Rising Above – Chester Salido

Chester Salido

Casino Manager

I started as a Dealer 2 on my very first ship, Sea Princess, in 2014. Everything was overwhelming because it was my first time working on a cruise ship and abroad. This new environment was a big adjustment and there were challenges that I faced during my first 3 months on board. Now, here I am, still with GCO 10 amazing years later.

For the past contracts with Princess, P&O UK, and Cunard, I am so blessed to work with the most outstanding team members in the entire fleet. The encouragement, support, and cooperation from the management team and other team members, makes me feel like I can do everything according to the standard of the GCO with pride, humility and always striving for greatness.

“The company didn’t hire you because you will be a casino dealer for the rest of your career, but GCO hired you because you have the potential to be the next leader.” This is the best line from the casino manager who believed in me that I can do this new role. – Tim Hutchison, 2022

I am also very grateful to have worked with amazing casino managers, slot managers, and cage managers in my past contract who served as my mentors and inspiration to push myself and be the person that I am right now. These team members include Dragos Crinu, Plamen Ivanov, Cesar Cuevas, Sebastian Muresan, Agnieszka Plata, Vali Neagu, Erden Pakyuz, Ernesto Rebote, and Joy Ramos.

Most of all, I am so grateful and blessed to have a beautiful wife (Hanna Jamaica) who is one click away no matter what time of the day or which side of the planet that I am located on. She always gives me great advice in decision making and she is also my English grammar checker. She is my strong backbone to all the challenges that I am facing through my training days. Together with my two beautiful daughters – Dice and Ace, my greatest inspiration and motivation in this life.

I do believe in the scriptures – Psalm 23, Psalm 121, Philippians 4:13 and always stay humble.