In mid-June, Windstar President Chris Prelog acquired the 2024 Excellence in Management Award. Offered by TravelAge West, a publication that serves the journey advisor neighborhood, 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 might 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 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 is closing in on virtually 30 years within the hospitality and cruise trade. He grew up in Austria, close to town of Graz. And this may shock you: his clearly profitable cruise profession was virtually derailed on his first task. He prevailed, nevertheless, and we’re pleased to share a few of his tales through this Q&A. (Have questions for Chris? Please put up them in our feedback part, under, and we’ll get you solutions).
You grew up in Austria. What was your childhood like?
Austria is nicely revered around the globe for its custom and reverence for hospitality. My dad owned quite a lot of companies. He ran grocery shops, ice cream retailers, 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 Dangerous Gleichenberg. It’s a prestigious hospitality administration college in Austria, and plenty of senior executives have visited that faculty or been educated there. I attended its 5-year program, its most in depth, and discovered 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 aspect, the advertising and gross sales aspect…all the things you have to know concerning the enterprise of hospitality. It’s a boarding college so I used to be there every single day, 24/7, and as an alternative of getting the same old summer season trip — two months off – I really needed to apply to resorts 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 at all times intense.
Necessary to notice: It’s additionally a personal college, not a government-funded program. I’d say it’s up there in repute with Lausanne, top-of-the-line hospitality administration colleges in Europe.
The place did you begin your profession in hospitality?
By way of apply 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 break day, I might ski. I used to be there yearly for my apply runs (which Individuals may name “internships”) and after I graduated, I labored on the resort full time. It operated a number of 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 a terrific setting 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 resorts, however Hilton was on the prime of my record as a result of it was the largest and had a terrific repute. I had already performed loads of service and administrative work. Now I wished to study all the things there may be to learn about reception and entrance workplace, and entrance of home work.
What made you determine 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 navy service for 9 months. After I got here again I used to be prepared for change. Pals from college and from Seefeld had talked about cruising and the way it was an thrilling trade should you wished to see the world and I discovered that intriguing. In late 1997, I linked with individuals from Seabourn and had quite a lot of 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 troublesome starting
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 may well occur while you be a part of the cruise trade; you don’t know what you’ve signed up for. You get thrown into all the things so shortly. It’s very busy and you have 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 satisfy the ship. After I received off the aircraft in Australia after a particularly lengthy flight, the individuals on the Legend have been very nice, however I had jet lag and was extraordinarily drained. I received remedy 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 completely 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 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 pleased. 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 advised me, “Effectively, 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 have 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 lovely and I made a decision to complete the contract and never return. However two months later, when it was time to go house I used to be so built-in into the operation onboard that when I used to be on trip I believed, “Oh my gosh, when can I am going again?” Each time you permit you may’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 few 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 friends. It takes some time to get a deal with on that and do it nicely. I feel that’s what drew me to cruising as nicely, since you work with individuals who have completely 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 arduous when you will have a child and have to go away for 4 months. I didn’t need to go away my household at house, however I didn’t need to go away 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 have 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 guardian firm, together with the Legend. What was that like?
I’ve been lucky to be surrounded my complete 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 modifications. You’re in a special setting. 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 Lodge Operations and Buying. I additionally labored for Holland America to assist drive efficiencies and effectiveness.
When Seaborn bought my three favourite ships, I used to be disillusioned. You at all times bear in mind your first ship. I advised 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 staff who have been all hopped up and pleased 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 regarded ahead to increasing my horizons as a result of working a fleet could be very completely different from working a resort operation. Inside operations key departments you oversee are security, setting, compliance, marine, technical operations and well being. I had some expertise in virtually all these areas, however beginning at Windstar as vp 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.
Moreover 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 Lodge Administration and Accounting from the College of Miami, and certificates from Harvard’s Kennedy Faculty, Cornell College, and the Greater 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 function. She is aware of this isn’t a standard job; I journey quite a bit and she or he runs issues at house so I can concentrate on my job. The actual fact is I’m completely positive that with out Silke’s help I might not be on this place in the present day.
Have you ever ever thought of recreating your unique cruise line function of being a waiter? Would you ever shock the crew and friends on certainly one of your ships?
I completely will give it some thought! I in all probability 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 number of years in the past, which was quite a bit tougher than you’d suppose. And it could be that I’ve forgotten greater than I ever discovered about being a waiter (and our workforce has actually advanced and surpassed that period). Working a complete dinner service? Makes me nervous, however I sort of like the thought. It could possibly be a cool shock to the workforce and friends.
