After commuting from Seattle in the winter to Anchorage in the summer, I decided to move to Alaska. The endless opportunities to run on the trails, hike the beautiful mountains, Nordic ski throughout the winter (and everything else in between) was just too enticing and I could no longer resist the urge to make Alaska my home once again (I had spent my impressionable Junior and High School years in Alaska, just north of Anchorage). Working with Princess and Holland America has and continues to promote my urge to explore by providing me with great travel benefits and opportunity. I’ve had opportunity to visit Kenai, Fairbanks, Talkeetna /McKinley as well as Denali Park (Copper River is next on my list). I’ve rode the Princess Alaska Rail Dome Train Cars, taken numerous wildlife and glacier day cruises, a flight seeing trip over Turnagain arm, not to mention, I’ve dined in some of Anchorage’s most popular downtown restaurants.

I tremendously enjoy the guests that come from all over the nation, and the world, but what has really driven me in my career with the company has been the staff itself. The management team have always been very sensitive to the needs of guests and to the input of employees. I’ve worked with different teams and different management styles in my life, but here I have felt the most welcomed, the most encouraged, and the most challenged (in a positive manner – enabling me and giving me opportunities to grow and stretch my abilities). The company culture has taught me a lot about working as a team, about excellent service and about friendship.

I started out as a seasonal employee returning summer after summer – with always a place held for me and an invitation to bring my skills to the table. Currently I am working in Anchorage and I am a part of, what I believe to be, one of the best management teams around. I am teaching and training employees, being trained and taught by my peers, giving my best to our travelling guests and receiving much more from them and my co-workers then I could imagine.

I’m in a good place: Alaska, Anchorage, Tourism – Anchorage Transportation Division, Full-time management position. I’m in a very good place.

Christine – Guest Services Assistant Manager – Anchorage, Alaska

I became involved in the cruise industry specifically as a driver-guide during the summer of 2008. Several couples and individuals who have worked for the company for many years as Outfitters/Passenger Service Representatives, had been encouraging me to give it a try. Some had been trying for two or three years. They have all enjoyed their time with Princess and Holland America and continue to return year after year. They had been telling me about the great people they work with and telling me about the discounted cruises they have taken or are planning on taking as one of the benefits of the job.

My wife, Diana, and I have taken cruises on Princess and Carnival Cruise Lines in the past. We were impressed by the quality of the service, the beauty and condition of the ships, the employees we meet, the food and the overall great experience of our cruises on Princess. Diana and I first came to Alaska in 1966. I was a dentist with the US Public Health Service. We were assigned to the small village of Tanana on the Yukon River. We were stationed out of state for several years and moved back to Anchorage, Alaska in 1976. When I retired after forty-one years as a Pediatric Dentist with the US Public Health Service, I decided that working for Princess and Holland America might be a fun way to share the state I enjoy with visitors and a great way to earn some cruises for myself and my wife while doing it.

I called the company office in Anchorage and requested an application. My first contact with a Manager was during my initial phone interview with Crystal Smith. I also spoke with Nicole Gauthier during the follow-up interview. Following that interview, I was told that I was hired and that I would need to attend company sponsored training so that I could obtain my Commercial Drivers’ License.

My spring schedule was a bit complicated. I was exposed to my first experience with the flexibility of the Management and Supervisory staff when they were very willing to work with me and my schedule so that I could get my training when I was able to do it.
I cannot say enough about the quality of the classroom and driving training along with the trainers whom I became acquainted with during the training period. I have been very impressed with the professionalism of the management staff at the Anchorage office. I have always felt that if something were worth doing, it was worth doing right (and doing it right the first time). I was very pleased to see that the Managers also share this view.

My first driving assignment was what is called a PM Rail trip. The entire group, who I picked up as the evening train arrived, was stone deaf. They had two sign language interpreters with them which helped tremendously. To say the least, it was an interesting introduction to being a Driver-Guide.

I have enjoyed the driving, meeting a great group of co-workers, the supervisors, the managers and have enjoyed meeting and talking with visitors to Alaska from all over the world.

I have had the opportunity to meet and work with people from many backgrounds and who hold other jobs during the off-season throughout my employment this past summer. They each have different personalities and backgrounds. Getting to know them and to learn about their life experiences has been a very rewarding part of my summer job experience. I have made many true friends and look forward to seeing many of them who will return next summer.

I truly enjoy Alaska and never tire of sharing this great state and our experiences we’ve had here with the visitors. I am glad that I listened to the coaxing of our friends and gave this job a try. It has been a wonderful experience and I plan on re-applying as a driver-guide again for the next summer season. It has been a fantastic group to work with and for!
Ron – Driver Guide – Anchorage, Alaska

My father drove and retired from Greyhound so the challenge for me was, “am I really capable of driving one of these big motorcoaches?” I saw an ad looking for a local hire with a CDL (Commercial Drivers License) to drive at McKinley Princess Alaska Lodge. This, at the time, was a new lodge located in Talkeetna, Alaska. I called Ed Bohner, a transportation manager, and asked him to fax me an application. He did. He faxed the application to my usual seasonal employer and the rest is history. I couldn’t believe the ease and efficiency with the application process.

I have now been working for now for 12 years and looking at returning for my 13th season. I feel as though the company is my family. I am always treated with respect and given many opportunities I would never have thought possible. I love this job!!

Jo (affectionately nicknamed “Grandma Jo”) – Driver Guide – Anchorage, Alaska

Wanda – Outfitter – Anchorage, Alaska

Steve – Driver Guide – Anchorage, Alaska

One of my last few days teaching at school in 1998; I went to my mailbox to get my mail and found a beautiful post card with a very large cruise ship on the front of it. I flipped it over with a message congratulating me on my retirement and would I consider joining the Princess team. Having already taken our Princess cruise several years prior I never forgot what a wonderful time we had. After reading my post card I was reminded again how organized Princess was and thought how wonderful it would be to work for them and share my excitement about Alaska with new visitors.

Here I am eleven seasons later still enjoying my time with this company. I am a summer outfitter (passenger service representative) working at one of our local hotels. I have an opportunity to continue the top notch customer service I received by meeting and greeting our guests arriving on motor coaches from one of our cruises or arriving from the airport. I have lots of fun with the team that I work with as well as assisting our guests with ideas of what to do for fun in Anchorage and helping them book one of the wonderful tours we offer. Now I get to hear from our guests on a regular basis how friendly the people are and how wonderful Princess is in being so organized helping them every step of the way. Linda- Loyal Outfitter – Anchorage, Alaska

The first few seasons I worked for Princess and Holland America I was scheduled in numerous different locations, both in Anchorage and in Whittier. Each day that I went to work I was at a different location and had a different task to perform. It was a perfect summer employment opportunity for me because there was a great variety from day to day.

This season I mainly work at the Hotel Captain Cook or the Hilton Hotel. In one sense I do the same things everyday. I meet guests just arriving and prepare them for their land or cruise tour. I depart guests to the airports that are ending their tour. I answer questions, book tours, and solve problems everyday. The great thing about working in the tourism industry, though, is that everyday is different. There are different guests who are arriving and departing each day. There are different situations to handle and different questions to answer each day. Even though I am working at the same location every day, it is never monotonous or boring because there is always something to do.

My favorite part about working at the hotels is the fact that I have the opportunity to impact a guest’s tour and their impression of the company. I see guests a number of times throughout an evening and we have the chance to speak with them and while getting to know them as well. If a guest has an issue they need assistance with, I have the time and the resources to assist them at the hotels. The service we Outfitters provide each individual passenger at the different hotels has a major impact on a guest’s overall tour experience.