Latest news Partners SFC

Empowering girls and celebrating crew on International Women’s Day

In partnership with Saints Foundation, we invited 43 Southampton schoolgirls on board Iona for an inspiring and eye-opening day led by P&O Cruises, CUK and staff from Saints Foundation. It was all designed to showcase the fun and fulfilling career paths available on board and on shore, from sport to STEM, while also supporting Saints Foundation’s pillars of Gender Equality and Employability.

5 min 08 Mar 2026

Editorial Team

Author

What do you want to be when you grow up? That was the question on the minds of the teenage girls who boarded Iona in Southampton for a day hosted by P&O Cruises and Saints Foundation that was designed to educate, entertain and inspire. The girls were treated to an action-packed day that included talks and workshops with P&O Cruises senior crew, a motivating speech from a football icon, an exclusive theatre performance and a tasty lunch on board.

 

The event highlighted careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) for women. Senior P&O Cruises crew hosted interactive workshops, with female leaders discussing their careers and the paths they took to get there. 

 

The girls, aged 14 to 16, were from Saints Foundation Community Champions and Changemakers projects. Not only did the event give them the opportunity to build relationships with industry professionals, but they got to meet some local football heroes, too, including former Southampton FC women’s captain Rosie Parnell, and Marieanne Spacey-Cale MBE, a former international footballer and current Director of Women’s Football at Southampton FC. Both Rosie and Marianne are Saints Foundation Ambassadors, inspiring the next generation all year round. 

 

‘These young people are in a really interesting phase of life,’ said Marieanne, who gave a heartfelt speech to the girls in the theatre. ‘If two or three of them come out of this event and think, “that’s where I want to be,” that’s the importance of these events.’

 

The girls got to see the best of Iona, too, with a lunch in Aqua restaurant and an exclusive performance of Digital in Headliners Theatre. It was an inspirational day – and one that left a lasting impression on those in attendance. 

 

‘I found it really empowering showing that women can do anything they put their mind to, or however they feel, they can just do it,’ said one young guest.

 

Curious about a career with P&O Cruises, or want to know what it takes to succeed as a woman in STEM? Here, three P&O Cruises crew members tell us about their journeys. 

Isabel Waterfall, Environmental Officer

‘I had no idea what I wanted to do as a teenager. I was interested in geography and the sea so I went to university and did oceanography. I got my degree, realised I didn’t want to be a scientist, then discovered there was a role on ships as an environmental officer. 

 

Looking back to when I didn’t have any idea what I wanted to do, no one told me that was OK. So I hope that if girls don’t know what they want to do, they know there are opportunities. 

 

My favourite part of my job is seeing the world. We’ve just come back from the Caribbean, we’re going to the Canaries next week… It’s an office that moves.

 

My advice would be to follow your interests. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and I didn’t know my role existed three years ago, and now I’m here. It’s been a combination of luck and hard work, right time and right place to find the opportunities that were there.’

Nuala O’Donnell, First Officer

‘My role involves driving the ship for four hours at a time. I also do all the passage planning, so I plan where we’re going and how we’re going to get there. 

 

I knew I didn’t want an office job, so my favourite thing about my role is that no day is the same. We’re always learning new things and there’s always something new to discover.

 

I’d never heard of this kind of career when I was growing up. I knew I wanted a job where I could travel, and that I wanted a bit of adventure. Everyone knows a pilot flies planes, but no one knows who drives a ship. I want younger people to know these opportunities are out there.

 

When I started out in my role there weren’t many women doing it. It’s becoming more popular, which is really nice to see. More female cadets are coming through now than before.’ 

Nicola Robinson, Superintendent – Riding Teams

‘It’s my job to put groups of crew members on our ships to complete maintenance projects across the fleet. They’re called riding teams because they work across different ships. It’s a big job but I love it.

 

Maritime is a heavily male-dominated industry, and to find your path in it can be challenging. You’ve got to be headstrong, and you’ve got to own the room that you’re in, which isn’t always easy. But I’ve been incredibly well supported by Carnival. They’ve given me the tools, and I feel empowered in what I’m doing.

 

I hope girls looking ahead to their careers know their journey isn’t linear, and it doesn’t have to be. Enjoy the journey as you get there. Because I’m so driven, I’m always looking for the next step. But I wish someone had told me to enjoy it en route because it’s pretty cool. And we often don’t give ourselves credit for what we do, especially as women.’