The Turnaround Artist

At Wilhelmsen Port Services in Piraeus, senior port agent Mary Varra brings 30 years of experience to the fast-moving world of cruise operations. Her role sits at the centre of complex port calls, where precision, pace and problem-solving on the fly define the day.

Mary helps make one of the cruise industry's most demanding jobs look deceptively easy – with each call hinging on a web of planning, logistics and last-minute troubleshooting.

Mary at port

"Getting into this business is first luck then choice. It is tiring, no doubt about that. But when you're at the port early in the morning, with the sun coming up as a ship arrives – it's magic."

Born and bred in Athens, Mary studied Italian in Thessaloniki and stumbled into her first job as Shorex Agent for Costa Crociere. For nine years she arranged shore excursions and fully absorbed the cruise product from the passenger side.

But given the amount of travelling her priorities gradually started to shift. "It was great fun but I wanted more stability."

It was a logical step into port agency – first with Inchcape Shipping Services before joining Wilhelmsen in 2021.

A dance of logistics

Mary and her colleagues in Piraeus handle between 800 and 1,000 cruise calls a year. Much of that work begins two to three years in advance, with berth availability secured long before a vessel appears on the horizon.

On the day of a call, however, everything becomes immediate. "We deal with ships that are basically floating luxury hotels," Mary says. "On the operational side, we handle all the ship's requirements and standard services. But at the same time, we support everything that keeps the hotel running."

That can mean anything from engines spare parts to flowers, decorations and artworks to medical supplies, IT support, large volumes of fresh and dry provisions – even deck furniture.

"There's a huge network of suppliers – both in Greece and further afield," she says. "Our role is to manage the logistics – timing, delivery, execution."

They also handle the crew changes, which can run to dozens of people if you're talking about a ship with 3,500 passengers.

Invisible work, real consequences

Port agency is one of those professions most visible only when something goes wrong. When everything works, it disappears. "Guests expect everything to work seamlessly because they're on holiday. Our role is to make that happen. We're the problem solvers."

The pressure comes from the combination of scale and detail.

Sometimes the issue is small but urgent. A delivery arrives incomplete. Critical catering ingredients are missing. Quality isn't right.

"It sounds trivial, but these details matter," Mary says. "Especially with food as the standard of catering onboard is so high."

Other situations are more complex – but carry real weight. Bad weather can disrupt itineraries, cargo can be delayed, lost luggage may need to be traced and delivered to the next port, passengers may need medical attention ashore, guests may be late for the ship, lose their passports... and so on.

"If something – or someone – misses the ship, I can look at the itinerary and determine the best point to deliver it or them. That's where we add value, when we proactively provide solutions."

At times, entire operations have to be reworked under pressure. In Easter 2025, for example, bad weather delayed a vessel through the Corinth Canal, forcing the team to find an alternative turnaround port. "You find a solution that works operationally, logistically and for the passengers," she says. "That's always the goal."

Mary's team also oversees the wider network of smaller ports in Greece, where WPS relies on sub-agents, stepping in when needed.

 

Mary at Posidonia Sea Tourism Forum with John Efstathiou, Cruise Operations Manager and Christos Makrialeas, Port Services Director for the region.

Stories from the quayside

Over the years, she has accumulated enough stories to fill several careers.

Covid was a huge challenge. "Imagine a deluxe hotel that has been completely shut down. We had technicians coming in to restart systems, and large volumes of supplies to handle – but at the same time, nobody could get off the ship and we couldn't go onboard. Everything had to be managed remotely."

The team also handled personal deliveries for crew stranded onboard for long periods.

"We brought everything from gym equipment to books, even food from home – pies sent by family members. I think our work at that time made a huge impact to the quality of life of the crews."

One of her most memorable cases was a music theme cruise where the instruments were lost in transit. "That would've meant no concerts. We had to contact the airline, trace the equipment, coordinate transport and get everything delivered before the ship sailed. We managed it by the skin of our teeth."

Many critical situations are health related as cruise passengers tend to be older. "For example, we once had an elderly passenger who needed emergency medical assistance in Athens airport. In the confusion, she got into the wrong ambulance and ended up at the wrong hospital. The moment we realised what had happened and had to tell her, 'Madame, you took the wrong ambulance', is still infamous," Mary says. "At the time it was stressful – for everyone – and only funny in retrospect."

A cohesive team

Mary speaks as warmly about her team as she does about the work itself. The core group in Piraeus comprises five port agents, doubling during the season with additional staff – many of whom return year after year.

 

Mary at Piraeus Port, during Provisions loading operation with ship's Team. Provision Master, Chef, Security and assistant custom broker.

"You need to be energetic and a strong team player. You also have to be curious and willing to learn. This isn't something you can really study for."

That, she believes, is part of the challenge – and the opportunity.

"Even people who study shipping often tell us that port agency is only mentioned very briefly. They don't realise how much the agent actually does until they see it in practice."

Her leadership style is simple: lead by example, train thoroughly, stay close to the operation and make sure no one is left on their own.

"We've built a strong bond and we get great support from our director, Christos [Makrialeas]."

That shared pride feeds into how she sees Wilhelmsen's position in the market. Local competitors may undercut on price but quality of service is where the real value lies.

"If we were a magazine, we'd be Vogue. If we were a car, we'd be a Lamborghini."

Busy home port

Life is no less full outside work. Mary commutes from Athens where she and her husband – a retired Navy helicopter Flying Officer – are raising 15-year-old twins.

Mary's husband, Stelios, son Kyriakos and daughter Anastasia when they are not driving her crazy, visiting Athens landmark Acropolis Parthenon.

"They're at the slamming door stage, which drives me crazy! Thankfully, my husband provides a lot of support, which allows me to juggle the demands of the job."

She enjoys trips to the beach, theatre and dining out. But it remains a 24/7 job.

Cruising with friends, Myrto and Irini and we are at Mykonos Port with one of the most beautiful cruise ships, Star Pride.

That, in the end, is part of the appeal. It is demanding but offers something many others don't: lots of human interaction and the satisfaction of making complexity look simple.

"It's not a career you're likely to come across by accident. But for those who do – and choose to stay – it's one that's hard to leave. I love it."

A magical late afternoon sailing – and I am at the pier, imagine if you are on board on the open deck!

Interviewed by Roddy Craig