At Carnival UK we’re a diverse bunch, we have a multitude of skills, knowledge, and experience between us. We love to share your career stories to help inspire and showcase development opportunities.
After four years working as a Stealth Materials Scientist in the Defense industry, Steve Angel joined Carnival UK in December 2017 as Revenue Analyst for Cunard (quite a career change!) Since then, Steve has taken the leap over to P&O Cruises as both Senior Analyst and then Revenue Manager. When the pandemic hit Steve was put at risk but successfully secured a role as Deployment Manager back with Cunard. Since April 2024 Steve has taken on the role of Senior Sustainability Manager for Carnival UK.
“Over the last seven years I have taken on five roles – three of them quite different to one another – and they have all played a part in broadening my experience, putting me in good stead for the role I am in today. During my first few years with Carnival UK, you could say my development journey was fairly linear, starting off as a Revenue Analyst before becoming Senior Analyst and Revenue Manager.
Then, in 2020, as the pandemic hit and our ships went into lay-up, I was at risk of redundancy and not quite sure what was next. Through the consultation process I was able to successfully secure one of the best jobs in the business (no bias here!), Deployment Manager. Over the next few years, I established myself as the expert for destination and deployment planning, delivering 18 new cruise programmes and redeployments, and countless contingency plans and itinerary changes.
With decarbonisation being a fundamental part of that role and sustainability became a bigger and bigger passion of mine, in April 2024 I was extremely fortunate to move into a new role as Senior Manager for Sustainability.
My career highlight so far has been working in the deployment team – I loved every minute (even all the contingency strategies, itinerary changes, and redeployments). Developing new and innovative itineraries that deliver increased revenues, reduced costs, and a fantastic guest experience, all whilst reducing our carbon emissions has been a challenge, but a fantastic experience. The best example of this being the development of Queen Mary 2’s winter 2025/26 round world voyage where she will transit the Panama Canal for the first time ever!
To me acting for the job you want means actively adopting the mindset and behaviours that your manager and senior leaders display; projecting confidence and competence in your current role; and taking ownership of your own development journey. In doing so, you’re not only preparing yourself, but also signaling to others that you’re capable and ready for that next step in your career.
My second piece of advice would be step out of your comfort zone and say yes to new opportunities. By trying your hand at new things, whether that be an entirely new role or taking on additional responsibility within your existing role, you’re not only developing your skill set but gaining a better understanding of the business too. In my experience you never know where a side ways move may lead!
In terms of taking ownership of your own development journey, I encourage everyone to have a plan which includes both internal opportunities and resources but also any external opportunities you’d like to explore.
In 2021 Carnival UK began supporting me with my ambition to complete an MBA apprenticeship and for the last two years I have been condensing my role into four days to be able to dedicate one day to studying every week. Being able to have this opportunity has been immensely rewarding, not only through the formal knowledge gained but also through the informal conversations with senior leaders in other businesses and sectors.
External courses aside, taking part in internal opportunities and soft skills workshops have also hugely benefited me. The ability to prioritise the most important tasks; time management to ensure they can be completed effectively; and the ability to reflect on my experiences and how I would improve my performance, have all put me in good stead today.
If you’re a bit stuck on where to start I would encourage you to craft out time to explore the resources available at Carnival UK. Whether that is better understanding what’s available on The Cove, or joining a Power Hour, there is a wealth of in-house opportunities to learn and develop that everyone should be utilising.”
Steve’s recommended resources:
If you’re not sure where to start take a look at the content library on The Cove and start with My Best Me. It’s a great introduction to understanding yourself and your skills to support your own development.
Develop my confidence – Supporting my mantra ‘act for the job you want’, this short how-to guide provides simple tips on how to confidently present yourself and make a positive impact. Remember – with confidence, practice makes perfect, so these tips are a useful tool for you to use throughout your career.
The Road to Resilience – Given the amount of change and uncertainty the business has been through these past years, resilience has been an essential skill for us all. That said, any change can be unsettling for most of us so this infographic is a useful tool to access as it provides simple steps on how to navigate this.
Thanks Steve for sharing your career story.
As we’ve heard here, development can come in all forms, from taking on new roles, taking part in Power Hours or external courses. To find out more about development opportunities at Carnival UK visit the Performance and Development pages on The Insider.