INTERVIEW:  Hubert Buelacher, Hotel Director of Constellation

Hubert Buelacher employs a hands-on style of management – he is frequently seen around the 12-deck Constellation speaking with members of the more-than-600 hotel and service staff. He came to Celebrity from Crystal Cruises but started his sea-going career with the well-remembered Royal Viking Line. The Austrian affinity for the hospitality industry was an influence in his career, which began in the kitchen of a family hotel in his native Innsbruck. Following his apprenticeship, Buelacher refined his culinary skills at fine restaurants in France, rising to Chef de Cuisine. In 1992, he went to sea as an Executive Chef. Later, after a two-year Hotel Management study program in Salzburg, Austria, it was back to sea on the hotel side of management with Crystal Cruises.  Just a year ago  Buelacher came to Celebrity’s Constellation. During his cruise on the Constellation, ShipsandCruises’ Contributing Editor Roger Ritchie met with Buelacher. Excerpts from their conversation:

What do people whom you meet onboard comment most about the Constellation?
Our guests always comment on the friendly staff and crew—it’s the hallmark of the Constellation service.

Is there a feature of Constellation service that you think is noteworthy?
Well, again it’s service – a happy passenger feels well served. This cruise is 55 percent repeaters; the last cruise was 60 percent.

Do you get large parties on board?
We have had parties of up to 330 recently and we make a major effort to accommodate them through an Event Coordinator assigned to such groups – be they family or corporate.

Has the proliferation of eating venues reduced the popularity of room service?
The choice of informal dining and many food service locations has reduced the in-room preference by guests. Of course, breakfast is still the most popular stateroom option and made even more attractive with the stateroom balcony as a service location. And now, we have our Sushi Cafe presentation to cover another area of the “lighter eating” trend.

How do you get the feed-back from you guests?
I pay a lot of attention to the survey forms. We receive excellent participation in the surveys and naturally, the friendliness of the staff allows me to receive really valid pass-along reaction from the guests. The guests’ selections from the dining room menus are a clear guide to any changes in tastes. Fish dishes are currently on the rise.

Do you make changes?
We watch for shifts in tastes and discuss the opportunities to adjust services, and then we modify things. We recently modified our room-service menus and added some comfort food items to the Seaside Cafe selections. I think the Celebrity Acupuncture at Sea clinic is an example of our changing—and adding features—to follow the preferences of our guests.

Any trends on the horizon?
Our management conference – with all the Hotel Directors together - will soon gather to review the opportunities for improvements. The more specific preferences in bedding quality are a trend I have noticed. The interest in some extra touches of luxury is another trend made clear by the success of our new Concierge Class package of amenities.