Life in the time of COVID-19 with Norwegian Cruise Line’s Vanessa Green

This week, Travel Weekly caught up with Norwegian Cruise Line’s business development manager for NSW and the ACT, Vanessa Green, to find out how she’s been faring throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

What are you reading?

How Y’all Doing? by Leslie Jordan (he played Beverley Leslie from Will & Grace). If you were like me during our lockdown, Leslie Jordan’s ‘Pillow Talk’ daily posts on Instagram were a funny and bright distraction. His book is not a regular autobiography – more a collection of stories told with his Southern charm, some hilarious and others heartbreaking! If you don’t read the book, at least check out @thelesliejordan on Insta.

What are you watching?

Everything’s Gonna Be Okay starring Aussie comedian Josh Thomas. I wasn’t the biggest fan of his stand-up comedy, but thought I would give this a go. I have cried and laughed at the same time – very funny and touching. I highly recommend it.

What are you listening to?

As a business development manager (BDM), being back out on the road has meant less Netflix and more getting back to podcasts! After a massive US trip back in my early 20s around 40 states, I have been really interested in US culture ever since, so my podcast playlist includes things like FiveThirtyEight, Pod Save America, The Daily and The Breakdown.

What are you cooking?

I went plant-based over four years ago and since then, the range of products available and accessibility to them has evolved so much. I feel like each month there are new products on the shelves at Woolies, which is great to see. I also have two young daughters who are almost eight and nine years old who are both showing interest in learning how to cook, so perhaps the question should be what are they cooking me?

How are you staying fit both physically and mentally?

I can honestly say that my professional relationships across our industry – both with agent partners as well as other suppliers more broadly – have evolved to become treasured friendships. We have truly come together as an industry to support one another with a great sense of comradery.

I moved from Camden to Neutral Bay in late 2020, which resulted in a massive shift in lifestyle, where I have seen a positive change both physically and mentally!

What’s something positive you’ve witnessed or experienced since the coronavirus hit?

Certainly a sense of community, whether that be within our industry or more broadly. From a local community perspective – to my girls’ school groups – I’ve seen a little more empathy and compassion overall.

What have you learned about yourself amid the crisis?

To embrace the good and the bad and to be kinder to myself.

What’s your advice for others in the industry on coping with the crisis?

Goodness – a very loaded question, as everyone has experienced such unique circumstances! Reach out, support each other, come from a place of empathy and compassion both within yourselves and those in your network. Celebrate the small wins, as they will hopefully grow and turn into bigger ones.

Where is your favourite domestic travel destination?

I am an urban explorer, so I love the cities, but I would love to take my daughters to the NT for an adventure.

What is the one international travel memory keeping you going through this time?

The people I’ve travelled with and met along the way have made all the destinations I have visited come to life, but if I had to pick one, a few days exploring the Scottish Highlands in August 2019 saw me exploring the most incredible scenery by day, dancing in a different pub each night and laughing with new friends along the way!

Where do you want to travel to once international travel restrictions ease up?

In an ideal world, I would be on one of NCL’s Extraordinary Journeys. My dream itinerary is Seattle, through Alaska, to Russia and ending up in Japan … sounds amazing!