Born and raised in Noord-Holland, Netherlands, Jasmijn Saft has a great passion with anything related to hospitality. Started as an intern while following a practical hospitality education where she would spend 1 day at school and 30 hours in the restaurant. She will never forget how much she learned on that first experience!
This year will be her 15th year in the hospitality and tourism profession and it has truly made her the woman she is today. Within her career, she started as a dishwasher, then worked as a runner, waiter, senior waiter, head waiter, head hostess, Maître d’ Hotel and she even worked as apprentice of Garde Manger to get more engaged with the products!
Jasmijn feels truly blessed for working in different environments with different levels of service and for having had the opportunity to meet so many incredible people that she considers her mentors.
Without them I would have never become the restaurant manager that I am today. Because of their diligence, inspiration and guidance I have turned into a professional, she says.
Jasmijn has worked in local restaurants throughout her studies and spread her wings as soon as she could. From Mallorca to Curacao and then finally world-wide, she applied for a job as waitress on an ultra- luxury cruise ship. Working overseas gave her the opportunity to meet various nationalities, explore numerous continents and encounter many cultures.
It’s all about the detail
Working next to Chef as apprentice was an absolute highlight in her career and so was working for the 5-star cruise lines where she learned how to deliver exceptional service and how to go beyond guests’ expectations.
She has been part of several dry-docks, new-build projects and was honored to have opened the first specialty restaurant on board one of the ships by Michelin starred Chef Thomas Keller.
After that, words such as dedication and consistency were no longer only a norm; they became a standard for lifestyle and my vision as a manager, she says.
In efforts to increase her knowledge for the profession, Jasmijn also worked within a human resource department to educate herself on payroll and details associated with the business part of the industry.
Soon after, Hurtigruten crossed her path!
In January 2020, she accepted a job offer as a restaurant manager.
I was to be a part of a new build project that would entail the opening of the world’s first hybrid-expedition ship in Norway! Fridtjof Nansen is a beautiful expedition ship and I´m proud of the accomplishments that we made together as a team.
I was a young lady that continued just by loving what I’d love to do most and although I never realized that my path would lead me into this incredible profession, I would like to inspire young professionals and encourage them to never give up, trust the process and always believe that success is just around the corner.
When we give ourselves permission to do what we love, I believe that we become free to be our true self and accomplish what we are truly destined to do, Jasmijn says.