FLEETFLASH
March 2019 ____
Sharing stories
From our team to our team
Kick off 2019 ____
Blue and White Ball 2019 ____
Introducing our new colleagues ____
Many more stories to share!
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DEAR ALL, A few weeks ago, we successfully completed our kickoff meeting 2019. I thoroughly enjoy this busy and very productive time and this meeting gets better every year. A big thank you to all that put so much hard work into the organisation as well as all the high quality trainings. The highlight was, as every year, our “Blue and White Ball and Awards Gala” in Cologne with the Family Tollman present. You will find pictures and more about the kickoff and the Ball in this FleetFlash… The theme this year at the kickoff and season to come is “Our People, Our Culture”. You are all receiving a book and pocket card that explains more about our unique culture at Uniworld and U River Cruises, how we interact and treat our guests and each other, and what kind of behaviours and skills are expected. The pocket card is designed to be carried all the time as a reminder of the most important messages around our culture. The book has more details and tips on how to use this valuable tool. It also includes the skills and behaviours that we need to display to be able to follow our guiding principles (the common values), express our mission (who we are) and reach our vision (where we are going). It should help when looking for answers and making decisions in difficult times and if there is conflict or doubt, but also applies when somebody deserves to be celebrated. I am also very saddened by the passing away of Michel Knorr, who has been a valued long-time colleague, respected mentor and good friend for many. Michel has been with Uniworld for many years and in his position as corporate executive chef was instrumental in helping to create what Uniworld is now. We will miss him greatly and remember his love for food, his passion for working with the teams in the galley and his ability to teach people the skills of a great chef. Our thoughts are with his family and friends in these difficult times. For many of us the season has just started or will start very soon. I wish you all good luck and a smooth season. Keep up the good work, look after our guests and each other, and above all be respectful to the people you are in contact with, the equipment and tools you work with, and of course the environment around you!
Best regards,
Ben Wirz Managing Director, GRC Global River Cruises GmbH 2
Some Statistics‌
Actual occupancy per ship 100% 90%
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
0% JV
MT
BV
SC
RC
RD
RE
2019
RP
RQ
SB
SA
TA
TB
2018
We see much better occupancy compared to the same time last year on the Bon Voyage, the Countess, the Duchess, the Beatrice and particularly The A, while ships like the Maria Theresa, the Empress, the Queen and the Antoinette are slightly below 2018. Overall, we still have 2.5% more guests booked for 2019 as at the same time last year for the 2018 season which is a strong result. Those numbers will increase as bookings for this starting season continue. There is an increased tendency to book shorter 7 day cruises rather than longer ones, probably due to The A´s itineraries.
Number of guests and length of cruise
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2019
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2018
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF Filled with sadness, I did reive yesterday late afternoon the message that our dear colleague Corporate Executive Chef Michel Knorr left us forever.
All those had the pleasure working side by side with Michel, can agree on and truly being aware of what a unique & wonderful person he was. Such a great professional, a passionate Chef from the bottom of his heart, a person loved to live, eat, celebrate, life, laughing, and in tireless loops talking about food which takes always a bigger role in his account and which made him so special. I am going back to when I had the pleasure to meet him in 2009 first time, by that time he become Corporate Chef at Uniworld, his breast filled with proudness and energy, moving forward with positivity to deliver best of culinary always. I am taken into account, that for me, Michel was always a kind of classy chef, such a “Bocuse” in the team and the company. His passion and love being a chef was leading his signature, especially on the French side of our operation. He loved travelling, teaching, coaching the on-board cooks & staff. He loves and shared my passion with Asia, he just had been couple of month ago on a trip in Vietnam & Thailand, and I remember every single word he mentioned after his return, filled with the umami of various ingredients including spices, herbs, the smell of curries, either French cheeses and Foie gras was rarely missing in it, so touchy, and it was crystal clear that there is always the Chef which came through in him. Yep, so many stories and so many memories all over the years, which will always be treasured and not forgotten. Well, what can I say, I am smashed, to see he become in such a short time a follower of his friend and our colleague Mirko Peters. Well I don’t know if those are the right words, however it looks like they are sitting know on a round wooden table, sharing some trays of Kölsch, Killepitsch and plenty of beloved “Mettbrötchen” (kind of Cologne Tappas)
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Michel is the second loss in the culinary row, not even 6 months in between since Mirko funeral. All I can say at know, it only hurts, I do apologize while I am writing this tear running over my cheeks. …… If there is a Lord existing in this world, please, - I raise the voice “It’s enough” !!! Dear colleagues & friends, raise a glass or take a moment to think of him RIP ,- you will be sorely missed by so many of us!
Workshop and culinary testing with Michelin star chef Phillip Etchebest St Emillion 2013
Culinary Corporate and Senior league 2013
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Kick Off 2015
Auch wenn die Beiden M&M`s aussen stehen, - ÂŤAussenseiterÂť waren Sie Nie !
Kick Off 2013
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KO 2010
KO 2018
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MAVERICKS Who are the Mavericks? We are described as “A group of interested and creative minds that communicate regularly”. Always looking for new approaches to make your work and life onboard more comfortable, interesting and inspiring.
Mavericks’ achievements so far: Introduced the onboarding Listening to the crew with the suggestion box Twice shortlisted for the best new comer in Investors in People Introduced the FAMtastic program Involvement in charity events, Corporate Social Responsibility - Initiate actions to support local communities in the countries we are sailing and in Rheinfelden Re-instatement of a Fun FleetFlash newsletter to all crew every two months Re-instatement of Employee of the month
Would you like to join us and look for new approaches to make the life onboard more comfortable? One time in six weeks we will have a skype call! Send an email to michael.teller@uniworld.com and join the Mavericks!
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MEET JOKE DE BRUYN DIRECTOR HOTEL OPERATIONS Everybody knows Joke, so we thought we ask for a bit more background information of our Director Hotel Operations and Uniworld Ambassador 2018.
Do you remember how you find out about Uniworld? The first time I found out and worked with Uniworld was in 1997 when Uniworld charted the ship that I was working on, the MV Rembrandt van Rijn. It was my first experience with American guests as before I only worked with English guest from the company Swan Hellenic and of course Dutch guests a few weeks in the year. In these days there where not many ships and the American market just started to discover the possibilities of river cruising. The second time I got in contact with Uniworld was in 2009 when I joined as Hotel Manager on the River Duchess.
What is your function in the company? Through the years I made career from Hotel Manager to Corporate Hotel Manager and in 2016 I became Director Hotel Operations. With a great team of Corporates, Seniors, Hotel Managers, the office and the onboard teams we are all responsible for making the cruising experiences of our guests a memorable one. I am so happy that when I visit the ships to see so many familiar faces of person that I know for so many years. It is great to see some of the crew that are in the position they in as they fit in that position simply the best - we know that when they are onboard things will run smooth, we could not do it without them. Others have also grown in different positions and this is an absolute pleasure to see.
How does a regular day for you look like? My day is never the same! That is one of the attractive parts of my job besides the travelling. If I am on a train station and see persons waiting for a train, it looks like they take that same train each day, at that moment I realize how blessed I am with my work. Never a dull moment. During the season my days are different then during the winter. During the winter I can be found on a shipyard, harbors, Rheinfelden office, home office however during the season I try to be as much as possible of course on the ships. As long as I have my laptop and my phone I can work where it is needed and where the divers situations are bringing me to. 9
What inspires you? Inspiration during, and for my work is extremely important for me as a huge part of my life I am devoting to my work. There are a few things that inspire me but most important is the contact with all the colleagues onboard the ships. Some I only see once a year, some more often and as mentioned before I know a lot of crew already for years! It is great to hear about their families, see pictures and to get to know about the children that are born and daily information that happened to them with our guests. Very inspiring is to see how everybody is devoted to their job, to see our beautiful ships and the guests enjoying their time with us. The little things I can do to help people, to inspire them, to support them so all can do their task in a smooth way, and all the energy I am receiving back from them is the most important inspiration for me, it keeps me motivated. I know as long as we keep Our Culture alive we will always be successful.
What do you like to do outside of work? Besides my work I like to do gardening, this is for me very relaxing and makes me calm. The spring and early summer are the times I love the garden the most as it comes with its many flowers. By the way the only color of flowers I allow in my garden are Yellow, White and Blue đ&#x;˜Š Why‌‌.. no idea anymore but have this already for many years like that‌.. somehow it means harmony for me and another color is interfering this. Furthermore if I allow myself the time, I like to do Yoga, Reading books - for example true stories, thrillers- . YES travelling around the world and of course to work on my old farmhouse.
Any message for the ships? A new season not only for the persons on the ships but also in our offices, it seems to some that there is not a day different in the office, this is incorrect, also in our offices the daily tasks are different during the season and the winter time. A different vibe when the season starts is for every employee in Uniworld the same. I would like to ask everybody to respect each other and to be open for all our different personalities and adapt to this. Never forget we are a team and we need each other, if we would all be the same we will never have success, each good running team needs different personalities and please all realize that is simply a fact and be open for it. Never forget where you came from and never forget the first day you started to work in a new place, embrace our new colleagues with Our Culture and let them adapt in their own time. Some need more time than others, still they can be that colleague that you would sit with in 5 years laughing and having fun‌. Do you remember when you started?? Have a great season everyone!!
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INTRODUCING TO YOU EDWARD BLANCO CORPORATE CHEF Edward found out about Uniworld through a close friend and colleague. His first impression of Uniworld was great. He finds the company family orientated, it has a great reputation in the industry with a number of well deserved accolades and recognitions for standard and quality. We asked him a few other questions. What did you do before you joined Uniworld? I began my culinary career working for Gordon Ramsay in London as an apprentice for nearly 2 years. After I worked for Nobu in London, moved to Tokyo a year later and worked for Alain Ducasse in his flagship restaurant Beige for 2 years. Following this time I travelled to Barcelona and worked with the AdriĂ brothers in the Bulli for 1 year before moving to Valencia to open 3 restaurants of my own. I have consulted on various projects internationally working for the Kuwatii Royal Family amongst other important contracts. In July 2015, I left Spain with my family and moved to Berlin where I began working for Holland America as Fleet Executive Chef until joining the Uniworld family in January 2019. What inspires you? The knowledge that I can give back what I have learnt over the years in the industry and mentoring and developing the skills and techniques of others and ultimately sharing in their future successes in their respective professional futures. What do you like to do outside of work? Spending time with my 2 girls, sports - especially rugby and cricket -(I think my English side is to blame for this) Besides that I am continuously learning about gastronomy. Any message for the ships? Our success as a company is the responsibility of the every crew member onboard. We must endeavor on a daily basis to surpass the expectations of our guests in every area of the operation. Pride as professionals is what will set us apart in the industry. 11
INTRODUCING TO YOU MICHAEL KOTAS
CORPORATE PASTRY CHEF When on holiday, Michael was looking for a new adventure. He saw the application for a Corporate Pastry Chef and applied for Uniworld. You will meet him on the ships as he will try to visit all of them this season, to provide help and knowledge. What was your first impression about the company? A very warm welcome from all sides, we had a wonderful Culinary Summit in Linz. It is one of the most important things to meet the whole culinary department in one place, get them know them and work with them. What did you do before you joined Uniworld? I started my culinary adventure when I was 16, working in a small bakery as a Baker. After three years bakery school I moved to work as a Pastry Chef in family pastry shop. When I was 20 I moved to London where I worked as a Head baker and Pastry Chef in the Hyatt Hotel. After a 1.5 Years I decided to see the world and started to work on Cruise Ships. My first job was on the blue water when I worked for Crystal Cruise, Regent Seven Seas, Sea Cloud, and Hapag – Lloyd MS Europa. After I left the oceans, moved to Austria and worked for DO&CO, which is a Catering company in the position of Corporate Pastry and Baker. We did events like Formel 1 & Euro 12. After that time I also opened establishments in New York, London, and Moscow where I spend always some months. In 2016 I got a fantastic offer from one of my previous Directors and started on Holland America Line in the position of Corporate Baker & Pastry. What inspires you? To make people happy with a sweet spot. Looking back to where I started, thinking about my first boss, he inspired me a lot. He helped me to be professional and showed me the passion for this job. What do you like to do outside of work? Outside work I have only one second big passion – My Car -, I love to drive, to clean and to talk about it. Because of this I have at that moment 5 Cars. Any message for the ships? First of all thanks to everyone for the very warm welcome. I would like to wish everybody a great season, great guest and a family atmosphere on board. Looking forward to meeting all in the following months on my visitis to our beautiful ships.
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KICK AFTER In November 2018 we held a 2 day session to go over all the points that the office and onboard teams had send it as suggestions. We made mixed groups from all the departments and some heavy and successful discussions came out of this. All participants realized that, when you need to keep in mind the entire picture, it is not always easy. If we would have a way to bring it earlier to the persons involved things may have been implement or solved much faster. There were also some points that could easily be organized by the office or onboard management to organize this, if they would only know. So we like to address again the Suggestion box to you all as with this tool we can react in some cases much faster. You will always receive an answer to your suggestion so you will know if it can be changed on the spot or if we need to do some background searching or if costs are involved we may need to postpone it to the next year if possible. Some points in place:
Nautical team was asking for professional labels for the keys from the bikes : as been ordered will arrive soon Housekeeping department requested a different tittle of their positions and this has been implemented. Better communication about charters and groups, we were able to have our LA team to come over and to do some sessions with the ones involved. Rheinfelden employees to show the ship to family members while in Basel, procedure explained as it was always possible but somehow not communicated. High topic has been the time management and smoking therefor we implemented the 10:00 am and 03:00 pm break. Embarkation lunch timings is for onboard management according arrivals.
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OUR SUGGESTION BOX
https://uniworld.typeform.com/to/VCLJam
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IMPRESSIONS KICK OFF 2019
Introductions
Arrivals to Dusseldorf
Our onboard teams working hard!
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Wellbeing Sessions
Housekeeping Sessions
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Hotel Managers Sessions
Captains Sessions
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Culinary
Restaurant & Bar & Butlers
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People and Culture Sessions &
Carving our Culture Day
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And don’t forget to have fun!
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IMPRESSIONS BLUE & WHITE BALL 2019
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UNIWORLD AWARDS 2019
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BABY NEWS Our Managing Director Ben Wirz welcomed his second girl into the family, Eloise! Born on the 2nd of February, Welcome to the world, little one! So many happy and wonder-filled times ahead for you‌Congratulations!
Born on the 13th of December, Sophie Anna Plaatje. Daughter of Anna Hlavova and Captain Henk Jan Plaatje. Little sis of proud big sister Hannah Plaatje! We can’t wait to see that sweet little smile!
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Norman Henry was born at 3600g and 51cm on the 26th of March. Son of Financial Director Heinz Schertenleib and his wife. We wish the family lots of love and happiness!
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ANOTHER GREAT STORY TO SHARE
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INTRODUCING H R ïƒ PEOPLE AND CULTURE P&C
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UNIWORLD AND U IN THE NEWS Please take a moment to read some articles about Uniworld and U River Cruises! Uniworld and the empty chair U River Cruises Rocking the Boat U by Uniworld is now U River Cruises The French Connection - Uniworld on the Rhone New launches for 2020
NEXT EDITION Send an email to
fleetflash@uniworld.com with your wedding, baby, promotion news or any other story you would like to share!
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