Written by
Published on 05/27/2024
Your wish is Diogo’s command on Crystal Symphony. With an infectiously positive approach, he takes great pride in meeting requests and answering inquiries, making reservations and sharing local information. Originally from Recife in Brazil, Diogo studied Tourism in Sydney, Australia, before working in cruise. He joined us in December 2015 and qualified in 2016 as a professional affiliate of Les Clefs d’Or – the renowned international association of concierges.
As well as his official role, Diogo is a keynote speaker, educator and co-author of a book about life on board. He has also created an online training program for new cruise-ship members. When Diogo isn’t working, he and his wife, Eri Kimura, also a crew member aboard Crystal Symphony, spend their time traveling and visiting family in Brazil and Japan. A self-declared “global nomad”, Diogo also produces travel content, with an audience of 250,000 on YouTube, and millions of video views, and more than 100,000 followers on Instagram.
“The idea of becoming a Concierge came to me when I was working as a bellboy in a five-star hotel in Sydney more than a decade ago. The bellboy and concierge teams worked very closely, so I had the chance to learn about the position and the prestigious organization Les Clefs d’Or.
“Concierges are passionate about serving guests and colleagues and that immediately resonated with me. We are genuinely happy when we help guests and put a smile on their faces, whether that's because we’ve resolved a challenge they were facing or organized a particular shoreside activity that has turned their day into a memorable one. We pride ourselves on fulfilling an infinite variety of requests, from the everyday to the extraordinary, based on service and friendship.
“A few years ago, a regular Crystal guest was at the beginning of a long voyage with us when she received the upsetting news that her mother had fallen gravely ill and she needed to return home as soon as possible. She was in shock; she was in a foreign country, did not speak the local language, and, suddenly, she needed to fly back home that very same day or she might never see her mother again. She told me she felt lost about what to do next.
“I needed to act fast. I drew on all my resources to organize her flight, transfers, and packing. It worked, and that afternoon she flew home. Months later, she was back on board, and when we saw each other, she hugged me and told me that she got home just in time to see her mother one last time.
“Even after all these years, the top-notch standard of service we provide at Crystal amazes me. Indeed, there are other beautiful cruise ships and hotels out there, but it's the human touch that puts us among the best in the hospitality and travel industry. And that flows from corporate level down to the crew.
“Our guests notice the crew's dedication within their first few hours onboard. We do so much more – when guests decide to try other cruise lines, they always come back saying how much they missed Crystal. Even when we receive unusually challenging requests, we will go above and beyond to try and make it happen. We’re personally committed to performing the best job possible. We don’t just work as concierges, we are concierges. Simply put, this is the most beautiful job in hospitality.
“Crystal is not just one of the best cruise lines to travel with but to work for, too, and that shows naturally in the service we provide onboard. No wonder more than 80% of us returned to work for the new Crystal. My wife and I missed the crew lifestyle and our sea family, so when we learned that most of our friends were coming back, we were very excited. Working in cruise is a very different lifestyle from anything on land. It involves much learning and growth. On board, we live in an international community with dozens of different nationalities, and I really appreciate the tolerance and respect we show for each other.
“Off the ship, most crew members prefer to slow down and stay home after months of traveling and working. But I am addicted to traveling, so I keep moving and combine that with a long-time hobby: creating travel content. During my time off, I like visiting destinations that deserve a “slow travel” approach, countries I visited as crew but want to get to know better so I stay for a few weeks – I recently visited Peru and Greece. I also love visiting new countries we cannot reach by ship and I have been to some unusual land-locked destinations, such as Macedonia, Mongolia, and Nepal, each special in its own way.
“I have visited more than 100 countries and have documented my travels in photos and videos published online. I have been sharing the world with millions of people on YouTube for 17 years, helping others plan their trips, discover new destinations and experiences, and showing how beautiful our planet is. My favorite countries include Japan, Portugal, and Scotland, but Antarctica, which I visited with Crystal, will be on my favorites list for ever. And I’ve still to see Greenland, Galapagos, and Maldives.
“I love new experiences and I love new projects at work, too. I have been in shipyards with Crystal before, and I enjoy taking the vessel out and getting everything ready for the return of our guests. I am very interested to see Crystal take a new direction under the A&K umbrella – the two brands are a great match.”
