In mid-June, Windstar President Chris Prelog obtained the 2024 Excellence in Management Award. Offered by TravelAge West, a publication that serves the journey advisor group, Prelog’s award acknowledged his excellent management, perception and innovation, and likewise his success at impacting each his personal organizations and of the journey trade total.
Anybody who is aware of Chris will probably be delighted and, nicely, not terribly shocked, that his inventive, caring and visionary management has earned him this award. And but on our half, we thought it may be enjoyable to share some insights into his background and persona, and the way he’s developed from a visionary’s perspective.
A few key factors: Chris is closing in on nearly 30 years within the hospitality and cruise trade. He grew up in Austria, close to the town of Graz. And this would possibly shock you: his clearly profitable cruise profession was nearly derailed on his first task. He prevailed, nevertheless, and we’re completely satisfied to share a few of his tales through this Q&A. (Have questions for Chris? Please submit them in our feedback part, beneath, and we’ll get you solutions).
You grew up in Austria. What was your childhood like?
Austria is nicely revered world wide for its custom and reverence for hospitality. My dad owned numerous companies. He ran grocery shops, ice cream outlets, meals and beverage stands at commerce reveals. So I’ve grown up in service-oriented environment. Later, my dad and my mom inspired me to go to the Tourism Institute in Dangerous 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 intensive, and realized all the things 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 marketing and gross sales facet…all the things it is advisable to know concerning the enterprise of hospitality. It’s a boarding college so I used to be there day-after-day, 24/7, and as an alternative of getting the standard summer time trip — two months off – I truly needed to apply to inns and eating places and work for 2 months.
As soon as the summer time 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 status with Lausanne, among the best hospitality administration colleges in Europe.
The place did you begin your profession in hospitality?
By way of observe runs throughout my 5-year program, I ended up at a small, privately-owned resort in Seefeld in Tirol, an Austrian village that has twice hosted the Winter Olympics. I favored it as a result of once I had day without work, I may ski. I used to be there yearly for my observe runs (which Individuals would possibly name “internships”) and after I graduated, I labored on the resort full time. It operated a couple of eating places on the town, from a steakhouse, to Italian, to Tyrolean meals, so it was a really various work atmosphere. It additionally operated a restaurant in a constructing with an enormous swimming pool. It was an important atmosphere for studying the ropes.
After a few years, I wished to do one thing else and see what it was prefer to work in Vienna, which to Austrians is “the large metropolis.” I utilized to a number of inns, however Hilton was on the prime of my record as a result of it was the largest and had an important status. I had already finished a whole lot of service and administrative work. Now I wished to study all the things there’s to learn about reception and entrance workplace, and entrance of home work.
What made you resolve to commerce in a resort 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. Once I got here again I used to be prepared for change. Mates from college and from Seefeld had talked about cruising and the way it was an thrilling trade in the event you wished to see the world and I discovered that intriguing. In late 1997, I related with folks from Seabourn and had numerous interviews, together with one with Peter Tobler (now director of resort operations at Windstar), at Seabourn Cruises. I landed my first cruise job on Seabourn Legend, as head waiter.
A tough starting
Once I boarded the Legend, my world turned the other way up. I may 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 may occur while you be part of the cruise trade; you don’t know what you’ve signed up for. You get thrown into all the things so rapidly. It’s very busy and it is advisable to study 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. Once 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 treatment 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 sharpening cutlery and studying the “cruise trade commerce” from the very baseline. It wasn’t straightforward however now I’m massively grateful that I used to be in a position to get this expertise.
Nonetheless, I used to be not completely satisfied. I known as my father from Tasmania and mentioned, “This isn’t going nicely. I don’t suppose I’m going to final.” My father instructed me, “Nicely, suck it up. You signed up, you’re going to do it.” That was the push I wanted. You want just a little 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 resolve. Bora Bora was completely lovely and I made a decision to complete the contract and never return. However two months later, when it was time to go dwelling 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 am going again?” Each time you permit you possibly can’t wait to return.
It took a short time to ascertain myself, however finally I made headway and have become head waiter and maître d’resort, a number of the most tough 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 friends. It takes some time to get a deal with on that and do it nicely. I believe that’s what drew me to cruising as nicely, 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 study different cultures, you do.
I used to be the resort supervisor when life threw me a curveball. My daughter was born in Austria. It’s onerous when you have got a child and have to depart for 4 months. I didn’t need to depart my household at dwelling, however I didn’t need to depart my household at sea, both. I returned to the ship and the senior administration of Seabourn shocked me and requested if I wished to maneuver to the top 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 broaden my horizon and study, study, study.
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 total 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 while you swap to working shoreside with a cruise line, all the things adjustments. You’re in a special atmosphere. However I actually favored it and was quickly promoted to director of resort 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 completely satisfied 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 may 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 resort operation. Inside operations key departments you oversee are security, atmosphere, 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. Transferring to the chief working officer position gave me much more expertise within the Technical Operations space.
Apart from getting on-the-job expertise, you pursued training How did you handle to do all of this?
Sure, even whereas working within the cruise trade 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 Faculty, Cornell College, and the Larger Tourism Institute in Austria.
Silke, my wonderful spouse, makes this life straightforward. She’s by no means mentioned she’d slightly I didn’t do one thing associated to my position. She is aware of this isn’t a standard job; I journey quite a bit and he or she runs issues at dwelling so I can concentrate on my job. The very fact is I’m completely certain that with out Silke’s assist I might not be on this place right now.
Have you ever ever considered recreating your authentic cruise line position of being a waiter? Would you ever shock the crew and friends 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 nicely. I imply, I like good espresso, and I did some barista coaching within the Yacht Membership a couple of years in the past, which was quite a bit more durable than you’d suppose. And it may be that I’ve forgotten greater than I ever realized about being a waiter (and our crew has actually developed and surpassed that period). Working a whole dinner service? Makes me nervous, however I sort of like the concept. It may very well be a cool shock to the crew and friends.
