30. Our Lady of Quark
Anna, our Lady of Refuge, Queen of the Polar Boutique.
Meet Anna, the manager of Ultramarine’s Polar Boutique. I walked into the little gift shop and was dumbfounded by this apparition of an otherworldly being. As you can see by the glowing halo behind her, Anna has been nicknamed Lady of Refuge, Queen of the Polar Boutique. Conveniently located on the third floor not far from our cabin, the boutique was the place to purchase those waterproof pants you forgot to pack or the pair of ski googles you didn’t think necessary to bring along. About the size of a drive-up coffee kiosk, this little store was surprisingly well stocked. In addition to personal hygiene items and over-the-counter medications for headaches or seasickness, the boutique carried a full line of apparel and Quark-branded merchandise. Postcards, stickers, lapel pins, hoodies, flags and water bottles were available for a reasonable price. Anna was always very sweet and helpful.
We were soon chatting and sharing a little bit about our personal history after I started hanging out there between lectures and excursions. Anna had quite the story.
When Russia invaded the Ukraine in February of 2022, Anna was living in Odessa. Her fiancé worked for Quark Expeditions as a ship’s engineer and urged her to leave the country, get to his ship which would port in Amsterdam for repairs and they would figure out what to do once she was safe. Through harrowing circumstances, she managed to get out of the country and reunited with her fiancé in Amsterdam. When Quark Expeditions found out she had experience in the cruise and travel industry, they approached her about working for Quark. Of course she said Yes! The company even sent her to Germany for training to get all the necessary certifications. In addition, she and her fiancé were married at sea by the ship’s captain on board one of the expedition vessels.
She and her husband are on separate cruise ships for now, yet she is ever so grateful to have a job, be safe, and to work in such amazing locations. Kudos to Quark for going the extra nautical mile and supporting those in need.
NOTE: The above story was related to me by Anna herself. While I hope that I have remembered it correctly, I tried very hard to verify the story, get my facts straight, etc., but I couldn’t find any Internet articles or announcements about this incredible, heartwarming tale. I don’t even know her husband’s name. But no matter, I feel good just knowing she’s safe and secure.
Once again, check out Alesha and Jarryd’s travel blog NOMADasaurus: https://www.nomadasaurus.com/about/
Cool story, Fran! What a relevant story for today. I am happy for Anna!
So glad you captured this story. Companies who go the extra mile deserve attention!