Passengers find him sexy

He's charged with taking care of the needs of up to 2,600 cruise ship passengers at a time.

That's more people than most hotels on terra firma can hold.

But Mr Dodie Rosacay, 51, who's been at his job for nearly 18 years, takes it in his stride.

"The minute I step on board, the care of the whole ship (in his case, it's the SuperStar Virgo from Star Cruises) becomes my responsibility."

That means managing 750 hospitality crew members in departments like food and beverage, housekeeping, front office and galley operations.

Mr Rosacay says: "Other than being in charge of the entire operations, we also have to be particular about the safety (of everyone) on board."

Guests can became so agitated that some have threatened to jump off the ship, he says.

When you're on a ship thousands of nautical miles away from shore, it's not as easy as calling the police for backup, muses the tanned Mr Rosacay.

The hotel manager says that means they'd have to "quarantine" the passenger in a cabin for his and the crew's safety, without revealing more details.

Security officers are deployed outside the cabin and a surveillance team is also alerted to help monitor the passenger's movements.

Mr Rosacay, who is from the Philippines, joined Star Cruises in 1995, two years after the company was set up.

The bachelor gave up a five-star hotel job in the City of Makati to be a housekeeping supervisor.

We are tipped off that he has his fair share of admirers among the ship's guests. Mr Rosacay stumbles over his response and you catch a hint of a blush.

"Actually, they give me small notes, which they sometimes pass to the reception. Sometimes, I get a note with a heart, or even a gift," he confesses.

"They say they find me cute..." he pauses and laughs shyly.

He then adds: "And sexy."

Mr Rosacay changes tack and quickly justifies the admiration: "Some of them have seen me in the gym (on the cruise). They don't realise that I'm the hotel manager until the crew tells them."

Keeping fit is especially important when you are working on the ship, he says.

"I am basically on call 24 hours when I'm working, so I have to be always on the go. Going to the gym helps to achieve many goals, like keeping fit and it takes my mind off work for that hour or so."

Mr Rosacay also encourages his crew to take time out.

"I tell them that work will always be there, it will not end, so they must set aside for themselves.

"It's important to go out and get some fresh air when the passengers disembark (to the islands)."

He adds with a laugh: "They just have to get back to prepare the ship before the passengers return."

He explains: "Sometimes when I'm on land, I feel like it's moving. You get the sensation like, maybe, it's an earthquake."

He counts among the perks of his job the opportunity to travel. "I remember when I was working on land, I'd always save for my holiday travels. Now I get paid to travel."

He also gets to meet dignitaries and celebrities.

And he's seen his fair share of strange behaviour.

There are passengers who will knead at the breads at the buffet. They press here and there, and then put the bread back on the serving tray. They'd go through several before they finally decide on one.

"Even though we now provide tongs and put up a sign to explain its use, some of them continue to do so," he says.

Then there are the ones who take paper serviettes in bundles and stash them in their bags.

"We now have a sign to remind that the napkins are meant for use when dining inside the restaurants and not for taking away."

Mr Rosacay reckons one important aspect of his job is to let his crew know that he is one of them.

He says: "I once dressed as Patrick Star (the fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants) to welcome the passengers at the embarkation point. No one knew at first and they were trying to guess who this person was.

"It's really about putting myself into their shoes and walking with them. I'd join the housekeeping team to go from deck to deck to help them clean the cabins and strip linen when we are pressed for time.

"This is particularly so for the Wednesday cruise when the crew arrive in Singapore at about 7pm and the next group of guests board at around 8.30pm."

Mr Rosacay adds: "There are 935 cabins and suites to clear and clean. You can't just expect to walk around and do nothing.

"Nothing beats getting into the dirty tasks with them. It's about working together as one big family."

Secrets of the trade

1 Being on the ship is generally safe, but the weather can be unpredictable and not everyone can get used to it.

Try to spot passengers who may feel seasick and attend to them quickly.

2 You may be staying in confined space on the ship and that can get claustrophobic.

But make an effort to join in the recreational activities that are organised for the crew so you won't feel cramped in.

3 Hang your uniform within easy access. When there is an emergency, you can jump out of bed and slip into your attire easily to take charge.

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