Catch Up With the Crew: Meet Sasha, Entertainment Director

When you cruise with Holland America Line, you’ll experience an incredible lineup of entertainment and live music that speaks to your heart and gets you moving to the beat. From the performances on the World Stage to our award-winning music clubs, there are plenty of sights and sounds to behold, and the one orchestrating the magic behind the scenes day and night is our amazing onboard entertainment director, like Sasha. We caught up with Sasha this year on an Alaska cruise to learn what it’s like to navigate a career while sailing the seas, and this is what he had to say.

“I do what I love and love what I do. My role includes everything related to entertainment, from productions on the World Stage, to the music you hear playing in the background, to our bands. It’s about making guests happy, and that brings me a lot of joy.”

Though you’ll find Sasha working magic behind the scenes, he’s an entertainer at heart. He started dancing at the age of four and soon joined a dance company that took him around the world on tour. Once he learned about career opportunities he could have while cruising around the globe, he didn’t hesitate.

“I’ve been with Holland America Line for more than a year as entertainment director but have been in the business for 15 years – first as a dancer and later as a cruise director. That’s one of the great things about a career at sea. You can grow into different roles, and Holland America Line is especially supportive of helping employees grow. How they treat everyone is one of the things that differentiates them. They give us the chance to bring our families on board, and it’s such a big part of why people choose Holland America Line. The way the company makes me feel – how they welcomed me – it’s just fantastic.”

Sasha is a world traveler. There’s hardly anywhere you could go that he hasn’t sailed to. Although he has found beauty in every destination, Alaska will always have his heart.

“I enjoy the cold, so for me, Alaska and Canada are places I enjoy a lot. I love it so much I actually proposed to my wife in Juneau next to a waterfall. That’s how much I love Alaska. It’s breathtaking. Every single port is unbelievable. Sometimes you feel like you go back into the early 1900s when you see all these buildings and streets. You see this history here. Plus, there are the shore excursions, including helicopter tours where you land on the glaciers, fishing and whale watching. Every shore excursion here is so memorable. I have so many pictures on my phone to show people all the things they can see in Alaska because describing it alone doesn’t do it justice.”

When asked about his favorite shows and entertainment on board, he quickly became animated. “Oh my, how can I choose just one? It’s all great!” Talking with his hands, he started going through the comprehensive lineup of options. “Our Step One Dance Company shows are unlike anything guests could see elsewhere because of how unique they are, especially when you factor in the technology.

And B.B. King’s Blues Club is packed every night. The band is incredible and gets people singing along and dancing. Then there’s the piano bar and Billboard Onboard, plus we have Third Avenue West, which is great if you’re looking for chilled music you can enjoy as you sit back, have a cocktail and chat with your friends. The list goes on. It really comes down to how you feel at any moment. I just can’t choose a favorite!”

While he can’t choose just one, he is more than willing to step up if the dance company needs him, given his background.

“I’m always ready to jump in if they need me!” Though he laughed when he said it, we believe he would do just that.

Now for a Quick Cruise Q&A with Sasha:

Favorite restaurant onboard: “Tamarind.”
Best part of my job: “Being helpful and crafting a perfect day for our guests.”
Favorite mascot: “Lewie!”
Note: Lewie, our new mascot, is available for purchase in our shops onboard.

Thank you for sharing your Holland America Line story with us, Sasha. We wish you a safe and pleasant journey to your next destination. 

Interested in a career in the cruise industry? Check out our careers page to learn more and stay tuned for more Catch Up with the Crew stories, featuring incredible crew members and their fun cruise jobs.