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Andy Edwards
Guest Services Manager, Radiance of the Seas
Andy Edwards started his Royal Caribbean Group journey 16 years ago as a pool attendant. His plan was to travel as much as possible before returning home to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to become a schoolteacher. After three contracts with the company, he found his true calling – working alongside other dedicated and passionate crew members.
His love of travel came from his mom, and he credits his natural leadership skills to being the oldest of four siblings.
“I started with Royal Caribbean Group when I was 24,” Andy shared, “and I started as a pool attendant. Every contract, every time I came back onboard, I was promoted.”
While as a dispatcher on his third contract, Andy received a call from the Guest Services Manager at the time. They had received great feedback about Andy and wanted to offer him a position with Guest Services. “I told the GSM, ‘Let me think about it,’ and I called them back five minutes later to take the job,” he shared with a smile. “[My feedback] was positive, mostly about my communication. I’d crack a joke to lighten the mood in serious situations, I’m quick with my responsiveness and my ability to resolve concerns.”
When he took over as the Guest Services Manager onboard Brilliance of the Seas, he learned the ropes from the previous manager, which normally takes two to three weeks, but Andy had had to take over within two days.
“You have to be prepared, and it might sound cliché, but you have to be optimistic about your environment,” Andy said. “We are always critical of ourselves, especially when it comes to leadership. It’s important not to put yourself too low, thinking you’re doing a horrible job because a lot of times, you’re doing better than you think.”
So, why Royal Caribbean Group? “When you go job hunting, one of the things you look for is the best. Royal Caribbean Group stood out as the best company and one of the leaders of the cruise industry. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to start with the best,” Andy replied.
For our Propelled by People: Our Stories portrait series by photographer Steve McCurry, we asked Andy what he hopes people will gain from seeing these incredible portraits of our employees. “I hope they see success in all of the people being portrayed in the pictures,” he said. “We all have come from one level, like entry level, and over time we have opportunities to grow, and we’ve grown over time.” Andy wishes for people to see the happiness of the crew and employees, and to know that there are more opportunities than can be seen. “I started as a pool attendant and now I’m the Guest Services Manager. There are opportunities to be successful.”