Statendam Assistant Stage Manager Alexander Casareno recently celebrated 30 years with HAL! A service award ceremony was held to commemorate this special occasion and present him with his award. Below is a fun Q & A with Alexander. Congratulations!

Q & A:

Where are you from?
Northern part of the Philippines, provinces of Isabella.

Family?
Married since 1969; has a 42-year old son, a 38-year old daughter and a 28-year old daughter and one granddaughter (all of them are professionals).

What brought you to sea – why did you start to work on the ships?
I wanted experience working at sea, having worked on shore for 10 years. I was one of the first stage staff positions hired, May 8, 1981. I worked on the old ss Veendam.

Favorite Port of call?
Hawaii and Europe are my favorites.

Hobbies?
Reading, playing basketball and entertainment — I watch all the shows on board.

What we don’t know:
Alexander is a business man, he owns his own farm, he has a general merchandise business and even has a commercial building that he rents spaces out to others.

Advise for New Hires:
Have patience and have regular contact with your family so that you will not get homesick.

Motto:
Success is measured with patience and all the good values that you think of as a human being.

Verlie Michelle Nelson is Statendam’s human resources manager.