| FACE-2-FACE 07 Jun 18

ANDY LOVING, Sales Manager – NSW, Vic & the ACT at Star & Dream Cruises: What motivates you in your career – A healthy balance of both business related and personal goals – my business motivation has been seeing our Dream Cruises brand grow from a brand new fledgling company to now seeing a huge increase in sales in Australia. My mortgage is enough for a personal motivation!

2. Most common assumption people make about your job?

That it is always glamorous all the time! People assume we are forever hosting cocktail functions in exotic locations on ships around the world – it’s a lot of hard work, planning and effort to even get to that point!

3. What is the key to building great relationships with agents?

A mixture of being available and approachable, understanding what their clients want and providing the correct training and tools for my agents to sell our products.

4. Biggest challenge facing the industry?

Right now it would be our lack of infrastructure and additional port space here in Sydney.Unless we can find a long-term solution to get more ships into Sydney we are not going to see the continual growth in cruising we have had over the past 10 years.

5. Advice for up-and-comers?

Be approachable at all times, have a clear five-year plan with your career and don’t be afraid to make additional career strengthening moves such as taking sales training courses or mentoring programs. Most importantly — learn as much as you can from more experienced people in the industry.

6. What was your best fam?

Sometimes it’s not always the places you visit but the people you meet when you’re there. My favourite fam trip would be a tour to Northern Nevada/California a few years ago where all the Int’l delegates got on like we had known each other for years — we still all keep in contact to this day.

7. Celebrity you would like to cruise with?

Russell Brand before he quit drinking.