By
Rebecca Gibson |
Marella Cruises has chosen two long-term employees as godmothers of its new ship, Marella Voyager, which will be christened in Malaga, Spain, on 31 May 2023.
When choosing godmothers, Marella Cruises sought help from leaders across parent group TUI, asking them to consider factors such as an employee’s length of service and how they have helped to drive Marella Cruises growth when nominating individuals for the role.
One godmother is the brand’s chief purser Tatyana Olkhovska, a Ukrainian who joined Marella Cruises as a receptionist in 2003 and was appointed as chief purser in 2017. Olkhovska has been instrumental in helping others to learn English and was recently joined onboard Marella Explorer 2 by her daughter Alina who in now part of the destination services team.
The second godmother is Jacqui Nobile, who joined TUI in 1994, moved to the cruise sector in 1996 and is now Marella Cruises’ senior destination services operations manager. In this role, she is responsible for curating the shoreside experience programme.
“At Marella we love to recognise our own dedicated staff for the important role of godmother,” said Chris Hackney, manging director at Marella Cruises. “We could have found a celebrity, but we believe our own hardworking heroes deserve the honour, and we are so proud to have Tatyana and Jacqui as Marella Voyager’s godmothers.
“Their drive and passion is a testament to their commitment to Marella Cruises and ensuring the best possible holiday experience for our guests. With more than 40 years in cruising between them, it’s clear they have both dedicated a large part of their lives to Marella, and both understand and believe in our mission.”