This is the latest installment of our bimonthly column Crews on Cruise , spotlighting the people who work behind the scenes of the world’s most memorable voyages—from bartenders and entertainers to ship captains and expedition leaders.

Oliver Cruz has one of the more unusual jobs at sea: He is the kennel master aboard Cunard ’s Queen Mary 2 , a 2,759-guest ocean liner that has been making transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York since 2004. It is also the only cruise ship in the world to offer dedicated kennels at sea during its transatlantic voyages, with 24 spaces for dogs and cats traveling with their owners.

Cruz joined the ship in 2011, initially as a spa attendant. But when the housekeeping department learned that he had spent eight years back home in the Philippines working as a zoo guide and animal handler, with everything from snakes to crocodiles, he was moved to the kennels. He has been there ever since. “Dogs are angels,” Cruz says. “Not all angels have wings.…