Warren Tech students in the Hotel/Travel, Culinary Arts, and Event Planning Programs experienced first hand what employment opportunities the tourism industry has to offer. In April, fifteen students, two instructors and five parents-including two grandmothers-sailed on a four-day cruise on Carnival's Paradise to Baja Mexico and Catalina. Students were able to meet privately with the ship's head chef, maitre d, bar manager, cruise director, and group coordinator.

A highlight of the cruise was a private tour of the ship's galley, the nerve-center of the food department. A Carnival employee stated over a half million guest meals are prepared annually from this galley. A sample grocery list for a week consisted of 8,000 pounds of beef, 5,000 pounds of chicken, 7,500 pounds of fruits and vegetables, and 36,000 eggs. The chef orders $190,000 worth of food a week and makes sure there's enough in case of an emergency.

The Cruise Director informed students about activities on board and how his department is the communication center for all guests. His department is in charge of making sure everyone on board has something to do for 18 hours every day of the cruise. Cruise personnel have to be enthusiastic, energetic, and willing to answer the same question many times a week.

The Group Coordinator is a fairly new position for Carnival Cruise Lines. She is in charge of making sure all groups on board have what they need. From weddings to business meetings, the Carnival Group Coordinator strives to make sure every group feels at home. She needs skills like problem solving, patience, technical skills, and organization skills.

The trip ended with two days in Disneyland where students experienced the "Happiest Place on Earth." Disney offers internship opportunities for students once they have completed high school.

It takes a year of preparation to plan a trip like this and Sharon Usher, instructor of Hotel/Travel and Entertainment/Event Planning, has been planning these annual student cruises since 1993. This year's trip, however, was the first to include students from other programs. Sarah George, Culinary Arts instructor, took advantage of the opportunity to give her students this unique glimpse of the culinary industry.

This annual cruise is the culminating activity for students in the Hotel/Travel and Entertainment/Event Planning programs. In Hotel/Travel, students learn customer service, business/dining etiquette, airline/airport codes and reservation simulations, geography and tourism, hotel/resort visitations, and fundraising. In addition, students participate in an internship within the hospitality industry. In Entertainment/Event Planning, students learn how to plan events, work with vendors, prepare presentations and negotiate contracts.

Warren Tech is the career and technical school for Jeffco Public Schools and offers students both elective and academic credit toward graduation along with practical experiences.

For information visit www.warrentech.org or call 303 982 8600.