| QUEEN MARY 2 |
| CUNARD |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
An Interview with
DIRK BRAND
Hotel Manager of QUEEN MARY 2
by Richard H. Wagner
Dirk Brand, a native of Germany who now lives in Spain, already has
an impressive list of accomplishments for such a young man. In addition
to managing the biggest department on the ocean liner QUEEN MARY
2, he has headed the hotel departments on some of the world's largest
cruise ships including GRAND PRINCESS, CARIBBEAN
PRINCESS, CORAL PRINCESS and DIAMOND PRINCESS.
Further proof of his ability to accomplish things in this area is that after
joining CROWN PRINCESS for her first season in the Baltic, he will
join RUBY PRINCESS during her construction in order to shape her
hotel department. All of this is on top of substantial experience with the
Crown Plaza & Intercontinental hotel chain.
On QUEEN MARY 2, the hotel manager is one of four senior "four
stripe" officers. The captain is in overall charge of the ship. The staff
captain is second in command and in charge of the deck department.
The chief engineer is responsible for the technical part of the operation.
However, the senior officer with the most direct impact on the
passengers is the hotel manager. "The hotel manager on a ship is
generally responsible for everything except the engine and the deck
department, which on the ocean liner QUEEN MARY 2 is pretty
massive at nearly 1,100 crew members on board. The medical
department, the entertainment, the food and beverage, the housekeeping,
all the concession areas, are the main areas. They are responsible as
departments to the revenue managers who run those departments and
oversee those departments and they work together and report to me."
The hotel manager is charged with ensuring that the ship delivers the
type of voyage that was promised in the line's promotional literature. In
doing this, he must act within the framework of the policies and
procedures set forth by the line's head office. "A uniform system is
important. If a guest is on one ship that runs the product this way and
[then comes on another ship in the fleet where] the management runs the
product a different way, the guest would say: 'Hey, hold on. Here's the
menu and this is all totally different. On one ship you provide this service
for free and on the other one you charge me for it.' So, there is a uniform
system in place which guarantees a similarly and a style which is the
copied throughout the fleet."
In addition, with modern technology, there is increased oversight and
communication between the head office and the ships. "There is a very
good, excellent communication and feedback and a very good support
and advisory role from the head office. There is clear guidance and
regulation for each company, policies and procedures but there is, of
course, a certain amount of freedom that we have on board where we
can manage and handle things in the interest of the guests. If there are
any questions, issues or advice that we need the head office is there as
well."
There must also be good communication within a ship. For example, if
there is bad weather ahead, it will affect not only the deck department's
navigation of the ship but also the serving of meals and the nightly
entertainment. Also, the decisions made by the senior officers and the
head office are meaningless unless they are communicated throughout the
chain of command. "There is a very good communication aboard
between the senior officers as well as in my team because at the end of
the day they are the ones who make it happen and they need to be
behind the idea and make the product successful."
Managing the hotel operations on a passenger ship is significantly
different than managing a hotel on shore. "It is a massive and a large
hotel. You don't find many hotels the size of an ocean liner like QUEEN
MARY 2 with nearly 3,000 guests and 1,260 crew members. The two
key things are: number one, the people live on the ship; it is a 24-hour
environment, it is their work and their time off. It is very important the
comradeship, the teamwork, working with each other and it is just
amazing to see how many different nationalities you have here and
different beliefs and interests and everybody works together happy as a
team. They live here, they know they are all on one ship, you need to
stick together."
"The other thing is the logistics. Here, especially on a transatlantic
crossing, six days at sea, we can't just call the suppliers and say 'hey, we
forgot the carrots, the butter and the sugar.' A lot of flexibility, a lot of
organization, a lot of planning. The quality of the service that you find
here, you wouldn't find in a shoreside hotel. Maybe in a small exclusive
hotel but not in a large hotel of this size, I don't think that exists ashore."
But, that was not always the case. When QUEEN MARY 2 first
debuted, which was prior to Mr. Brand's tenure, the service was not all
that could be desired on a premium ship. "I think first of all, every new
prototype, every new, really unique establishment - - and the QUEEN
MARY 2 being a totally, amazing and unique ocean liner, the first
prototype of its kind - - takes a little while to settle in. It is the normal
process regardless of if it is in the auto industry, the cruise industry, if it is
a new hotel, the crew members learn to settle in, they get used to a
routine."
In addition in seeking to remedy this problem, Cunard focused on
building crew morale. "I think it is important not to put too much
pressure on the crew. Let them do their jobs, let them do what they are
good in, what they have learned and what they trained. And it is part of
good morale to have a good management team who give them
recognition so they can be proud of the product. It is also important to
offer them as well a lot of programs in their free time, a lot of activities
because the crew lives on the ship. This is their home here. Other
people go out of their companies, go to the movies, go in the restaurant,
do their activities, meet with their friends, so it is important that we
provide those activities."
Indeed, Brand lists crew morale as a top priority "because a happy
crewman makes a happy guest. I think very important is the bonding
between the crew and the guests and we want to achieve the best service
we can provide -- excellent five-star plus service to provide to the
guests. [My goal is to] increase the guests' satisfaction and provide a
service that does not need even the guests to ask for it, be able to
provide it before."
On Cunard, the bonding is not just between passengers and waiters,
bartenders and stewards but includes the ship's officers as well. "Here,
the focus is very much on the guests. It is a tradition on Cunard, that is
why. I think the guests come back because there is a very close bond, a
very good, close bonding between the guests and the officers. It is still
one of the few companies in the world, the few lines, where we are
hosting tables [in the dining room] and have many, many functions and
parties in order to have good contact with [the guests] and recognition. I
think the guests enjoy it as well as the officers and everybody else who
participates in those functions. That is what makes Cunard very unique
and different to other products and I think, also QUEEN MARY to
other ships in the world."
Cunard is known as being a quintessentially British line with an
emphasis on a British tradition of service. How does Cunard maintain
that tradition when the majority of the crew is from countries other than
Britain? "I think many of the crew members have a tradition of
hospitality starting from when they were growing up. If it is India or
Asia, the people are coming from hospitality countries. If you do a
history, [there was] a lot of connection there with the U.K. [In addition,
while] the focus is still absolutely a British product and the tradition of
Cunard, I think a little bit of an international atmosphere onboard, if it is
from the crew, the international crew, helps to carry to the international
clientele that we have, which is very much mixed, many different
nationalities."
There is also training in the British/Cunard tradition of service. Cunard
uses various manning agencies located around the world who select
potential employees based upon criteria established by Cunard. The
people selected by the manning agencies often have a "background in the
hospitality industry, either in a five-star or first class hotel or even in the
cruise industry. In addition, we do White Star training onboard. We
have a White Star Academy where every new joiner goes through a
certain training program for some weeks [in which] we train them and
focus on the White Star service. Then, there is the day-to-day program.
Of course, within two or three weeks, you can't train somebody from
scratch to the final product. That is why it is important that management
train those people everyday. However, we, of course, want to make
sure that those guys are not tested on the guests. What we want is that
they provide the top service right away from the first moment, the first
impression. So, [the new people] learn in the 'back of the house.' The
back of the house dining is the crew area, petty officers mess, the officers
mess. They progress through the ranks. When they are ready, we let
them go to the front of the house."
With the QUEEN VICTORIA entering service, a substantial number
of QUEEN MARY 2's crew went to the new ship "to make sure she
starts out well." Brand believes affording the crew this opportunity was
good for crew morale. In addition service on QM2 did not suffer.
Replacements were brought in but the good morale on QM2 and nucleus
of veterans enabled QM2 to maintain the level of service.
Cunard will face the opposite problem when QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
leaves service in 2008. "Some crew will be coming over here. There
will be some crew members going over to QUEEN VICTORIA. There
might be some people who bring out the VICTORIA from the other
fleets [in the Carnival Corporation family], returning back to the other
fleets. So the QUEEN ELIZABETH's crew can either go on the
QUEEN VICTORIA or the QUEEN MARY."
Cunard is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. This allows Cunard
not only to call upon its sister companies for additional crew but also to
tap the sister companies for management expertise. Indeed, as indicated
earlier, Mr. Brand came to Cunard from sister company Princess
Cruises. While access to these resources is clearly beneficial from an
economic point of view, will this crosspollination lead to homogenization
of the companies? "The mother company has many different brands and
many different ships. However, the companies still run different
products, not similar though the entire fleet. With Cunard and the other
companies, you can see the difference. This is not to say that one is
better - - they are all unique and they are all amazing products and they
all provide an amazing service. It is just catering for a different kind of
guests, clientele, in my opinion. You tailor to whatever your guests wish.
There is a different dress code for example. The people here love to
dress and it is more formal than on other brands. For example, P&O
and Princess and other brands, people come there to be more casual.
Every product is different and has its unique way and caters for the
clientele and what the clientele wishes."
see who is doing what. You synergize some things which make sense
but the products will still remain as they are, I am pretty confident, and
will not be standardized and lose their character because that is the
whole idea - - to have the tradition and the character. That is why the
people come back to the companies. They do not want to have a copy
of this over there. I am pretty sure it will remain the same and that we
still focus and concentrate to be unique here at Cunard in particular.
[Even] if you can learn something from another company and it suits to
the product, you still have to tailor it to your product. You cannot copy
the same and put the same over here because it would not match and
would not work. Good ideas are [not always] born totally new, you see
something and tailor it around something in order to fit to a certain
product."
Cunard emphasizes tradition. However, that has not prevented the
company from innovating and adapting over time. Indeed, when Samuel
Cunard started the line in 1840 passengers were not the primary focus
rather it was to carry the mail. More recently, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
survived by evolving for 40 years when all of her contemporary ocean
liners were laid-up or removed from transatlantic service. This tradition
of gradual change is continuing on QUEEN MARY 2. "We are planning
a few projects for 2008 which we are reviewing at the moment. We are
progressing steadily in order to make new programs, new incentives and
new facilities. There will, for sure, next year be modifications and
changes made to the ship. Not in a major significant way because the
ship is amazing as it is and it is very complex, very unique and runs as a
solid unit by itself. But, for sure, there will be modifications made and
service improvements and also facilities. Every month and every day, we
improve in certain areas and we work on further. So, you will, for sure,
see some change. Nothing where you will say 'Oh my gosh, I do not
recall the ship anymore.' We always add new things and people always
ask for new things such as the computer technology, updates,
modifications, wireless. We are still learning. It is always a healthy
process of trying new things, staying with tradition but also trying new
ways as well."
an impressive list of accomplishments for such a young man. In addition
to managing the biggest department on the ocean liner QUEEN MARY
2, he has headed the hotel departments on some of the world's largest
cruise ships including GRAND PRINCESS, CARIBBEAN
PRINCESS, CORAL PRINCESS and DIAMOND PRINCESS.
Further proof of his ability to accomplish things in this area is that after
joining CROWN PRINCESS for her first season in the Baltic, he will
join RUBY PRINCESS during her construction in order to shape her
hotel department. All of this is on top of substantial experience with the
Crown Plaza & Intercontinental hotel chain.
On QUEEN MARY 2, the hotel manager is one of four senior "four
stripe" officers. The captain is in overall charge of the ship. The staff
captain is second in command and in charge of the deck department.
The chief engineer is responsible for the technical part of the operation.
However, the senior officer with the most direct impact on the
passengers is the hotel manager. "The hotel manager on a ship is
generally responsible for everything except the engine and the deck
department, which on the ocean liner QUEEN MARY 2 is pretty
massive at nearly 1,100 crew members on board. The medical
department, the entertainment, the food and beverage, the housekeeping,
all the concession areas, are the main areas. They are responsible as
departments to the revenue managers who run those departments and
oversee those departments and they work together and report to me."
The hotel manager is charged with ensuring that the ship delivers the
type of voyage that was promised in the line's promotional literature. In
doing this, he must act within the framework of the policies and
procedures set forth by the line's head office. "A uniform system is
important. If a guest is on one ship that runs the product this way and
[then comes on another ship in the fleet where] the management runs the
product a different way, the guest would say: 'Hey, hold on. Here's the
menu and this is all totally different. On one ship you provide this service
for free and on the other one you charge me for it.' So, there is a uniform
system in place which guarantees a similarly and a style which is the
copied throughout the fleet."
In addition, with modern technology, there is increased oversight and
communication between the head office and the ships. "There is a very
good, excellent communication and feedback and a very good support
and advisory role from the head office. There is clear guidance and
regulation for each company, policies and procedures but there is, of
course, a certain amount of freedom that we have on board where we
can manage and handle things in the interest of the guests. If there are
any questions, issues or advice that we need the head office is there as
well."
There must also be good communication within a ship. For example, if
there is bad weather ahead, it will affect not only the deck department's
navigation of the ship but also the serving of meals and the nightly
entertainment. Also, the decisions made by the senior officers and the
head office are meaningless unless they are communicated throughout the
chain of command. "There is a very good communication aboard
between the senior officers as well as in my team because at the end of
the day they are the ones who make it happen and they need to be
behind the idea and make the product successful."
Managing the hotel operations on a passenger ship is significantly
different than managing a hotel on shore. "It is a massive and a large
hotel. You don't find many hotels the size of an ocean liner like QUEEN
MARY 2 with nearly 3,000 guests and 1,260 crew members. The two
key things are: number one, the people live on the ship; it is a 24-hour
environment, it is their work and their time off. It is very important the
comradeship, the teamwork, working with each other and it is just
amazing to see how many different nationalities you have here and
different beliefs and interests and everybody works together happy as a
team. They live here, they know they are all on one ship, you need to
stick together."
"The other thing is the logistics. Here, especially on a transatlantic
crossing, six days at sea, we can't just call the suppliers and say 'hey, we
forgot the carrots, the butter and the sugar.' A lot of flexibility, a lot of
organization, a lot of planning. The quality of the service that you find
here, you wouldn't find in a shoreside hotel. Maybe in a small exclusive
hotel but not in a large hotel of this size, I don't think that exists ashore."
But, that was not always the case. When QUEEN MARY 2 first
debuted, which was prior to Mr. Brand's tenure, the service was not all
that could be desired on a premium ship. "I think first of all, every new
prototype, every new, really unique establishment - - and the QUEEN
MARY 2 being a totally, amazing and unique ocean liner, the first
prototype of its kind - - takes a little while to settle in. It is the normal
process regardless of if it is in the auto industry, the cruise industry, if it is
a new hotel, the crew members learn to settle in, they get used to a
routine."
In addition in seeking to remedy this problem, Cunard focused on
building crew morale. "I think it is important not to put too much
pressure on the crew. Let them do their jobs, let them do what they are
good in, what they have learned and what they trained. And it is part of
good morale to have a good management team who give them
recognition so they can be proud of the product. It is also important to
offer them as well a lot of programs in their free time, a lot of activities
because the crew lives on the ship. This is their home here. Other
people go out of their companies, go to the movies, go in the restaurant,
do their activities, meet with their friends, so it is important that we
provide those activities."
Indeed, Brand lists crew morale as a top priority "because a happy
crewman makes a happy guest. I think very important is the bonding
between the crew and the guests and we want to achieve the best service
we can provide -- excellent five-star plus service to provide to the
guests. [My goal is to] increase the guests' satisfaction and provide a
service that does not need even the guests to ask for it, be able to
provide it before."
On Cunard, the bonding is not just between passengers and waiters,
bartenders and stewards but includes the ship's officers as well. "Here,
the focus is very much on the guests. It is a tradition on Cunard, that is
why. I think the guests come back because there is a very close bond, a
very good, close bonding between the guests and the officers. It is still
one of the few companies in the world, the few lines, where we are
hosting tables [in the dining room] and have many, many functions and
parties in order to have good contact with [the guests] and recognition. I
think the guests enjoy it as well as the officers and everybody else who
participates in those functions. That is what makes Cunard very unique
and different to other products and I think, also QUEEN MARY to
other ships in the world."
Cunard is known as being a quintessentially British line with an
emphasis on a British tradition of service. How does Cunard maintain
that tradition when the majority of the crew is from countries other than
Britain? "I think many of the crew members have a tradition of
hospitality starting from when they were growing up. If it is India or
Asia, the people are coming from hospitality countries. If you do a
history, [there was] a lot of connection there with the U.K. [In addition,
while] the focus is still absolutely a British product and the tradition of
Cunard, I think a little bit of an international atmosphere onboard, if it is
from the crew, the international crew, helps to carry to the international
clientele that we have, which is very much mixed, many different
nationalities."
There is also training in the British/Cunard tradition of service. Cunard
uses various manning agencies located around the world who select
potential employees based upon criteria established by Cunard. The
people selected by the manning agencies often have a "background in the
hospitality industry, either in a five-star or first class hotel or even in the
cruise industry. In addition, we do White Star training onboard. We
have a White Star Academy where every new joiner goes through a
certain training program for some weeks [in which] we train them and
focus on the White Star service. Then, there is the day-to-day program.
Of course, within two or three weeks, you can't train somebody from
scratch to the final product. That is why it is important that management
train those people everyday. However, we, of course, want to make
sure that those guys are not tested on the guests. What we want is that
they provide the top service right away from the first moment, the first
impression. So, [the new people] learn in the 'back of the house.' The
back of the house dining is the crew area, petty officers mess, the officers
mess. They progress through the ranks. When they are ready, we let
them go to the front of the house."
With the QUEEN VICTORIA entering service, a substantial number
of QUEEN MARY 2's crew went to the new ship "to make sure she
starts out well." Brand believes affording the crew this opportunity was
good for crew morale. In addition service on QM2 did not suffer.
Replacements were brought in but the good morale on QM2 and nucleus
of veterans enabled QM2 to maintain the level of service.
Cunard will face the opposite problem when QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
leaves service in 2008. "Some crew will be coming over here. There
will be some crew members going over to QUEEN VICTORIA. There
might be some people who bring out the VICTORIA from the other
fleets [in the Carnival Corporation family], returning back to the other
fleets. So the QUEEN ELIZABETH's crew can either go on the
QUEEN VICTORIA or the QUEEN MARY."
Cunard is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation. This allows Cunard
not only to call upon its sister companies for additional crew but also to
tap the sister companies for management expertise. Indeed, as indicated
earlier, Mr. Brand came to Cunard from sister company Princess
Cruises. While access to these resources is clearly beneficial from an
economic point of view, will this crosspollination lead to homogenization
of the companies? "The mother company has many different brands and
many different ships. However, the companies still run different
products, not similar though the entire fleet. With Cunard and the other
companies, you can see the difference. This is not to say that one is
better - - they are all unique and they are all amazing products and they
all provide an amazing service. It is just catering for a different kind of
guests, clientele, in my opinion. You tailor to whatever your guests wish.
There is a different dress code for example. The people here love to
dress and it is more formal than on other brands. For example, P&O
and Princess and other brands, people come there to be more casual.
Every product is different and has its unique way and caters for the
clientele and what the clientele wishes."
see who is doing what. You synergize some things which make sense
but the products will still remain as they are, I am pretty confident, and
will not be standardized and lose their character because that is the
whole idea - - to have the tradition and the character. That is why the
people come back to the companies. They do not want to have a copy
of this over there. I am pretty sure it will remain the same and that we
still focus and concentrate to be unique here at Cunard in particular.
[Even] if you can learn something from another company and it suits to
the product, you still have to tailor it to your product. You cannot copy
the same and put the same over here because it would not match and
would not work. Good ideas are [not always] born totally new, you see
something and tailor it around something in order to fit to a certain
product."
Cunard emphasizes tradition. However, that has not prevented the
company from innovating and adapting over time. Indeed, when Samuel
Cunard started the line in 1840 passengers were not the primary focus
rather it was to carry the mail. More recently, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2
survived by evolving for 40 years when all of her contemporary ocean
liners were laid-up or removed from transatlantic service. This tradition
of gradual change is continuing on QUEEN MARY 2. "We are planning
a few projects for 2008 which we are reviewing at the moment. We are
progressing steadily in order to make new programs, new incentives and
new facilities. There will, for sure, next year be modifications and
changes made to the ship. Not in a major significant way because the
ship is amazing as it is and it is very complex, very unique and runs as a
solid unit by itself. But, for sure, there will be modifications made and
service improvements and also facilities. Every month and every day, we
improve in certain areas and we work on further. So, you will, for sure,
see some change. Nothing where you will say 'Oh my gosh, I do not
recall the ship anymore.' We always add new things and people always
ask for new things such as the computer technology, updates,
modifications, wireless. We are still learning. It is always a healthy
process of trying new things, staying with tradition but also trying new
ways as well."
Hotel Manager Dirk Brand
There are more photos of the interior
of QM2 in the QM2 Photo Tour and
Commentary
CLICK HERE
of QM2 in the QM2 Photo Tour and
Commentary
CLICK HERE
| CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR LARGER VIEWS |
The chefs parade in the Britannia
Restaurant on the last formal night of a
voyage. Brand believes it is important
for crew morale that the crew received
recognition for their work.
Restaurant on the last formal night of a
voyage. Brand believes it is important
for crew morale that the crew received
recognition for their work.
The hotel manager's responsibilities
include making sure that past guests feel
welcome when they return to the ship.
include making sure that past guests feel
welcome when they return to the ship.
QM2 attracts guests from all over the
world. Accordingly, the hotel department
includes international hostesses who
translate announcements and ensure that
guests from non-English speaking
countries feel included.
world. Accordingly, the hotel department
includes international hostesses who
translate announcements and ensure that
guests from non-English speaking
countries feel included.
Less glamorous but vital, the hotel
manager must ensure that the ship has all
of the housekeeping supplies, food and
beverages, and other items that his
department will need during the course of
a voyage.
manager must ensure that the ship has all
of the housekeeping supplies, food and
beverages, and other items that his
department will need during the course of
a voyage.
Brand has worked to ensure that QM2
maintains her reputation for elegance in
dining.
maintains her reputation for elegance in
dining.
Brand began his career at sea on
subsequently became Passenger
Services Director in charge of her
hotel department. While he believes
the Princess ships are "amazing"
products, he recognizes that QM2 is
much different than those ships and
that the passengers who sail on QM2
are looking for a different type of
cruise experience.
subsequently became Passenger
Services Director in charge of her
hotel department. While he believes
the Princess ships are "amazing"
products, he recognizes that QM2 is
much different than those ships and
that the passengers who sail on QM2
are looking for a different type of
cruise experience.