Passion For Travel

Category: River or Ocean Cruises

Passion For Travel

As it is for many of you, our passion for travel at Oceania Cruises is endless, shaping so much of what we do each and every day. In a continuation of our recent post on our new video series, A Passion for Travel, we’re sharing what makes our team members, officers and staff so passionate about travel. Read on for more travel inspiration.

My passion for travel started when I was very young and I’m so happy to now being sharing this lifelong interest with my three young boys as they grow up and our family travels together. I feel so fortunate, both personally and professionally, to be able to do what I do each and every day – share that passion for travel with others.

James Rodriguez | Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

I have always believed that in life one should always have a story to tell. When you travel, you get that opportunity to tell a story and hopefully, through your story, you can inspire others to travel and see the beauty created in so many different cultures everywhere. I continue to travel as I simply feel that I have not collected enough moments and I am always yearning for more stories to tell.

Randall Abrahams | Executive Concierge


Ultimately, we travel to experience the unseen and to create lifetime memories. Those that are passionate about travel also want to share this passion with others. Just as our guests are creating memories, so are our crew members. On the Insignia we are very fortunate to be on the Around the World journey and experiencing so many destinations. We’ve been able to organize more and more tours for the crew and they really love to explore new parts of the world. I just asked a crew member that was signing off the other day if he had enjoyed it. He told me it was just incredible, he said “I’ve never seen so much of the world – it’s been my best job ever.”

For me, Seville, Spain was incredible. I felt so much pride to be able to take our guests up the river into the heart of the destination. That was unforgettable.

Maroje Brajcic | Captain

I travel for the excitement of the unknown and remote, exploring faraway places with cultures very different from my own. It’s exciting not knowing what’s in store and feeling outside of your comfort zone. It makes life more interesting.

Jen Lihos | Vice President, Creative & Brand Management

My passion is learning about life through traveling and exploring new things. It excites me when I visit new places, learn different cultures, and see other people live a life that is different from mine. I love to travel because it makes me realize that the world is an amazing place and there is so much to admire and treasure. Traveling gives me the chance to learn more about myself and expand my horizons.

Thierry Tholon | General Manager


Traveling is about people and people love food, so I enjoy immersing myself in each country and discovering how a culture is defined by their culinary customs. Naturally, I am passionate about new flavors – every single place I have traveled to has a special taste that inspires me and all that I bring to the kitchen.

Alban Gjoka | Senior Executive Chef