situations involving visas or passport issues.
• Communicate with Revenue Planning anytime documentation requirements force voyages to close early so they can plan appropriately.
• Reviewing and editing visa petitions and coordinating signatures with various business partners to ensure timely filing.
• Maintaining databases to help keep all teams aligned, and keeping a constant flow of communication with third-party partners and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain the most up to date database information on visa requirements per country for various passport holders
• Flexibility and openness to take on additional projects as they arise.
• Enforce international travel policy, interact with the Passport Agency and foreign embassies to process and obtain needed passports and visas, navigate e-country clearance system to ensure compliance with State Department regulations.
• Manage content of the Knowledgebase and similar agent resources.
• Service all calls and emails in a professional and efficient manner. Consistently demonstrate a friendly, courteous, and patient attitude both written and verbal, maintaining proper phone etiquette and positive voice inflection.
• Obtain and forward all visa copies to the guests/ travel agents and ships officers to present to immigration agents upon arrival.
• Department heads/ departments collaborate or Liaison with:

➢ Port Agents - To arrange visas on arrival – timeline for required documents, nationals it’s available to, costs and arrange billing. Also, reach out for help via calls or letters to local consulate’s regarding visa processing when expedited visas are needed or early processing.
➢ Ship Financial officer’s - To arrange onboard billing, make aware special visa arrangements for specific nationals. Assist however possible when guests board without required visas.
➢ Shore excursions – To determine on all voyages what overland excursions may trigger a visa requirement not calling as a port of call, but flying guests out of one port/country into another to re-join the ship.
➢ Land Programs – To determine on all voyages what Pre/Post land program will need visas, and what land programs will change the visa type needed for the cruise.
➢ Itinerary Planning – To advise entry requirement obstacles in planned itinerary. Example Tianjin before Shanghai must have visa for China. Shanghai then Tianjin no visa needed for China. Also, visa changes that may affect plausibility of the itinerary, or what nationals it can be sold to.
➢ Reservations Department heads UK, US, AS – To advise of upcoming changes, and collaborate on what training documents and information they need available for their teams.
➢ Consulate Officers – Form relationships to reach out to when expedited processing is needed.
➢ On Call for emergencies regarding visa’s 365 days a year. Ship’s Financial Officers have my cell number for emergencies.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION

• Demonstrate ability to interact and cooperate with all company employees
• Global knowledge of ports and requirements
• Build trust, value others, communicate effectively, drive execution faster innovation, focus on the customer, collaborate with others, solve problems creatively and demonstrate high integrity
• Maintain professional internal and external relationships that meet company core values.

• Proactively establish and maintain effective working team relationships with all support department
• Bachelor’s degree required
• English fluent written and spoken + at least one more European language
• Proven knowledge of Silversea systems
• Proven ability to drive sales team to success
• Ambitious, passionate and results driven
• Strong influence skills in order to effectively lead and train a team of sales representatives
• Proven ability to achieve results and work well under pressure
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Strong understanding of customer and market dynamics and requirements
• Strong understanding of luxury
• Strong understanding of luxury cruise business
• Keep up-to-date with the Luxury cruise market to see what competitors are doing
• You have a systematic attitude to performing given tasks and organizing your work
• You see the value in planning ahead, but is comfortable with changing plans and adapting as required
• You are comfortable and confident in both building new business relationships and maintaining day-to-day business contact with established partners in our ports of call worldwide
• You are comfortable dealing with senior stakeholders and working autonomously
• You have a can-do mindset and are excited about driving change in a fast-paced environment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

4 days in the office and 1 day work from home.