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SAMUNDER CLUB SPOTLIGHT - Captain Neville Dias

We're on the road, we're on the road to anywhere, With never a heartache, with never a care,

Got no home, got no friends,

Thankful, for anything the good Lord sends,

We're on the road, we’re on the road to anywhere, And every milestone seems to say,

That the road to anywhere, the road to anywhere,

Will lead to somewhere, someday.

The Story follows -

These words were repeated many times by Captain Neville Dias during his tenure as a cadet on board the T.S. “Rajendra,” not fully realizing the depth and power behind them. Truly, he says the shipping road he took as an 18 year old led him and his family to a country on the opposite side of the globe from India.

Born in Bombay, (he is still not used to saying Mumbai) in 1960, Neville Dias lived most of his childhood in Khar. Many teenage days spent at the beach, splashing around in salt water, led to the call of the sea, while still enrolled in his higher secondary education at Khalsa College. He joined the T.S. “Rajendra” in 1977 as a pre¬sea trainee cadet and in the following year was gainfully employed with Shipping Corporation of India, (monthly stipend of US$10!) After seven years with the same company Neville left to join Bergesen DY AS, a Norwegian shipping company based in Oslo. Simultaneously, he also completed a tenure with Horizon Ship Management. It is with these two companies that he learned the ropes of senior management and command responsibilities and was able to take over as a Master.

Prior to joining Bergesen, Neville met the stunning Ramona who worked for Gulf Airways and was stationed in Bahrain.. After a year of air and sea miles under their belts, the two decided to tie the knot and settled in Pune. A few months later, Ramona took her maiden voyage and it wasn’t long before she had to fly home with a very important cargo! Rockford Fritz was born in November 1990 and unlike many shippie fathers, Neville was fortunate to be home. Since this was a successful recipe, Ramona joined Neville again on another ship and as their friends joke “it is a good thing that he decided to quit shipping. If not, they might have had a team by now.” Nielsen Joel, their second son was born in May 1993.

Missing the growing phases of his two handsome boys, Neville decided that it was time to beach his shipboard career. He was still passionate about shipping education and wanted to continue working in the maritime field. His efforts at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine led to a Master of Science degree in Maritime Management. He joined Carnival Cruise Lines in 1996 as an Assistant Manager, Safety and Environmental Protection where his first major task was to develop a Safety Management System for Carnival. Having successfully managed the internal and external audit program for a growing fleet of vessels Neville was promoted to Director, Quality Assurance in 1999. He is a qualified Lead Auditor for International Safety Management (ISM) Code, International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, International Standards Organization 14001 and 9001 management system and has credentials as a Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA) with the Board of Environmental Certifications (BEAC).

On the social side, Neville is a Certified Advanced Soccer Coach for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) and spent many years coaching soccer and Little league baseball in Miami Springs. His devotion to coaching kids, while spending quality time with his own sons led to the Miami Springs “All Star Soccer Team” winning the Under¬11 Dade County Championship, Regional Championships and a number of local and district tournaments. For these achievements, he was presented with a sealed Certificate of Recognition at City Hall from the Mayor of Miami Springs.

Currently, Neville is employed as a Director, Reporting and Analysis for Carnival Corporation and plc, a global cruise company that operates 87 cruise ships and is one of the largest vacation companies in the world. His current key responsibilities include developing Carnival Corp. and plc’s environmental performance metrics and carbon footprint reports.

Ramona works for First Choice Mortgage, when she is not participating in the many fund raising school activities of their sons. Rockford is now a senior and Nielsen is a sophomore at a challenging International Baccalaureate program in High School. Both are active members of their High School Band of Distinction, numerous school clubs and volunteer projects.

Home of the professional Indian Mariner

Swati and baby son........"Veer" Singh Yadav

SAMUNDER CLUB SPOTLIGHT - Captain Neville Dias

The Story follows -