Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

5 7 Hanseatic inspiration and Hanseatic nature both feature extendable glass balconies created by Brombach + Gess to maximise views of the ocean and marine wildlife The vital part the crew plays in delivering that satisfaction is likely to be more important now than ever. Given the present cross-border travel difficulties, HLC has had to carefully manage crew recruitment and retention strategies. Pfitzner explains: “We are working closely with our crewing partners and are currently able to handle the cross-border travel difficulties quite well. The fact that – together with our partners – we were able to offer our entire crew a vaccination already is very helpful and beneficial in this matter.” Looking towards the future, Pfitzner plans to capitalise on his previous experience with HLC to ensure the brand continues to grow successfully. As director product management, for example, Pfitzner was heavily involved in the design, production and delivery of Europa 2 in 2013. At the time he commented: “The general challenge of the ship is that it has to be the best floating on the seven seas when it is completed.” The ship certainly achieved this goal, making it easy to see why Pfitzner was chosen for his new role. “Having had the pleasure to work with the team for over 10 years and share many joint achievements, as well as being able to work closely with my predecessor [Karl J. Pojer] and learn from him, I trust that I can perform this task,” he says. “Taking HLC into a successful future is a task that our entire onboard and onshore teams are working on intensively – and very passionately – every day. It is a great honour for me to perform this task in my new role as CEO.” CFR “ We are currently seeing even more increased levels of customer satisfaction”