It is easy talking to Johan Groothuizen, Holland America Line (HAL) vice president marine hotel operations. He is obviously passionate about what he does and totally dedicated to providing HAL passengers with what they want whenever possible. To put it simply, he says: “We try to adapt to what our guests really want.”
In order to achieve this, a ‘guest’ team meets every three to four weeks to assess what needs to be changed and what should stay. Much of the information comes from guest satisfaction surveys (GSS) which are handed out to passengers at the end of each cruise. The scores and comments give rise to action items at the meetings and enabling HAL to keep on top of guest feedback, with a great deal more coming from focus groups which are run by the marketing team. Groothuizen says: “We are sensitive to it and do make changes.”
When asked about today’s biggest challenge, Groothuizen said it is accommodating more non-North Americans. Five or six years ago this group accounted for only two to three per cent of passengers but it is now possible to have a ship of mostly Spanish or 60 per cent to 70 per cent Dutch guests. “This creates a different atmosphere on the ship and we need to be sensitive to it.”
This may mean conducting the safety drill in Dutch as well as English if greater than 50 per cent of passengers are Dutch. Much of the onboard literature is now translated into Dutch, German and Spanish, while the safety booklet is printed in 15 languages. The company has recently begun Spanish classes at its school in the Philippines. And with Filipinos staffing the front office, it is important they can communicate with Spanish passengers. The three international concierges on board each ship also speak two languages in addition to English.
As a service to guests, crew name tags indicate the languages each individual speaks, apart from English. A dining room steward must score 90 per cent in English to be employed, while such a high score is not essential for a general attendant.
Languages are one thing but cultural differences are another, Groothuizen explains: “We try to educate the crew that it is not always the same all over the world. It is important to educate them in the different cultures. We are lucky in that respect as we work with one nationality (Indonesians) in hotel operations, so we can include classes in HAL’s school in Djakarta.”
Citing examples, Groothuizen says that Europeans drink more and dine later than Americans. Not only do they dine later but longer. Where Americans like to have their coffee between the main course and the dessert, Europeans prefer it at the end of the meal. Americans tend to want faster service than Europeans. The British like their tea served from a teapot and with milk. All these nuances need to be understood and catered too.
Due to the increasing number of multinational guests on board, the company recently introduced the master chef’s international dinner option on one evening of each cruise, featuring cuisine from six continents including North and South America, Asia, Australia, Europe and Africa.
Not many will argue that food is a vital component of any cruise but a major change in recent years has been the introduction of flexible dining. “This was really a response to Las Vegas where people have far more flexibility to choose dining times,” explained Groothuizen. HAL, like all the cruise lines, had been stuck in the two-seat dining for the last 100 years, while hotels and resorts allow guests to eat whenever they want.
A visit to Vegas resulted in HAL offering more dining options including the Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto and Tarmarind restaurants. Another initiative from the company is an exclusive agreement with Le Cirque restaurant in New York, to offer ‘An evening at Le Cirque’ in the Pinnacle Grill. HAL master chef Rudi Sodamin has been working with Le Cirque’s executive chef Craig Hopson to recreate the ambience of the legendary eatery.
On most voyages, the Pinnacle Grill is transformed for a night. Menu offerings, wine selections, restaurant settings including the orange china, flowers and photographs of past presidents, create a Le Cirque-like atmosphere. “To do this on all 15 ships will take six to seven months,” explained Groothuizen.
But another initiative being piloted is a chocolate bar on the Westerdam, which is a recreation of Jacques Torres’ chocolate shops in New York. “If it works we will roll it out fleet wide.” Torres is one of the five famous chefs on HAL’s culinary council, which is led by Sodamin.
Changes are taking place in dining room operations too. At the end of 2011, the company began a runner system where crew members are assigned to ‘run’ the main course from the galley to the table. This frees the dining room steward and assistant to give more time to the table. “It was done to upgrade the service. The relationship between the guest and the staff is what makes it. To have a steward elsewhere is not good.”
HAL has nearly completed these changes and Groothuizen explains that with a project such as this it is first implemented on one or two ships, before being rolled out to the fleet. There are still two ships remaining. Groothuizen says: “We had to change the curriculum in Djakarta. With 15 ships it takes some work.”
In the past, embarkation day meant passengers waiting in the lido before being able to enter their cabins, but that all changed last year when HAL introduced its stateroom direct service programme. “We felt guests had to wait too long to come to their staterooms on turnaround day.” So now cabins are ready for 11.30am giving guests immediate access once on board and with the last guests leaving the ship from 9.30am to 10am, this has been a major initiative. “It is planned by the minute, with a lot of crew involved to turn it around, including three people in one stateroom and dining room stewards helping to collect dirty linen. It works.” In the past, the lido was used as a holding area, but now guests can head directly to staterooms if they choose. “Some prefer to unpack first and then eat, so the passenger flow is much better.” It is also helps the crew, with stateroom attendants receiving get assistance from other departments. “There is not that panic any more. It is better orchestrated.”
Luggage gets to the staterooms earlier too. Previously, the crew waited until all staterooms were ready but now they can start the process at 10.30am and at 11.30am, delivery begins. “It is a better service for guests. We try to get the luggage to the cabins before the guests.”
And to the future? Groothuizen says: “I think it is more important than ever that your activities need to be relevant to the area the ship is sailing in. What you are doing for the guest experience needs to make sense. Not only the food, but there could be more local entertainment, printed materials and lectures more relevant to where the ship is.”
The line is already sourcing around 60 per cent of its produce locally, with 40 per cent brought to the ship in containers. For example on Maasdam’s Canada New England itineraries, the lobsters are purchased locally. “We need to do more of that because the guests expect it.”
Groothuizen sees the environment playing an increasingly important role and says: “There are certain things you cannot do any more, for example we need to bring down the amount of plastic used on the ships.” The company works with a manufacturer to produce still and sparkling water from its own resources, with the Natura brand served in carafes to minimise its use of plastics.
HAL has also replaced individual bottles of cabin toiletries with dispensers because it is more environmentally friendly. “In the beginning we were not sure how it would be accepted by guests. But now every bathroom has lotion, shampoo and liquid soap, in dispensers.” The products, branded HAL, are unique to the company with Groothuizen reporting ‘good feedback.’
It is clear that this is a not only is this a line listening to guest feedback on their needs, but is one that is going further and anticipating them too