In October, Windstar President Chris Prelog acquired the Styrian Tourism Panther Award for Worldwide Achievement in hospitality management from the Unhealthy Gleichenberg Tourism College. It’s a huge deal for Chris, who grew up in Austria’s area of Styria, not solely as a result of he’s a graduate but in addition as a result of Unhealthy Gleichenberg is taken into account one in every of Europe’s most prestigious tourism colleges.
Anybody who is aware of Chris will likely be delighted and, properly, not terribly stunned, that his artistic, caring and visionary management has earned him this recognition. He rose via the ranks by working onboard cruise ships earlier than coming ashore as an govt, and that’s a distinction amongst cruise line presidents. As properly, he’s enthusiastic about encouraging younger and growing professionals to purse tourism careers.
“We chosen Christopher Prelog as our prime winner within the worldwide class as a result of his spectacular profession,” stated Dr. Gerhard Kienzl, managing director of the Styrian Resort Administration College Affiliation. “Chris is an excellent function mannequin for our younger tourism professionals, and we’re happy with his achievements all through the hospitality business and the impacts he has made each at residence – and particularly overseas – with Windstar’s extremely regarded international presence.”
We thought it could be enjoyable to share some insights into his background and character, and the way he’s advanced from a visionary’s perspective.
A few key factors: Chris has over 30 years within the hospitality and cruise business. He grew up in Austria, within the metropolis of Graz. And this may shock you: his clearly profitable cruise profession was nearly derailed on his first project. He prevailed, nevertheless, and we’re blissful to share a few of his tales by way of this Q&A. (Have questions for Chris? Please submit them in our feedback part, under, and we’ll get you solutions).
You grew up in Austria. What was your childhood like?
Austria is properly revered around the globe for its custom and reverence for hospitality. My dad owned plenty of companies. He ran grocery shops, ice cream outlets, meals and beverage stands at commerce exhibits. So I’ve grown up in service-oriented environment. Later, my dad and my mom inspired me to go to the Tourism Institute in Unhealthy Gleichenberg. It’s a prestigious hospitality administration college in Austria, and lots of senior executives have visited that college or been educated there. I attended its 5-year program, its most in depth, and realized every thing about hospitality in this system. The main target was not simply service and cooking but in addition the entire administrative half and monetary facet, the advertising and gross sales facet…every thing you want to know in regards to the enterprise of hospitality. It’s a boarding college so I used to be there each day, 24/7, and as an alternative of getting the standard summer season trip — two months off – I really needed to apply to lodges and eating places and work for 2 months.
As soon as the summer season job ended, I returned to high school, the place this system was all the time intense.
Essential to notice: It’s additionally a personal college, not a government-funded program. I’d say it’s up there in fame with Lausanne, probably the greatest hospitality administration colleges in Europe.
The place did you begin your profession in hospitality?
By observe runs throughout my 5-year program, I ended up at a small, privately-owned lodge in Seefeld in Tirol, an Austrian village that has twice hosted the Winter Olympics. I favored it as a result of after I had day without work, I might ski. I used to be there yearly for my observe runs (which Individuals may name “internships”) and after I graduated, I labored on the lodge full time. It operated just a few eating places on the town, from a steakhouse, to Italian, to Tyrolean meals, so it was a really various work setting. It additionally operated a restaurant in a constructing with an enormous swimming pool. It was an amazing setting for studying the ropes.
After a few years, I wished to do one thing else and see what it was wish to work in Vienna, which to Austrians is “the massive metropolis.” I utilized to a number of lodges, however Hilton was on the prime of my checklist as a result of it was the most important and had an amazing fame. I had already accomplished loads of service and administrative work. Now I wished to be taught every thing there may be to learn about reception and entrance workplace, and entrance of home work.
What made you determine to commerce in a lodge profession for all times aboard cruise ships?
After three years at Hilton, like all younger males in Austria, I had to enter army service for 9 months. After I got here again I used to be prepared for change. Buddies from college and from Seefeld had talked about cruising and the way it was an thrilling business when you wished to see the world and I discovered that intriguing. In late 1997, I linked with folks from Seabourn and had plenty of interviews, together with one with Peter Tobler (now director of lodge operations at Windstar), at Seabourn Cruises. I landed my first cruise job on Seabourn Legend, as head waiter.
A troublesome starting received higher with time
After I boarded the Legend, my world turned the wrong way up. I might really feel the ship shifting whereas it was moored to the pier! My knees received wobbly and being on a ship simply didn’t really feel proper. It could possibly occur once you be a part of the cruise business; you don’t know what you’ve signed up for. You get thrown into every thing so rapidly. It’s very busy and you want to be taught many disciplines. On prime of that, the ship strikes. I received seasick and didn’t really feel that nice.
I had flown to Sydney, Australia, to fulfill the ship. After I received off the aircraft in Australia after a particularly lengthy flight, the folks on the Legend had been very nice, however I had jet lag and was extraordinarily drained. I received medicine from the physician that made me much more drained. Then, I used to be demoted from head waiter to waiter. The system aboard a ship in comparison with common restaurant operations could be very totally different, and my English wasn’t that good. There was additionally a little bit of a cultural hole – we don’t eat English muffins in Austria and I’d by no means seen one earlier than. So right here I used to be sprucing cutlery and studying the “cruise business commerce” from the very baseline. It wasn’t simple however now I’m massively grateful that I used to be in a position to get this expertise.
Nonetheless, I used to be not blissful. I known as my father from Tasmania and stated, “This isn’t going properly. I don’t assume I’m going to final.” My father instructed me, “Effectively, suck it up. You signed up, you’re going to do it.” That was the push I wanted. You want a bit time to get used to cruising, however you’re becoming a member of a household and also you develop friendships.
We had been heading to Bora Bora and I believed, “Okay, I’m going to attend till we arrive there, after which I’ll determine. Bora Bora was completely stunning and I made a decision to complete the contract and never return. However two months later, when it was time to go residence I used to be so built-in into the operation onboard that after I used to be on trip I believed, “Oh my gosh, when can I’m going again?” Each time you allow you may’t wait to return.
It took a short time to determine myself, however finally I made headway and have become head waiter and maître d’lodge, a number of the most troublesome jobs on the ship. You’re younger and nonetheless studying and everybody wants one thing from you, whether or not it’s administration, the crew, or the visitors. It takes some time to get a deal with on that and do it properly. I feel that’s what drew me to cruising as properly, since you work with individuals who have totally different nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and so forth, and everybody works in concord on the ship. That’s a fairly cool factor, after which if you wish to see the world and find out about different cultures, you do.
I used to be the lodge supervisor when life threw me a curveball. My daughter was born in Austria. It’s exhausting when you’ve gotten a child and have to depart for 4 months. I didn’t need to go away my household at residence, however I didn’t need to go away my household at sea, both. I returned to the ship and the senior administration of Seabourn stunned me and requested if I wished to maneuver to the pinnacle workplace in Miami.
4 months later my household and I arrived in Miami, which was a turning level. It was then I made a decision that cruising and I had been going to get severe. I used to be going to develop my horizon and be taught, be taught, be taught.
In 2013 Windstar purchased 3 Seabourn ships from Carnival Company, its mum or dad firm, together with the Legend. What was that like?
I’ve been lucky to be surrounded my whole profession by wonderful mentors and individuals who’ve had my greatest pursuits at coronary heart. That was particularly essential in Miami, as a result of once you swap to working shoreside with a cruise line, every thing adjustments. You’re in a distinct setting. However I actually favored it and was quickly promoted to director of lodge operations. The corporate moved to Seattle in 2011, the place I used to be promoted to Vice President of Resort Operations and Buying. I additionally labored for Holland America to assist drive efficiencies and effectiveness.
When Seaborn offered my three favourite ships, I used to be disillusioned. You all the time bear in mind your first ship. I instructed my president on the time I used to be going to go to Genoa and watch the Legend within the handover protocol and go cry in a nook someplace. That was the primary interplay I had with Windstar workers who had been all hopped up and blissful to take the ship “away from me”. It was a major reminiscence. John Delaney, the then-president of Windstar and I began speaking – we had labored collectively at Seabourn – and he requested if I knew anybody who might run the fleet.
I noticed a possibility at Windstar, which makes small ship cruising particular, and I appeared ahead to increasing my horizons as a result of working a fleet could be very totally different from working a lodge operation. Inside operations key departments you oversee are security, setting, compliance, marine, technical operations and well being. I had some expertise in nearly all these areas, however beginning at Windstar as vice chairman of fleet operations gave me an excellent higher understanding of what makes a profitable cruise as I received extra concerned. I actually loved that. Shifting to the chief working officer function gave me much more expertise within the Technical Operations space.
In addition to getting on-the-job expertise, you pursued training How did you handle to do all of this?
Sure, even whereas working within the cruise business I studied at collegiate establishments. I received a level in Resort Administration and Accounting from the College of Miami, and certificates from Harvard’s Kennedy College, Cornell College, and the Increased Tourism Institute in Austria.
Silke, my wonderful spouse, makes this life simple. She’s by no means stated she’d moderately I didn’t do one thing associated to my function. She is aware of this isn’t a traditional job; I journey lots and he or she runs issues at residence so I can concentrate on my job. The actual fact is I’m completely certain that with out Silke’s help I might not be on this place as we speak.
Have you ever ever considered recreating your unique cruise line function of being a waiter? Would you ever shock the crew and visitors on one in every of your ships?
I completely will give it some thought! I most likely would screw up greater than I’d do properly. I imply, I like good espresso, and I did some barista coaching within the Yacht Membership just a few years in the past, which was lots more durable than you’d assume. And it could be that I’ve forgotten greater than I ever realized about being a waiter (and our group has actually advanced and surpassed that period). Working a complete dinner service? Makes me nervous, however I sort of like the thought. It may very well be a cool shock to the group and visitors.
