Meet the Crew

Salvatore Lupo: Pacific Dawn’s Captain

Captain Salvatore Lupo dreamt of life at sea from the early stages of childhood.

Most of his spare time was spent on the waterfront of his hometown Palermo (Italy), watching ships moving in and out of the busy harbour. Graduating from nautical school at the age of 19, he commenced his career at sea as a Deck Cadet on board general cargo liners before being called for compulsory, two- year service with the Italian Navy, where he was trained and sailed aboard warships as air radar operator, participating in several missions with NATO during the Cold War.

When released from the Navy, he sailed aboard tankers for the next 14 years until he was promoted to Captain. But in 1992, tired of that life and looking for new opportunities and fresh motivation, he applied for a job with Princess Cruises.

That was the very beginning of a totally new and more enjoyable life at sea as 2^nd Officer aboard the Fair Princess. After another 14 years of hard work, gaining the necessary experience and going up through the ranks, he was finally promoted Captain in 2006 with P&O Cruises Australia.

Jane Herron: Pacific Dawn’s Hotel Director

Well it is great to be back on the Pacific Dawn again after having a great holiday in South Africa , I went to Cape Town where I have never visited before in all my travels, I also was able to spend lots of time with my family and of course drive my beloved Mini ‘Toby’ who is nearly 2 years old now , how time flies. It is great on the ship and we have had some lovely cruises to  Australia , New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands. It is so lovely to see so many familiar faces on board, both with the passengers and crew.

Thomas Karlsson: Pacific Dawn’s Hotel Director

Over the last 11 years I have been very fortunate and grateful for the opportunity to cover 15 positions, everything from Dishwasher, Bartender to Chief Sommelier in the world’s largest wine cellar at sea, working on the most famous ocean liner, the world’s biggest ocean liner and now Australia’s first super liner Pacific Dawn –I have loved every moment of it.

Hope to see you on board!

What job did you have prior to joining P&O Cruises Australia?

Chief Sommelier on Queen Mary 2

If you were stranded on a tropical island, what 3 luxury items would you take?

A bottle of La Tache, My IPad and a do not disturb flag.

What’s your favourite hotel in the world?

Not the most glamorous, but I sure have had a lot of fun at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.

What’s it like running the biggest department on board?

A big honour, this is the best team on the seven seas.

In your opinion, what’s the most difficult job on the ship?

Receptionist, they are expected to know everything.

What was your first job on board a cruise ship?

Dishwasher

Which song would describe you best?

Beautiful Day – U2

Sandy Cadwallader: Pacific Dawn’s Cruise Director

My name is Sandy Cadwallader and I have the honour of being the Cruise Director on board the illustrious Pacific Dawn.  Our current home is Brisbane and I enjoy assisting our guests on their weekly adventures to the Pacific Islands.

Although I am only allowed 35 days a year back in the United States, I still call Colorado my home.  My maritime career started in 2001 on board a 51 foot sailboat called the ‘Who Na Na No’.  After numerous run-ins with the Coast Guard, Navy, hurricanes (sorry…’cyclones’) and the sea floor, I decided I’d better leave the driving up to someone else.

I joined my first cruise ship July 12, 2002 and I’ve never looked back.  Coming up the ranks from Cruise Staff to Cruise Director has been the most enjoyable, rewarding and educational experience that I could have asked for.

I’ve travelled around the world, worked with thousands of different crew, tens of thousands of different passengers around Australasia, the Pacific Islands and YOU are definitely my favorite.

I have only a brief stint on board the Pacific Dawn and I will be heading over to the Pacific Jewel in June, but for me, it doesn’t matter which ship I’m on; as long as I’m in the Pacific Islands, I couldn’t be happier.

Sebastian Leo Schaubensteiner: Pacific Dawn’s Food & Beverage Director

Sebastian was born in the mountains of Salzburg, Austria. He started his career at the age of 15 years, with an apprenticeship as Cook /Waiter and finished off with the conclusion of his state exam.

He worked as a chef in both Germany and Switzerland, before beginning a career at sea – working for Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, and AIDA in various positions like Chef de Partie, Sous-Chef, Executive Chef, Inventory Manager, Food & Beverage Director and Club Director.

Sebastian joined Carnival Australia, with P&O Cruises, and is happy to work with such a friendly and happy team on board Pacific Dawn.

Darren Cholerton: Pacific Dawn’s Maitre D’Hotel

I am delighted to be back onboard the Pacific Dawn after leaving in November 2009 to assist with the successful launch of our sister ship, the Pacific Jewel. I am very happy to return to cruising out of Brisbane, which will be my home once again until late January 2011. It is fantastic to see the new Luke Mangan Salt Grill and our fresh looking Palm Court Dining Room, which is looking very grand and opulent along with our new contemporary uniforms.

The team is looking smart and eager to greet our guests with our newly launched menu which includes many new dishes such as Butter Chicken and our mouth watering Strip Loin Steak, which is all sourced locally from Australia. After working at sea for over 10 years, I look forward to returning to Australia and meeting our fabulous guests and ensuring that they have a holiday to remember.

When you cruise with us onboard Pacific Dawn, I am looking forward to welcoming you at our Palm Court Dining Room, Café Del Sol and amazing celebrity chef restaurant, Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill to sample our dining delights.

Brent Bonnette: Pacific Dawn’s Executive Chef

Well it certainly feels awesome to be back in the Galley on the Pacific Dawn after a relaxing vacation in the “not so sunny” South Africa (I happened to be home during the chilling winter months). Although I have to say that the afterglow of a very successful World Cup did go a long way to helping me warm about a bit!

Another highlight of being back at sea is seeing so many familiar faces amongst the passengers and especially fellow crew who I have worked with previously on the Sun and Jewel. As many as we are here at P&O Australia it certainly feels like a very “small” family.

I think the thing that excites me most about being back would be all the new changes scheduled for the Dawn from the implementation of our new menus to the expansion of our dining venues, as well as the addition of Luke Mangans Salt Grill which is booming success, and having had the opportunity of working for Luke in Sydney I definitely can understand why!

Sailing out of Brisbane is another new experience that I’m looking forward to and although many say that I am partial to the ‘Blues’, I am keen to see if the Queenslanders live up to their reputation as being a fabulous party crowd! Actually I just want to see if they can help me finish the 100 or so tones of food we load every week. I’m sure the 9-10 thousand meals my team prepares daily will go a long way in assisting them.

So I do hope to see a few more familiar faces and even meet a couple of new ones over the next few months whether it be in corridors, at the Culinary Demo or on the decks of the BEAUTIFUL Pacific Dawn, maybe even on the pristine beaches of Lifou or Noumea (my favorite).Whichever it is do stop and say hello and if there is anything myself or my team can do to make your vacation more enjoyable don’t hesitate to ask!

Culinary regards,

Chef Brent

Robin Cooke: Pacific Dawn’s Environmental Officer

My name is Robin Cooke (or as I’m affectionately referred to by my shipmates as,“The Bird Man”). I am the ships’ appointed Environmental Compliance Officer. I am a Chief Engineer by profession but have recently taken a sabbatical to explore this new challenge in the marine trade and expand my knowledge.

I was born in Victoria B.C., Canada and moved to Vancouver to attend Marine College after graduating high school. I have a beautiful British girl friend, Charlotte; whom I met on board P&O Cruises’ Ventura 3 years ago. She was at the time, an Entertainment Officer and has now left the company and is normally found traveling with me on board. She is presently enjoying some time with her family at home in Chippenham, Wiltshire. When are not exploring the world together on a cruise ship, we live in Thailand returning to Canada occasionally during the summer months and explore the Pacific Northwest in our new Travel Trailer.

My career at sea soon started right after College, some 27 years ago, and I have never looked back. The majority of my career has been spent as an apprentice right through to Chief on Off Shore Tugs and Support Vessels, then Ro-Ro passenger ferries and final here in the Cruise Ship business. In between all of those positions; I spent some time in the Navy, worked full time in a ship yard, ran my own business, and even traveled all over the world as a Heavy Lift Superintendant dry docking & transporting oil rigs and container cranes.

I started my career with P&O Cruises UK a little over four years ago as a Watchkeeping Engineer and Ventilation Officer. As a Chief Engineer, it wasn’t long before the challenge and enjoyment of these positions faded. A friend of mine on board introduced me to the joys of the Environmental Department. I hit the books, wrote the company exams, and was promoted into the position six months later. In this role I run the garbage room, brief the Captain and all Bridge and Technical Officers on current or changes in Environmental Regulation, ensure the safe handling of all chemicals on board, and of course monitor the ships impact on the environment and continuously strive to reduce this. Another more fun part of the job is – Wildlife Officer. We have a continuous stream of seabirds that become sick or exhausted and land on the ship unable to fly anymore. I simply walk up, pick them up, and take these birds to a shelter we have on deck 15. I then ensure they recover and enjoy a free cruise for a day or two. (Hence the “The Bird Man” nick name). I have even been called out to capture a stray frog on deck four! It’s like being a kid at the petting zoo some days and I get paid for doing it – how good is that?

I have been with the Australian fleet now for over a year. The Dawn is now my regular ship and is my home away from home. I have found that both the crew and passengers of Pacific Dawn have been unquestioningly warm, welcoming, and accepting of me. The lure of a holiday and the exploration of Australia has been on my mind since I first arrived. Charlotte and I look forward to the day when a contract is over and I get a rental car instead of a flight home.