Steward: Reyan Maquilan

The heart of the family

The job of a ship steward is relatively easy to describe. They are there to help keep the two messes running during mealtimes. They assist the cook when needed. And they keep all of the offices and messes in tiptop shape. Reyan is an exceptional steward not just because he makes a mean pot of rice every morning, but because of his patient, happy disposition.

His day starts at 6 am and ends about twelve hours later with some time off after lunch. Yet, if you ask any of the other sailors, they say Reyan is always there miraculously whenever they arrive after scheduled mealtimes, or the laundry soap has run out late at night, or if they need extra non-slip matting for their cabins. His presence is quiet, unassuming, and cheerfully shy. Like a family member who never seeks attention but makes everyone feel at ease when he is in the room.

Reyan has been with Oldendorff for ten years now. He comes from Daanbantayan, Cebu in the Philippines. He has a passion for working on ships and for being an integral part of the crew. He has been on MV Roland Oldendorff for six months and hopes to be back home before Christmas. Even though he enjoys life aboard, his deepest motivation is to take care of his partner and family back home.

Seafaring runs in his family too. His brother also works at sea, as a chief cook on a cruise ship. Between them, they are carrying forward a tradition of providing for loved ones while spending long stretches of life away from home.

What I have noticed over the last five weeks of being on board is that Reyan is the heart of this crazy group of sailors turned family. Everyone seems to be polite when talking to him during the day and then tease him kind-heartedly when he joins the evening karaoke sessions.

Yet, I don’t know if we express our appreciation enough for the care he gives us day in and day out. When I asked a few crew members what they like about working with Reyan, their answers came quickly: that he lifts everyone’s spirits, that he is a soft and tender soul, and that simply by being kind, he makes himself impossible not to like.

In a world of engines, steel, and constant schedules, Reyan brings a kind of humanity that is easy to overlook yet impossible to do without. His quiet presence smooths the rough edges of life at sea. It may not appear on a duty roster, but he is the reason this ship feels less like a workplace and more like a home.