Stories / November 06 2025
Working in marine travel means being ready for changes at any time. For Virlyn Deocampo, it’s part of what makes the work meaningful.
Before Manila stirs, Virlyn Deocampo is already on her way to the office. The short drive can be extended by traffic, but she makes time for a three-block walk from her parking space, coffee with colleagues, and a moment to settle before the day begins. By eight o’clock, her official hours start, though in truth her work never stops.
As one of two Marine Travel Officers at Grieg Philippines, Virlyn is responsible for making sure seafarers arrive safely to and from their vessels. That means booking flights, coordinating with colleagues around the globe, adjusting schedules, and handling the unexpected.
“The industry doesn’t sleep,” she says. “When we rest, something changes. When we wake up, it has changed again.”
Her phone is rarely out of reach, even late at night or on weekends.
For many, that pace might feel overwhelming. For Virlyn, it is where she finds purpose. In 2022 alone, she helped arrange more than 2,600 flights. Each one represented a person heading out to continue a career at sea, or returning home to family after months away.
The small moments make the effort worthwhile. Two weeks before a crew change, Virlyn sends the updated plan to the vessel. Names appear on the list: who will be joining, who will be going home.
“When crew see their names, they often message me directly,” she says. “They tell me they feel happy and hopeful. Knowing they can look forward to seeing their families again makes all the challenges worth it.”
Her path into shipping began almost by accident. After studying travel management at the University of Santo Tomas, she started her career as a ground staff at the airport with QANTAS. There, she worked directly with seafarers who came to her counter, their paperwork and contracts, unlike those of regular passengers.
“I was curious,” she recalls. “I didn’t know anything about shipping then. Maybe it was a sign.”
That curiosity stayed with her, and in 2015, she joined Grieg Philippines in crew documentation. For nearly a decade, she handled certificates, contracts, and requirements before stepping into her current position. The shift brought new responsibilities, but also new confidence.
“It was a big adjustment,” she admits. “From fixed office hours to never knowing when someone contacts you, and from being single to being a wife. But I grew into it, and I never felt I had to face it alone.”
Her husband, a seafarer himself, understands the demands of her role. They support each other through long stretches apart, planned vacations, and simple routines that keep them connected.
“We may not always be together, but we understand each other’s challenges,” she says. That mutual understanding makes balancing a demanding job and family life possible.
Support is also what she values most at work. At Grieg Philippines, she found colleagues and managers who encouraged her development and guided her through new responsibilities. Her predecessor, April, with all she shared with Virlyn, helped her take on the challenge of being an efficient Marine Travel Officer. For Virlyn, having those big shoes to fill in was more of an inspiration rather than pressure.
That atmosphere has shaped her perspective on the company. From focusing on work-life integration and providing flexibility when needed to genuinely caring for employees who are starting families or facing challenges, she feels part of a workplace where people matter.
“Not every company is like that,” she says. “Here, we are taken care of.”
The work itself remains complex and unpredictable. Weather can change quickly, ports can close without warning, and rerouting flights across continents can be costly. Virlyn has learned to stay calm and focus on what can be controlled.
“Not everything will go as planned,” she says. “But what matters is solving the problem and making sure the crew get where they need to go.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to pass on that mindset to new colleagues who will follow after her.
“It’s not about being an expert,” she says. “It’s about sharing what you’ve learned, showing that it can be managed, and helping others succeed.”
For Virlyn, every day is different, but the goal remains the same: to bring seafarers safely home and send them out again with confidence. In a world that never sleeps, she has found a role that makes her proud – and a company where she knows she belongs.
