At Carnival UK we believe a diverse and inclusive team is a successful team. We are passionate about offering an employee experience that is personalised, makes people feel valued and allows them to be themselves.
We spoke to Sandeep Lad, Crew Services Manager on Ventura, about what diversity means to him and how he has made others feel included during his time at sea.
Sandeep joined Ventura early January and soon after joining, had the opportunity to host an Indian Republic Day event on board. Since it is a national event in India, where Sandeep calls home, it holds a lot of importance to him and having the opportunity to celebrate it on board made him feel at home again.
Indian Republic Day is celebrated every year on 26 January, honoring the constitution of India that was introduced in 1950, replacing the Government of India Act. This also marks the independence of India from the British Raj which took place on 26 January 1929.
The event included a speech from Sandeep which included why Indian Republic Day is a day for celebration and the history behind it as well as a demonstration of the national anthem which was sung by colleagues from India.
The event was supported by the HR team on board who helped to make it a successful day for all involved. They promoted the event to all ship’s company through ships notice boards and social media and had a wide range of attendees. The event was attended by Captain Andrew Willard, the HR team and management, other senior staff and a mix of crew and officers from different departments.
The Seafarers Welfare Committee on board all our ships not only look after welfare, but everything that concerns our fleet teams. It’s a great opportunity for colleagues to come forward and submit ideas so that we have a variety of events for everyone on board.
If you have any ideas for an onboard event or would like to create one for a specific celebration, speak to your Human Resources Manager or simply attend the SWC meetings held once a month to share your ideas.