Joseph Micallef met up with Patrick Vella Gauci on board the Croisières de France (Pullmantur) cruise liner Horizon, where he has served as cruise director for the past four years.

It was a pleasant surprise for us when my wife and I boarded the cruise liner Horizon in Marseille last month to be told by a crew member who noticed we were Maltese that the cruise director also happens to hail from Malta.

We thought he was joking at first – especially as we had already heard the cruise director making announcements on the PA system in fluent and impeccable French – but when we saw his name on the daily newsletter we receive in the cabin we knew it was true. His name was Patrick VellaGauci.

We, therefore, made up our minds to try to meet Patrick and say hello. However, he found us first. He had checked the ship’s manifest to see what different nationalities were on board and he noticed our names. He looked at our photographs and, when he spotted us by the lift on our very first day on board, he approached and addressed us in Maltese without even asking first whether we were his compatriots.

Patrick told us he came from Mellieħa and, although he speaks fluent English and French (and Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, to boot), he misses talking in Maltese which he only does twice a week when he telephones his 70-year-old mother back home. So he cherished the opportunity to talk to two fellow islanders.

Wearing a smart officer’s uniform with three and a half stripes on his shoulder flaps, Patrick fits the role of a cruise director to a T. Not only does he have the gift of the gab and a clear diction in his speech, but he also has bags of self-confidence and a sense of humour that draws people to his cheerful personality.

For those who have never been on a cruise and do not know how important the role of the cruise director is on board the ship, his responsibilities include scheduling of entertainment activities and social events, making public announcements, plus conducting and supervising safety briefings or drills for both passengers and crew. He is also the officer in charge of the entertainment staff and is usually the compere at each nightly show in the theatre.

As a highly visible member of staff on a cruise ship, there have been many television characters portraying the role of a cruise director. A notable example is Julie McCoy played by Lauren Tewes in The Love Boat.

You are a greeter, a public relations executive, a cheerleader, an event coordinator and a problem solver

Patrick told me the cruise director’s primary responsibility is the passengers’ welfare and comfort. “You are a greeter, a public relations executive, a cheerleader, an event coordinator and a problem solver,” he said.

Indeed, cruise directors interact with hundreds of people each day, making effective communication skills, flexibility and an outgoing personality crucial.

When he began his studies in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Patrick had no particular desire to work abroad, let alone on a cruise ship. But when he got his degree with flying colours in 2009, aged 21, he jumped at the opportunity to work for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, the parent company of both Pullmantur and Croisières de France.

The cruise director flanked by the pastry chef and the executive chef during a culinary presentation on board the Horizon. Photo: Joseph Micallef

He started off as head cruise staff, which is the equivalent of an assistant cruise director, but it was not long before he was promoted to cruise director. He has been working on board the Horizon for the past four years. Incidentally, the Croisières de France cruise liner, which is actually owned by Pullmantur, is registered in Malta and always flies the Maltese maritime ensign on the ship’s stern.

Patrick told me he enjoys his work very much even though he has to deal with passengers’ problems which may be beyond his control. During the course of one week he makes many new friends some of whom keep contact with him for many months after.

One of his worst experiences was once when, while he was presenting the officers on stage in the evening during the captain’s cocktail, a passenger walked up, tried to grab the microphone from his hand and begin to urge the other passengers in the audience to mutiny because they had been experiencing some pretty bad weather during that particular trip.

Patrick immediately called the security staff who quickly dealt with the intruder. The cruise director calmly explained to the audience that a call to mutiny is considered an international crime. He informed the guests on board the Horizon that all the officers and crew were doing everything possible to reduce the discomforting effects created by the bad weather.

Normally, the cruise director’s tour of duty is for four months, followed by a two-month break. However, because of a dearth of cruise directors that are fluent in French, Patrick had to stay on for a further four months last July before he could come home for Christmas. The bonus is that his break is also extended by an extra two months.

He is now back in Malta enjoying a well-deserved rest and spending time with his elderly parents and three siblings, the youngest of whom is 10 years older than he is. He told me with a glint in his eye that his conception was so unplanned that his mother only realised she had him when she was seven months pregnant! She thought she was going through her menopause when she began to experience hot flushes, sleepless nights and nausea which, I am told, are symptoms experienced both by pregnant women and those reaching their menopause.

While enjoying his long holiday on the island, Patrick is also looking forward to taking part in the annual panto organised by the group Mellieħa Youth. He was one of the pioneers when they started doing it a decade ago and wrote many of the scripts, before he went to work abroad. Last year he was asked to stand in at the last minute as one of the two dames and he enjoyed it so much that he asked to be included again this year.

When he returns to work next year, Patrick won’t be making all the announcements in French. He will be mostly using Spanish instead as he will be the cruise director on one of Pullmantur’s liners cruising initially in the Caribbean. Then, in the summer months, he will be heading back to Northern Europe, doing the Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic Sea.