Faces of India – 356 – Lydia, Hotel Director Cordelia Cruise

26/06/2022 Indrani Ghose

Faces of India

a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country whom I met during my travels. I bring back souvenirs, frozen moments from my travels, why not some memories of people I have met and interacted during the travels. Faces of India is a weekly series in my blog since MARCH 2011. See more here…

Lydia Hotel Director Cordelia Cruise

It always charms women to see in unusual roles, doesn’t it! When I saw Lydia in officer uniform, with epaulettes and stripes on shoulder walk in briskly for briefing us about the launch of Cordelia Cruise on east coast of India, it gave me a huge sense of pride. She was introduced to us as First Lady of the ship. Her name bore the designation – Hotel Director.

After the press briefing I chatted up with Lydia. She belongs to Mangalore in Karnataka, India. Her life is an inspiring story about how she came up against all odds, rose from the ranks to officer level. During dinner Lydia shared small stories of her life on ship with us. Some day she will write a book she said, I am already looking forward to it.

Lydia in her own words, just the way she conversed with us…

After I lost my husband I left my four month old child with my mother and embarked on this career in ship.

My first time travel out of India was in 1997 to Southampton. That too on a cruise ship, a first for me. I landed there in a cold morning of December. I stepped into the bus that drove me to hotel. I looked out of the window, it was dark gloomy, did I want to stay? My mind was saying no.

The food was fish and chips, cold sandwich, and cold tea. Next day before I was in the ship an Irish officer greeted me, but I was totally clueless about what he said because of his strong accent. Each time I tried to decipher what he said, I would try and lip read… it was exasperating. I thought I can’t survive here.

I was in the ship next, and it felt the ship is rolling, I was seasick. That was the last I could take. I made up mind to leave. That is when a Pakistani seaman approached me and asked, “Aap ko kya hua madam?” (What happened to you ma’am?) I was in tears.

He said, “Ghabrana nahin, aap sirf garam pani pi lo, aap theek ho jaoge.” (Don’t worry, just drink hot water, you will be fine.)

And it seemed to work. Since then, I drink only hot water. I think he put it in my mind – drink hot water and you will be okay. Seasickness is all in the mind. That blind trust took me so far in my journey.

I was always very determined. I grew up from the ranks, I wanted to be an officer one day. Although it was not allowed or unheard of in those days I didn’t stop dreaming. Once my son completed his 10th grade exam I pursued my studies, completed MBA in Operations and Product Management at the age of 47. It is the toughest thing I have ever done because that age, plus I was working, it was not easy.