From the Pilot House

Celebrating 25 Years with Hornblower

Executive Chef and F&B Director Christopher Schlerf first joined the Hornblower Cruises and Events team in 1987, and has been with us ever since.

Born in Los Angeles, Chris developed an early passion for cooking from his family, which led him to attend and graduate from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.  Mr. Schlerf’s participation in local Hornblower leadership has earned the company recognition from the ‪San Diego Business Journal, ‪Meeting Professionals International and the ‪San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau, among others.  Two years ago, Mr. Schlerf received the highly esteemed Gold Key Award from the San Diego County Hotel-Motel Association and the local chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.

Since joining Hornblower as an executive chef, Chris has worked at nearly all of our ports at one time or another.  As the current Food and Beverage Director for Hornblower San Diego, he continues to help our company remain a leader in the charter yacht industry.  Congratulations Chris, and thank you!

Green Energy on the Open Ocean

Here’s an interesting article about new advances in clean energy being applied to the nautical industry.  The Hornblower Hybrid utilizes solar energy as well as wind power, and is the first commercial ferry to use hydrogen fuel cells too!   The Hybrid is in New York, and is the greenest ship in our fleet.  Do you implement green practices in your every-day life?  Share your sustainable methods in the comments!

Nautical Fun!

Everyone needs some nautical accessories and decorations to bring out the sailor with in. Luckily, with sites like etsy.com, coolmaterial.com, and pinterest.com cool and unique nautical pieces are easy to find. 

Not only does Cool Material have some really cool nautical jewelry they also have other accessories. Such as a mermaid bottle opener and a knot keychain that both women and men can enjoy.

Etsy also has tons of nautical themed items, from rings to house decor. They even have save the date invitations and Iphone covers!

So, next time you are at the mall looking for that perfect nautical accessory to bring with you on a Hornblower Cruise just go home and hit the web! 

Bon Voyage Blake

Last week, was a sad time in the Corporate Offices of Hornblower Cruises and Events, as our Director of Corporate Marketing said his good byes to his team and the company.

Blake has been working with Hornblower for nearly 12 years and has been instrumental in Hornblower becoming the company it is today. Over the years, Blake has played a crucial role in preparing several proposals including, but not limited to, Alcatraz Cruises, Statue Cruises and most recently Niagara Cruises. He has also been a respected leader in countless summer, wedding and holiday campaigns.

Blake will be a missed in the office for his guidance, creativity and sense of humor. 

Remember: “There are good ships, there are wood ships, there are ships that sail the sea, but the best ships, are our friendships and may they always be!”

 

Administrative Professionals Day is almost here!

Next week, and specifically next Wednesday, April 25, is set aside to recognize and honor the Administrative Professionals of the world. This year will mark the 60th anniversary of Administration Professionals Day. There are more than 4.1 million secretaries and administrative assistants working in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9 million people working in various administrative support roles. These people are the glue that help hold organizations together - from being the gate keeper of the company, to helping ensure that jobs get done right, on time and under budget.

Typically Administration Professional day is celebrated by giving gifts such as flowers, candy, trinkets, or lunch at a restaurant. We at Hornblower Cruises & Events think that’s not enough, to really honor and celebrate everything your Administrative Professional does take them on a Hornblower Brunch or Dinner Cruise. It is the perfect way to show you care!

Hornblower Cruises and Events would like to give a very special thanks to all of the Administrative Professionals who are a part of our team. We couldn’t do it with out you! 

 

Friday the 13th!

Today as many of you know is Friday the 13^th. I have always wondered about this unlucky day, so I did some digging and found some interesting facts about Friday the 13^th.

According to this theory on the origin of Friday the 13^th, it is a modern day combination of two previous superstitions; that thirteen is an unlucky number and Friday an unlucky day making Friday the 13^th a double whammy of unluckiness.Thirteen is seen as unlucky because in numerology twelve is a very important number it is considered the number of completeness. This is reflected in several ways such as: twelve months in a year, twelve hours on a clock, and twelve inches in a foot. Thirteen on the other had is considered incomplete and irregular, making it also unlucky. Friday has been seen as unlucky since as far back as the 14^th century many professions considered Friday unlucky to take journeys or begin new projects. 

 The fear of Friday the 13^th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia and is estimated to afflict 17 to 21 million people in the United States. Some people are so paralyzed by their fear they are unable to do normal day to day tasks like get out of bed.

At least we know we are not alone, some other countries also have certain days they consider unlucky. In many Spanish-speaking countries Tuesday the 13^th is considered unlucky and in Italian culture Friday the 17^th is a day of bad luck.

What do you think of Friday the 13th?

 

Hornblower Comes to Canada, eh!

On February 22, the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) announced thatHornblower Canada, CO.
was awarded the 30-year lease and operation of boat tours in the Niagara Falls Gorge.  

Hornblower has over 30 years of experience operating in waters around the world. It currently operates the two largest ferry concessions for the National Park Service in the United States. It operates the ferries to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay and ferries to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York Harbor. It also offers charter yachts and dining cruises in nine cities around the United States.

Hornblower is proud to have been awarded the contract by Niagara Parks Commission to provide boat tour service in the Niagara Falls Gorge. “We look forward to becoming part of the community and working with the NPC to create a positive and memorable experience for the millions of visitors to Niagara Falls. We will work with the NPC to ensure a smooth transition and will be sharing more information in the coming months,” said Terry MacRae, CEO and Chairman of Hornblower.

Hornblower plans to introduce a new, modern ticketing system, create inviting entry and boarding areas, build new vessels with more available viewing space and multi-lingual audio options and establish a visitor’s center and private event space at the water’s edge. Operations are scheduled to begin inthe Spring of 2014. Hornblower will finalize vessel design and begin vessel construction and facilities permitting and planning immediately.

More information and images are available at Hornblower.com/Niagara.

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.

 

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