Breathtaking views from the office window

6 April 2018

Written by: Luca Montagnese: General Manager, iFLY Manchester

Luca Montagnese, senior instructor and newly appointed General Manager at iFLY Manchester, recently took up a different kind of 'office' aboard the Royal Caribbean Ovation of the Seas. The view from the window has never been so good:

Which boat did you go on, where did it sail and how long were you away for?
I was on the Ovation of the Sea, one of the largest cruise ships operated by Royal Caribbean. We were sailing from Sydney around New Zeland and back to Sydney. I did three different cruises for five weeks in total.

What was the the most different thing about working in a tunnel on a boat?
Definitely the view around the tunnel. Because the tunnel is on the top deck you can enjoy some truly beautiful scenery, in remote locations, while you are working...

What was your happiest memory of the trip?
I did really enjoy the south of New Zeland and particularly a white water rafting day in the forest with all the staff. We filled 7 boats which hurtled down this amazing river. It was a great experience!

What did you miss the most?
The team and customers in Manchester of course! Oh, and some home cooked Italian food.  

What would your advice be to any iFLY instructor given the opportunity to work on a boat?
It is fundamental to be a good team player and consistently show the professionalism that personifys an iFLY instructor.

What was it like to return to your home tunnel and dry land?
The experience on the cruise ship is quite intense as we work, train, socialise, eat, party and pretty much do everything with the same people. This is good and essentially it really makes the team unique and very supportive of each other. When you sign off the ship, it seems you go back to another life... who knows which is the best one?