Work-life balance: Gillian Williams, Cruise Village
Travel Agent of the Year at the 2022 Cruise Adviser Awards, Gill Williams of Cruise Village shares her love for all cruise lines, walks with Sparky and providing first-class service to her customers
I get up at… 0630-0700 during the week – this gives me a chance to have my morning coffee! I can then check any emails that have come in overnight and plan my day, according to which operators and customers I need to get in touch with.
My job entails… Providing excellent service to all my customers. I love to chat to people and my customers become friends. I enjoy finding the perfect cruise for somebody, whether it is a short break or a worldwide trip, and I always put the customer at the heart of everything I do.
I got here by… Hard work! I have always had a passion for cruise – I used to work on board a cruise ship as a guest relations host (purser). It was a great way to see many wonderful places but very hard work – no days off and working for months at a time. This gave me a perfect insight into the industry.
I stay motivated by… I have always been highly motivated – I love selling and enjoy being busy. I like nothing better than finding someone the perfect holiday.
Gill in the Retreat on Celebrity Edge and striking a pose on Queen Victoria
I destress by… Walking Sparky, our mischievous Cavapoo. He is very loving but not a fan of the postman or anything that is put through the door! Most Saturday evenings we have the family round for a meal which is a great way to catch up on our week.
I can’t travel without… My laptop. This is me not ‘letting go’ – I always have it with me in case I need to check something for a customer.
My last cruise was… A four-night fam trip cruise on Queen Victoria. I especially loved the theatre and the theatre boxes, which came with a half bottle of champagne plus lots of delicious delights. My last personal cruise holiday was on board Celebrity Edge in July 2022, which we have also booked for Alaska in 2024 – this was one of the itineraries I was lucky to sail on and I want to take my husband to experience it too.
The cruise line to watch is… I have too many favourites! It’s hard to single out any individual cruise line as they all have their own unique qualities.