From the Pilot House

Creating an Amazing Experience

Earlier this year Hornblower created Quality Quest, a customer service training program for all the members of the Hornblower family. The goal, or Our Voyage, as we call it, is to Create Amazing Experiences. As part of the program, managers share Amazing Experiences with one another and we’re heard tales of bravery, of resolution and exemplary hospitality. Many of the stories come from our guests following their experience. They will write or call with high praise for the individual or team that made their experience memorable. This Amazing Experience was shared at a recent meeting:

At our Alcatraz Cruises operation in San Francisco we frequently allow people who need assistance to board the vessels first, similar to airlines. We ask those individuals to stand to the side so that we can easily escort them down the gangway. One day over the summer, a woman stood in the pre-boarding area and a deckhand struck up a conversation with her while they waited to board. They chatted about San Francisco, the wacky summer weather and the Alcatraz experience. As the deckhand escorted her a seat on the boat she expressed some concern about not being able to walk to cell house. The deckhand explained that there was a tram designed to help people who have mobility challenges and he would assist her there. The deckhand finished his departure duties and returned to talk to the woman during the short ferry ride to the island. Once they arrived he escorted her off the island and to the tram where he wished her an excellent visit and returned to the vessel.

Later that afternoon the woman happened to return to San Francisco on the same deckhand’s vessel where he again helped her to a seat and she shared with him her joy at visiting Alcatraz. Once back in San Francisco he helped her off the vessel and sent her on her way to enjoy the city.

A few weeks ago a different woman arrived at Alcatraz Landing asking for the deckhand by name. She explained that her mother had visited Alcatraz over the summer and that this deckhand had gone out of his way to assist her during her visit. She went on to explain that her mother had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and that visiting Alcatraz was on her bucket list of activities. The woman had shared with her family her joy at visiting Alcatraz and how touched she had been with the kindness shown her by the deckhand and other crew members. The woman went on to say that her mother had recently passed away, but that her story of Alcatraz and the happiness it brought her had given her family members a sense of peace.

This story reminded us that our jobs here are to create amazing experiences for all our guests, regardless of their (or our) expectations. To some an amazing experience would be a carefully choreographed fireworks show to cap off an evening wedding, to others, it’s a kind work and helping hand.

As we enter the holiday season, we give thanks for our families and friends and from the Hornblower family we wish for everyone a happy holiday season.

A Sad Farewell

At Hornblower we like to throw parties. We have fun. We are with people when they celebrate life’s milestone moments. We rarely talk about sad occasions.

However, like everyone else, we cannot avoid misfortune. And we find ourselves in an unknown place as we grieve for tragic and premature death of a beloved colleague.

Hilsia Souza would have turned 40 next month, and we know it would have been quite a bash. She was full of light, full of life and had twice as much energy as her petite body should have been capable of generating. Her spirit and sass charmed all who met her, and for four years the Hornblower family was blessed to know her.

Two years ago Hilsia was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through rigorous treatments, and resulting side effects, her cheerful demeanor never wavered. She refused to be defined or limited by her disease. Following successful treatments she grasp hold of life’s adventures, determined to live everyday with the fullest spirit possible. We laughed with her, marveled at her bravery and wept with her when her disease returned.

She fought for a long time and fought harder than any of us could begin to imagine. The strength she showed us over the last few months doesn’t seem possible to have come from a single human being. Her grace, class and humor in the face of uncertainly, during what could have been her darkest days, is a reminder to us all that while life may be short, it is your opportunity to show the world what a wonderful place we all live in.

Hilisa will be in our hearts forever.

She is survived by her mother and father, grandmother, four uncles and an aunt. Hornblower is honoring her memory by participating in the Petaluma Catwalk for a Cure, an organization close to Hilsia’s heart.

 

Congratulations San Francisco Giants!

Back in September the glory of a World Series victory seemed far, far away. In fact, when we were presented with the opportunity to place an ad in the League Championship Series and World Series programs there was a chance that a team from any of our locations could be playing. So we took the ad and gambled on the San Francisco Giants with a stunning skyline image.

And lo and behold, look what happened. The last two weeks have seen millions of baited breaths as the Giants marched their way to victory. The city was a sea of orange from the lighthouse on Alcatraz to City Hall and almost every office seemed to dismiss normal business attire requirements for any and all Giants gear. The Dugout stores selling merchandise had hours-long lines of fans just waiting to get in. The city was alive with Giants fever.

On November 1, the city got what it had been waiting for for 56 years. We set up a projector to show the ticker tape parade live and decorated the room for employees. And now that the excitement has died down we’re left to count down the days to the start of the 2011 season. Go Giants!  

Terry MacRae shares thoughts on the ferry business

 
Our fearless leader, Terry MacRae, recently spent some time speaking to Inc. Magazine about what goes into running a ferry company and how ferries are the wave of the future in public transportation.

Ferryboat Industry Gaining Speed

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon

This last Sunday, May 2, was a beautiful day in San Francisco. It was just one of those perfect days to be on the water, and one of those days that makes all of us at Hornblower really happy to work here.

It was also the day that about 2000 athletes had been training for for some time. It was the 30th annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. And the competitors, as they have for many years, started the race on the San Francisco Belle. By the 8 AM start time the boat was positioned just off Alcatraz Island and the elite and pro athletes stood on the sponson, ready to jump.

We put together a short video about the start and what 2000 people jumping off a boat in the middle of San Francisco Bay looks like.

Hornblower was also fortunate to have team in the Corporate Challenge Relay. Lead by our very own Captain Brian Gavin, Team Hornblower took second place in the Corporate Challenge Coed Division. We are very proud of them!

We'll look forward to seeing our friends from IMG again next year. In the meantime keep an eye on our website for your chance to ride the Belle (without having to swim home)!

Kids Stuck in Europe return home in time for Hornblower prom

The world has been patiently waiting for the large cloud of volcanic ash to dissipate - allowing air travel over Europe to resume. While our companies are not directly affected by this, many of our guests are.

Three of those guests, however, will be returning home in the nick of time. According to The Paly Voice, the Palo Alto High School newspaper, three students who were traveling in Europe last week have reservations to return to the United States in time for their prom aboard the San Francisco Belle this Saturday night. 

Additionally, Alcatraz Cruises is eager to welcome GMTV, Britain's biggest breakfast show, for their delayed trip to San Francisco. The crew had to reschedule their travel and many of the activities they had planned, but are now scheduled to be here the first week in May. We're looking forward to their visit to Alcatraz Island on Sunday, May 2nd - the very same day as the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

Hornblower in the Community

Hornblower's Respect Our Planet, our environmental education and management program recently started an employee volunteer program called All Hands On Deck. It's been a great opportunity for Hornblower company crew members to get out into our communities and improve them. We've done everything from planting trees, to cleaning up harbors to building houses.

The latter was our most recent accomplishment. Habitat for Humanity is an international organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness. They are in the process of building seven homes in the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco.

Eight Hornblower and Alcatraz Cruises employees headed out early one morning prepared for a day of labor. We were fortunate that our frequent winter storms took a break for the one day we were going to be working. The team split up and performed a variety of tasks, including painting, cutting and installing siding, caulking seams, ditch digging and filling and general clean up. At the end of the day we felt proud of the progress that had been made the day we volunteered.

For more information on All Hands on Deck check out Respect Our Planet's Facebook page! 

Hornblower Growth Ranks 26 in SF Bay Area

On October 16, 2009 several crew members attended the annual Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies Awards, given out by the San Francisco Business Times. While we knew that we were on the list, we didn’t know where would be ranked. We did some furious calculations as the announcer got in to the 40’s to estimate where we would end up and ended up being pretty close. Hornblower was ranked the 26th fastest growing private company in the San Francisco Bay Area.

So how was it calculated? Well each business that wanted to be considered had to submit a whole slew of information – employee counts, revenues and profit margins for 2006, 2007 and 2008. Then the Business Times uses those numbers to calculate where you ended up on the list (although it’s pretty obvious that the leading indicator is percentage increase in revenues over the three year period).

It was pretty interesting when you really started examining the list – more than half (Hornblower included) had never been on the list before. But a lot of those fellow first-timers were decades younger than us. And many of them of may not exist next year.

After the awards there was a nice reception where we got to mingle with other award winners. We were fortunate to be selected as one of the few companies to be profiled in that week’s issue of the San Francisco Business Times. Check out article!  Download Sfbt-Fast100-09_p11

Thoughts from the Bay Area's New General Manager

Annabella Stagner was recently promoted to Vice President and General Manager of Hornblower Bay Area (which includes the newly opened Sacramento port). She gave us some of her thoughts on her first few weeks in this new position.

1) How have the last few weeks been? Has the transition been smooth? 
It has been fast paced and exciting.  The transition has been great.  I've been getting in touch with the crew and rolling up my sleeves.

2) What has been the biggest change/surprise? 
The biggest surprise is how much fun I'm having getting back to basics.  I began my career at Hornblower as a Steward/bartender and now I'm in a position to help our crew and our guests have the best Hornblower experience.

3) What are your first priorities? 
My first priority is focusing on the Hornblower experience and continuing our superb brand name in the industry. Also, focusing on our crew and the guests.

4) What do you see as the biggest opportunities over the next six months? 
One great opportunity is increasing awareness of what a great site Hornblower is to have a company meeting or an employee appreciation.

5) How would your characterize the Hornblower Bay Area crew? 
Upbeat, friendly, dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable.

Read more about Annabella on the Hornblower pressroom!

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