Professional Mariner, Mr. Ricardo L. Dean Jr., who hails from the township of Hatchet Bay, Eleuthera celebrated a promotion in rank on October 30th, from 2nd Officer to 1st Officer. Currently employed with Royal Caribbean International, he serves on the Freedom of the Seas cruise ship.
In an interview with The Eleutheran, when asked about how he felt about the new promotion, and what it had taken to get to this point in his international career, Dean Jr. expressed, “Excited, grateful, proud, relieved are a few words I would use to describe how I feel being promoted to 1st officer. I’ve sailed as a 2nd Officer for 2 years with the company growing my experience and learning the ins and outs of what it takes to become a 1st Officer. To become a 1st officer, I had to complete a career progression profile which includes sea service of a year as 2nd officer, shore side trainings, maintain an above average score on all appraisals and the last step was to receive a recommendation from the captain. The road was not easy at all, but with hard work and a positive attitude I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be promoted to 1st officer.”
Ricardo Jr.’s career began in 2016 when he moved to Newfoundland, Canada to attend the Marine Institute at Memorial University of Newfoundland. There he spent five years studying and training, eventually obtaining a diploma in Nautical Science and a Bachelors in Maritime Studies (Maritime Management). Afterwards, he moved back home and started working on the local ferries as mate. Soon after, in 2022 he was hired at Royal Caribbean on Grandeur of the Seas as a 2nd Officer. While on the Grandeur, he spent two years as an assistant officer of the navigational watch, learning from the 1st officers and other bridge team members.
As a new 1st Officer with responsibility for safety, Ricardo Jr.’s main responsibility, he said, is now on the bridge as the officer in charge of the navigational watch. He described, “This watch is split into two shifts, one 3-hour watch and a 5-hour watch. During the watch I am the captain’s designated person in charge on the bridge. Main duties include keeping the ship, guest and crew safe during my watch while navigating clear of any dangers. I also have secondary duties as 1st Officer for Safety. I’m tasked with ensuring that all lifesaving and firefighting apparatus (lifeboats, fire extinguishers, life jackets, lifebuoys, firefighting hoses etc.) are in good working order and ready for immediate use. I do this by providing daily, weekly and monthly inspections to my safety team (2 Second Officers and 4 Deckhands) to complete and to rectify any findings.”
Talking about some of the notable challenges he had to overcome to reach where he is today, new 1st Officer Dean shared, “There were many challenges that I overcame to get where I am. The first was finding and then figuring out a way to afford an accredited university. Luckily, all the hard work paid off and I was afforded a scholarship (National Grant) from the government of The Bahamas. After obtaining the degree, I was faced with the daunting task of finding employment in the cruise industry. During this time, it was the end of the pandemic and jobs were not readily available, so it was a lot of waiting and praying. Eventually, I was given the opportunity with Bahamas Ferries where I was able to gain experience leading me to Royal Caribbean. Through all the challenges I never lost faith and always knew that if I trust God he would bring me though.”
Explaining where he ultimately wants to go in his profession, what it may take to get there, and if his maritime journey so far has lived up to his expectations, Ricardo Jr. said, “This career at sea and particularly on cruise ships has been everything I thought it would be. All the challenges I’ve faced along the way makes me appreciate everything I have done to get me where I am today. One of my goals is to become a cruise ship captain. Hopefully, the first Bahamian with Royal Caribbean. This will take years to gain new experiences and climbing through the ranks. My ultimate goal is to own and operate my own fleet of ships providing services to the Bahamian Islands, while providing employment and opportunities for locals who want to enter the maritime industry.”
His advice to young, aspiring mariners, he encouraged, was to follow their dreams. “Along the way, there will be many challenges that you would eventually have to face, but trust that God will make a way. The maritime industry is multifaceted and have numerous opportunities. I also advise anyone looking to get into the maritime field to do their research on the many careers they can choose from.”