Women in Travel: Sarina Bratton

We chat to Sarina Bratton, Chairman Asia Pacific and Special Advisor to Executive at Ponant about making waves in the cruise industry in conjunction with Travel Weekly’s inaugural Women in Travel Awards in November.

I was the world’s first female founder of a cruise company, Norwegian Capricorn line. I then went on to found Orion Expedition Cruises.

Back then the local cruise industry was 30,000 passengers and everyone thought there was no growth to be had in Australia. I couldn’t understand why people would think that way. I brought in a different style of product to counter the P&O style.

Nowadays I lead Ponant in Australasia. There’s just one man in the office.

I’ve always engaged quite a lot of women through flexible working hours, job shares and part-time hours. If you’re feeling guilty you’re just not going to be able to perform to the best of your ability.

I was an elite sportsperson. My intention was to be number one in the world in diving and then I had an accident and I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I fell into hotels. I worked in hotels until there was an offer I couldn’t refuse. He came to my office and put a note in front of me with an offer that was double what I was earning plus a car and I said, well, maybe I can get over my seasickness.

The only time I was looked down upon as a woman was when I was out ship shopping.

Inevitably you’d walk up the gangway with owners and captains of the vessel and they would see this blonde blue-eyed Aussie girl walking up the gangway and roll their eyes.

Inevitably they would ask me if I wanted to see the hotel side of the ship, deary, and I always said no. I’d go straight down to the engine room to understand generators, water facilities, the range of the vessel, fresh produce, dry stores, fuel range, etc. It would take four to five minutes for them to realise I actually knew what I was talking about.

Sarina Bratton features in the current edition of Travel Weekly Magazine in conjunction with the inaugural Women in Travel Awards.

Travel Weekly are proud to present the Women in Travel Awards in Sydney on 17 November, and are calling on women from across the industry to enter.

You don’t have to be nominated to enter, it’s open to all women at any level, and entries are FREE.

Or, if you know or work with any exceptional Women in Travel, be proactive and acknowledge excellence in their field by nominating them to enter by emailing nominations@womenintravel.com.au – be sure to include the nominees email address, and what category you are nominating them for.

The 18 categories are NOW OPEN and individuals can enter in more than one category.

Winners will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on 17 November in Sydney. Earlybird tickets are on sale.

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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