Working on a cruise ship for East London local Dwayne Fredericks did not seem like a natural choice at first but eight years later, it seems things have turned out better than he expected.
“I couldn’t find a job in South Africa after getting my IT certification.
“All the jobs wanted someone with one to two years experience, so I applied for a cruise ship job to see what I could get back and was hired as a photographer,” he said.
Fredericks learned photography from his father, Mark, at young age on a Yashica Minister-D 35mm film camera.
“I was homesick from my touch down in Miami after Hurricane Sandy.
“It was quite rough and I had a lot to get used to with the way of life on a ship and being at sea for six to eight months,” he said.
Fredericks has since climbed up the metaphorical ladder and is now a shore excursions manager.
“It’s unpredictable being out at sea, especially during hurricane season, which is typically from September to November.
“There are set excursions for each port and these change with the weather,” he said.
Photography still remains his first love as is evident in some of his photographs on his Instagram profile.
“I find that I’m limited about where to take photographs when I’m home, I suppose it’s living in two different worlds,” Fredericks said.
He said highlights of his job included learning about different cultures and languages, having his family join him on a cruise and the countless friendships and networks he had created over the years.
“Do this if you’re someone who is trying to find themselves.
“It’s a good start up and I wish I had done it earlier,” Fredericks said.
Topping his list of destinations is Cozumel in Mexico, which was one of the first islands he got off on when he started.
