MEET OUR CREW: Tia Grant is a Cruise Coordinator aboard the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch
Tia Grant is a Cruise Coordinator, bartender and server who just can’t help but smile every day she gets to work at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch. Learn more about her role and why she loves working with the Riverboats crew.
Q: Why did you apply to work at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch?
A: In 2018, my best friend worked as a deckhand here and I was looking for work. It was my freshman year of college and I wanted to do something involving tourism, so why not come to the boats. I had never heard of them before, so it was really interesting to see it. I originally applied to be deckhand until my boss suggested, ‘Why don’t you become a server?’ So I did and fell in love with it.
Q: What makes you smile at your job?
A: Seeing the customer smile. Especially little kids, like the questions they have about the Mississippi River like, ‘Can I swim in it?’ They are just so cute. And also just seeing families come together. We’ve had a lot of proposals on this boat and people choosing to have that kind of moment on this boat kinda brings me to tears. And my co-workers too, they make it feel like it’s not just a job.
Q: What’s your most memorable moment working at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch?
A: When I was in college I had a really bad day before work. It was finals week and I had three finals that day, then had to come here as Cruise Coordinator for a group from out of town. The guy who was in charge of the group was super nice and he felt how I was putting on a mask, in a way, and he’s like, ‘I don’t know what you’re going through, but I can tell you’re a great person.’ He was just pouring his love on me and he even tipped me $200 that night. As Cruise Coordinator, I gave that to my servers because we worked hard that night.
Q: What are your favorite specialty cruises?
A: We’ve had so many different types of cruises like a Disney Princess Cruise and 4th of July Fireworks Cruise. I enjoy working those 4th of July cruises because they’re so many people in one space and the music is going. And our Groove and Spin Cruise on Sunday’s is fun for a good let your hair down type of night.
Q: Why should others want to work at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch.
A: Well, of course, the tips. And the pay is really good here with the opportunity to move up into bigger roles. I’ve had like seven friends work here and I just tell them it’s a different environment and something completely different than anything you’d ever do in your life. And it’s a one-time experience in your life when you’ll have a job that doesn’t feel like a job. Once you come on the dock it’s gonna be fun.
Q: What’s something that surprised you about your job?
A: We’re a place that not a lot of people know about, but once we start talking about our specialty cruises, people are like, ‘I need to come down there and visit!’ Even people outside of St. Louis know about us. There was a guest from Turkey, another who spoke Mandarin, which made my job challenging, but also fun because you see people who are from different walks of life down here.
If you’d like to join the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch crew, head to riverboatstljobs.com to apply today! New BSD employees are eligible for a $500 hiring incentive! To qualify, employee must be on time for all shifts and maintain 15.5 hours per week. Employees receive $150 on first and second paychecks and $200 on their third paycheck (payment dates may vary depending on start date).