Experience, of Course; But Self Confidence

and Good Humor are Key Leadership Ingredients

When Managing a Cruise Ship

By Ray Brasted

Dimitrios Kafetzis is the kind of person I want being in charge of a cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers and crew across open seas. Not only because he is trained, which he is. Not only because he worked his way up the ranks, which he did. Not only because he has strong leadership qualities, which he does. I also want him in charge because he has a sense of humor and a perspective about life that sets him apart. Those leadership qualities seem to pass down throughout the crew until it reaches passengers. The result? Everyone seems to be having a good time.

With the timing of a stand-up comedian he held the attention of passengers aboard the Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship with wry observations about the ship and his job. After assuring everyone that we would get to our first port, San Juan, Puerto Rico, safely, he offered a toast and we all raised our glasses and sipped our champagne. As he was about to take another sip, he stopped. "If I drink any more you can kiss Puerto Rico goodbye," he deadpanned.

He was the same when we had a chance to interview him for this article. "My main goal when I use humor is to have people paying attention. I feel comfortable with myself and I want to sell the idea of professionalism to others," he added.

Damien O'Conner

Damien O'Connor, the ship's hotel manager, with fifteen years in the industry, said Captain Kafetzis leads by example, and that includes interacting with staff from the officers to cabin stewards. "On the Solstice we are a second family on board. We strive to exceed the expectations of our guests and we do it naturally and happily," he said. He added he believes that is why many guests return to cruise again.

Crew members come from all over the world, representing over fifty nationalities and everyone from the Captain down the line eats in the same dinning room. "Training is ongoing, it never stops", said O'Connor, "and we also promote from within whenever possible."

Unlike most of the staff who work regular shifts, the senior officers are on call 24 hours a day, depending upon port arrivals, unexpected emergencies or changes in the weather. "I don't have a typical day. Each day depends on many factors," Captain Kafetzis said. If everything is a code green, decisions are routine, but if the Captain deems a situation a code yellow or code red, the experience and training of the officers is crucial. "We are ready to do our jobs when there is a real emergency," Captain Kafetzis emphasized.

As the Celebrity Cruise Line plans to roll out new and larger ships, there will be job opportunities for many positions. "We have started to recruit more in the U.S. where it can be difficult to find individuals who can leave their families for months at a time," O'Connor said. But for those who do make the career move, it can be a great experience. "This is a fantastic industry," O'Connor concluded.

Ed. note: Visit www.celebritycruises.com for more information.