Meet the 28-year-old Singaporean chief officer of a Celebrity Cruises ship who’s sailed around the Caribbean

She wakes up to breathtaking sunrises over the vast ocean and enjoys meals that rival the best fine-dining restaurants. She’s sailed to dozens of countries and taken part in rescue operations at sea. She leads a team of dedicated sailors, ensuring that a premiere cruise ship remains neat and efficient for its passengers. 

Meet Sahira Sha’ri, the Singaporean chief officer of Celebrity Beyond, a luxury cruise ship launched in March 2021 that welcomed its first guests in April 2022. The ship, owned by Celebrity Cruises, has 17 decks and capacity for nearly 4,000 passengers and 1,400 crew members.

At the helm is Captain Kate McCue, an American social media sensation with over 950,000 Instagram followers and 3 million TikTok fans, who shares her adventures from the captain’s seat.

As one of the two chief officers of Celebrity Beyond, Sahira is an integral part of the bridge team, responsible for navigation, communication and safety.  

Sahira oversees various operational tasks, including managing the day-to-day deck operations, conducting scheduled inspections of the ship’s tanks, galleys and other areas, and leading a team of sailors, junior officers, security staff and more to ensure a smooth and safe cruise for everyone on board.

She works 10 to 12 hours a day, with each contract lasting six to nine months. During this time, she lives onboard Celebrity Beyond, sailing from port to port on the ship’s various cruise itineraries, such as around the Bahamas and Cayman Islands in the Caribbean.

Her breaks are typically three months long, which she spends with her family in Singapore. 

A YEARNING FOR AN UNCONVENTIONAL LIFE

Before joining Celebrity Beyond in 2021, Sahira, who has a diploma in nautical studies from Singapore Polytechnic, worked on cargo and merchant ships, often the only female seafarer among dozens of men.

Since graduating in 2017, she has spent months at sea on such ships, undertaking physically demanding work and sailing to different countries around the world. 

“It’s not a life for everyone,” the 28-year-old told CNA Women. Although, for this eldest of two siblings, it's exactly what she has always wanted to do.

“Since young, I knew I wasn’t for the conventional life. 

“I just couldn’t imagine doing a deskbound job, staying put at home in Singapore. I knew I wanted to travel and have different adventures.

“I remember looking at the cruise ships tied up at Marina South Pier and thinking how impressive it’d be to be able to work on such ships.” 

Still, being away from her family for most of the year isn’t easy. She has missed out on significant events, like her younger brother’s wedding, the birth of her nephew, and many Hari Raya gatherings.

She copes by calling her parents, especially her mother, every other day, and keeping them updated about her ocean adventures. Her parents were understandably worried about their daughter’s decision to work at sea, but have since come around. 

“I love what I do, but it never gets easier to say goodbye to my parents when I leave home for work,” she admitted. “I’m always thankful for their support and prayers.” 

GETTING A JOB ON CELEBRITY BEYOND

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Sahira was laid off from her position as a third officer with a shipping company, a junior role in which she assisted senior officers with their onboard responsibilities. Consequently, she had to return to Singapore. 

“It was hard to find a job because based on my experience, not many shipping companies would hire women as officers on a ship, and the pandemic made things more complicated since many people weren’t allowed to travel,” she said. 

“I applied everywhere, and though I didn’t have any experience on cruise ships, I even tried those too.” 

The layoff turned out to be a blessing in disguise when, in 2021, Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean, began mass hiring in preparation for their newest ship, Celebrity Beyond.

Sahira applied for a position there, as well as to regional cruise companies. She was accepted by all of them but chose to join Celebrity Beyond as its second officer. 

“It would have been safer to go for the regional or local companies where most of the employees are from Singapore or other parts of Southeast Asia,” she said. “But I felt like I wanted a broader perspective and a different culture – so Celebrity felt perfect for me.”

Sahira has been promoted twice since joining Celebrity Beyond in October 2021 – to first officer in September 2022, then to chief officer in December last year. 

As a senior officer, her work also involves helping humanitarian efforts at sea, and helicopter evacuations for medical emergencies. 

“The work might sound repetitive, but the truth is there’s always something unique every day,” she said. 

“I was part of a rescue operation where we saw abandoned boats from Cuba en route to the US, and I was also involved in helicopter evacuations in the middle of an emergency.

“Knowing that I make even just a small contribution to saving lives makes my job a lot more interesting and meaningful.”

THE BEST PART OF THE CRUISE SHIP IS THE WORK CULTURE

Sahira is grateful for the open work culture set by Captain McCue. 

“I work in a highly diverse team and so many officers are from all around the world,” she said. “It makes us more understanding and open with one another, and we don’t shy away from talking about identity and culture. 

One of the great things is that most of the bridge team are women, she added, a far cry from when she was the sole female on a ship. 

“Here, there are so many of us,” she said. “It does make a difference in terms of how issues are resolved and how we address problems onboard – there’s a lot more empathy, our well-being is taken care of, and the camaraderie between us is strong.

Her being a Malay Muslim from Singapore has also helped to broaden many of her colleagues’ perceptions of the country, which many of her colleagues know little about. 

“Captain Kate is a great leader,” Sahira said. “She is generous as much as she’s a fun personality online and offline. She keeps up with our personal lives, and she gives us a lot of opportunities to grow as staff members.”

One of Sahira’s most unforgettable moments was having her parents board Celebrity Beyond for 18 days as the ship sailed through the Mediterranean Sea. 

On Day 12 of their trip, Captain McCue invited Sahira to show her parents how she steered the ship out of port, even though she wasn’t rostered for duty that day. Her parents were notably proud and impressed.

“It’s hard to explain to my parents exactly what I do as an officer, so when they saw me steering the ship, they were so surprised and looked happy,” Sahira said. “They were so dumbfounded I could do that with such a large ship when I can’t even drive a car!”

Sahira is currently on a three-month break and will return to Celebrity Beyond in mid-June. This time, her break coincided with being home for Hari Raya in April. 

“It’s my first Hari Raya in so long so I was really glad and excited to meet my family and share stories about life on board,” she said.

“It may not be the conventional life but I wouldn’t change a life at sea for anything else.”