Cruise & Ferry Review - Spring/Summer 2021

6 0 and service to create the optimal galley arrangement has been a great privilege.” Already well established in Scandinavia and parts of Europe, Albatros Expeditions has more recently built a strong distribution network in China to meet the nation’s appetite for Antarctica adventures. “Readying the ship to implement a new food and hotel concept can take three months, so our close relationship gives us the time and support that we need to guarantee we’re able to delight a different passenger demographic,” says Wertanzl. “Albatros Expeditions has a team of serial innovators and we have to keep pace with the brand’s desire to refresh the food, entertainment and service concepts. If anyone in the team sees something they like and think might work on the ships, they give us a call and we analyse whether we can make it work onboard.” Achieving and sustaining excellence in hotel management is an onerous task, but CMI Leisure relishes the daily challenge and is renowned for its expertise and attention to detail. “Excellence is achieved by people, and recruiting and training great people is our core strength,” explains Wertanzl. “We take charge of the entire hotel management operation, planning every detail, but we rely on our onboard teams to achieve the highest standards of work and service every day.” Noting that a high-performing expedition cruise crew will turn happy passengers into brand ambassadors, he adds: “This is a competitive environment and every edge counts – if our competitors are offering a mushroom risotto, we add truffle to the risotto! That’s why we take extra care in recruitment and training so we can guarantee that our crew are prepared and willing to deliver amazing vacations.” CFR CMI Leisure has helped Albatros Expeditions to create an appealing culinary offering and train crew members for its new ships INTERV IEW