Page 21: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2002)

Personal Profile • Dietmar Wertanzl

Where Everyone is A Celebrity

That is the basic business principle that has sustained

Dietmar Wertanzl, senior VP of Fleet operations for

Celebrity Cruises, since he began his career with the industry in the late 1970''s. Not even 30-years old, Wer- tanzl began on what was then known as Norwegian

America Line's Vistafjord as a dining room steward, so swept up by the magic of sea travel.

By Regina P. Ciardiello, managing editor

Wertanzl's philosophy is simple. Treat your employ- ees and customers the way that you would want to be treated. He always falls back on this simple notion: In order to run a successful fleet — from both the hospi- tality and technical end — everyone must work togeth- er to educate one another. In fact, Wertanzl swears by three components that he says are key to running a suc- cessful fleet: "With people, Through people, For peo- ple." According to Wertanzl it is the people — both customers and staff — from the vessel's master, to the wait staff in the ship's restaurant, who make the brand what it is. "The key to a successful fleet starts with cus- tomer satisfaction," Wertanzl said. "Just think of it as an upside down pyramid, except your guests are on the top, and executives are at the bottom. We're all work- ing toward a common goal, which is a customer-ori- ented philosophy with one link that combines nine ships into an entire fleet."

This "one ship concept" is the model for the rest of the Celebrity fleet. New technology and a high level of management, or the goals and values that are present on one Celebrity vessel — is the basis for an entire fleet.

More Than Just A Job

For Wertanzl, his ties to the cruise industry are both professional and personal. It was through his love of travel, and through his interest in the glamour of clas- sic ocean liners, he became enamored by the high seas. "I was always fascinated by old ocean liners," Wertan- zl said. "I always envisioned myself somewhere in the travel and hospitality industry" His inspiration was fur- thered by a quote, which he lives by that was once said by the German philosopher Goethe, "If you haven't traveled, you've only read one page in the book," he added. Little did he know that several years later, he would turn his passion into a building block towards his career in the cruise industry.

So Wertanzl, eager and ready to learn — entered hotel management school in his native Austria — sub- sequently landing his first job on the Vistajford as a dining room steward. Much of Wertanzl's business and management philosophies and styles were formed dur- ing his early days when he based his ambitions and work ethics on the advice and experience of his elders and contemporaries — a role, which he now has fallen into in his current position.

Prior to joining Celebrity this past May, Wertanzl, served as senior vice president of Hotel Operations at

Crystal Cruises — a position that was as fresh as it was challenging. Wertanzl supervised the hotel end of this new line, which at that time consisted of two vessels —

Crystal Harmony and Symphony. While Wertanzl is quick to mention that the time he spent at Crystal was one that was unique and special, he was ready to accept

Celebrity challenge this past spring when he was tapped by the line to take on his current position, which requires him to meld his hospitality skills with his tech- nical knowledge.

Wanting to "make a difference" and to give some- thing back to the industry that has been so kind to him,

Wertanzl, desires to make a difference. He wants to not only be the best at his profession, but wants his staff to follow in his footsteps. Therefore, he has taken on the role of not only manager, but also as an advisor, men- tor and role model to newly-hired staff, who now wear the same set of shoes that he did coming out of hotel school. As an unofficial "spokesperson" for the cruise industry, Wertanzl stresses to his contemporaries that this is an industry that is a lifestyle — as well as a job.

Meaning that you must really love what you do and be driven — in order to succeed. This type of "passion" is reflexive of a trio of components that encompass Wer- tanzl's "Three Ship Segment" or simply stated: "Three

S's - safety, service and style. According to Wertanzl, if these three items feed of each other, the rest will fall

Celebrity's senior VP of Fleet Operations, Dietmar Wertanzl, models his work ethic according to these three components: "With People, Through People, For People." into place. "They (the 3 S's) all differ, but they all have to blend together," Wertanzl said.

While it's true that the technical engineers and offi- cers onboard all Celebrity vessels must work to ensure that all classification and regulatory items are met for safe sailing, they also must understand the style and service end as well. As should someone such as a din-

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