Expanding vs. Keeping Staff Quality/Experience??

[TLCOhio]

From our experiences in doing five cruises with Silversea, we value and remember the outstanding and best crew members. Great folks . . . friendly, helpful, responsive and skilled. BUT, as we experienced during our June cruise on the Silver Spirt (and during other sailing with other lines), not all of the staff are as experienced and skilled. It's reality!! It happens. BUT, as Silversea seeks to go to ten, twelve or more ships, how does your cruise line . . . maintain that top quality level?? Not all crew members are equal in being "super outstanding". How does SS spread around its "best of the best" stars?

 

In the Spring with the launch of the Muse, Carolyn, the skilled CC Editor, made a number of posts and answered various questions. I asked about maintaining that high quality level with your staffing for the future. Carolyn wisely replied: "I think the big challenge for them is going to be how to make each ship fairly consistent so that you're getting a similar experience regardless of the vessel."

 

From our June Silver Spirit experience, I did not sense that all of the best from that ship had been taken away and shifted to the newest SS ship. But some of the newer people on this ship were happy to be there and very enthusiastic. Nice spirit on the Spirit!! That's good, but several did not quite have that polished experience that is the desired, ideal situation. Reactions and your plan to get and keep "the best" as you grow so fast?? And as the luxury market is expanding so much with the new Ritz Carlton, Viking, etc., ships and competition?? And, as the world economy hopefully continues to improve and some staff might have good or comparable job opportunities closer to their homes?? Be honest, not just blue-sky wishful spinning!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Just finished June 2017 sailing from Portugal to France along the scenic Atlantic Coast, plus great pre- and post-cruise experiences. Many interesting pictures and details on history, food, culture, etc., from my live/blog at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[Mark Conroy]

Hi TLCOhio,

 

 

Really great question.

 

 

Onboard and shoreside talent is one of the largest challenges we face in the industry. With that being said, we are very proud of the team we have, both at sea and on land. Our team is incredibly diverse, representing many countries, cultures and all walks of life. It’s what makes Silversea’s service unmatched – and that’s not my opinion, that’s what our guests have to say.

 

 

When we launch a new ship, we typically look for the following split of experience in our talent:

-1/3 with previous Silversea experience on our existing fleet

-1/3 with cruise experience, not with Silversea

-1/3 hospitality experience, not within the cruising industry.

 

 

One of Silversea Cruises greatest strengths is growing our personnel. We consider all employees as potential talent, and we are small enough to see and recognize talent in all areas and on all levels. We offer tailor-made career plans based on the education, skills and previous experiences of our talented employees. Many of our on-board managers in all departments have grown up in the company.

 

 

What we are finding is that in today’s environment hiring should be based on attitude and then we work on developing specific skills.

 

 

Thank you,

Mark

[TLCOhio]

Hi TLCOhio, Really great question. Onboard and shoreside talent is one of the largest challenges we face in the industry. With that being said, we are very proud of the team we have, both at sea and on land. Our team is incredibly diverse, representing many countries, cultures and all walks of life. It’s what makes Silversea’s service unmatched – and that’s not my opinion, that’s what our guests have to say. When we launch a new ship, we typically look for the following split of experience in our talent:

-1/3 with previous Silversea experience on our existing fleet

-1/3 with cruise experience, not with Silversea

-1/3 hospitality experience, not within the cruising industry.

One of Silversea Cruises greatest strengths is growing our personnel. We consider all employees as potential talent, and we are small enough to see and recognize talent in all areas and on all levels. We offer tailor-made career plans based on the education, skills and previous experiences of our talented employees. Many of our on-board managers in all departments have grown up in the company. What we are finding is that in today’s environment hiring should be based on attitude and then we work on developing specific skills. Thank you, Mark

 

Appreciate, Mark, these details, the substance, background offered, etc., contained in this response. Like how you are approaching these challenges, including an emphasis on employee attitude. Great follow-up!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 187,278 views for this posting.