Enjoying your job is an important part of the work environment, particularly if you work at sea and are away from home for a large part of the year. Hanna Svensson realized this when she signed on to her first ship as a chief steward in 2009. She noticed a lot of appreciation when she put a little extra thought into meals and celebrations, and she has continued with this approach on other ships. At the moment she is working on Fox Luna, which transports bunker oil to ships outside Gothenburg and around Skagen. The crew consists of seven members working two weeks on and two weeks off, as well as a trainee officer.

“Since we are often away from home, it is important to make things festive on special days so that the crew doesn’t feel that they are missing out too much. I want it to be more like home when you’re on board,” Hanna says.

To make sure she always has what is needed to add a silver lining, she has made up a party box that has lots of decorations and special items for different occasions such as Midsummer, Halloween, crayfish day and Mårten goose day. On New Year’s Eve, she always makes a four-course dinner and at Easter she arranges an egg hunt for everyone on board to search for their own Easter egg. Christmas is her personal favourite and she always includes little extras.

I start as early as Advent by putting small packages outside the cabin doors.

“I start as early as Advent by putting small packages outside the cabin doors. It’s just small things like chocolate or nuts and for coffee breaks I will include hot chocolate or mulled wine with three kinds of cookies. I think it is really appreciated. One person said to me, “If you have ever celebrated Christmas with Hanna, you’ll never forget it.” ”

Birthdays are also celebrated and as well as a birthday cake there are sing-alongs in the mess, which is decorated with garlands and balloons.

“For chocolate lovers I make a triple chocolate cake, while those who prefer marzipan and cream can have a classic princess cake. The funny thing is that those who think this is all a bit childish at first are usually the ones who appreciate it most in the end,” Hanna explains.

She also tries to brighten up weekdays by cooking meals that she knows the crew enjoy. She usually asks what their favourite dishes are and she bakes every other day.

“Meals are very important. It’s when you spend time together, so you want the food to be enjoyable.”

Hanna has worked on several different ships since she went to sea, the last seven years being with BRP Shipping. She has often been the only woman on board, but says that she has never experienced this as a problem.

“All the ships I’ve been on have been really pleasant. Sure, there might have been a bit of macho behaviour at times, but never in an unpleasant way. Our shipping company, BRP, works at including the feelgood factor. Our contracts state that we should all contribute to creating a good atmosphere on board and at Christmas we are usually given really nice presents. The owners work on board sometimes and when there are officer conferences, our HR manager usually invites everyone to dinner. That kind of thing does a lot for the mood on board,” says Hanna.

Three work prizes for Hanna Svensson

In connection with the Swedish Seamen’s House Foundation prize day in Helsingborg on 8 May, Hanna Svensson received three prizes for her work:

• One was for the party box that she uses to brighten up special occasions on board.

• Another was for a self-closing lock on the refrigerator door in the mess, which had previously swung open in rough seas.

• Her third prize was for the idea of using leftover mounting rings to raise saucepans on the hotplates to reduce the risk of food burning