WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2013

Staff Captain Thomas in charge of the bridge during a Panama Canal transit. The Panamanian pilot on the left looks for hazards.
As his senior year approached, he began to
explore his options for college and career.
He considered being a police officer, but the
9-11 terrorist attacks in New York drew him
toward the military. “I liked the discipline
and order, and the idea of getting objectives
completed and moving on,” he says.
High scores on the U. S. Navy recruiting
test resulted in an invitation to join a nuclear
submarine crew. He was intrigued,
but when openings closed, his interest in
joining the Navy enlisted ranks waned. But
based on his brief flirtation with the military,
he began to look into college ROTC
programs that would lead to a commission.
It was while exploring those options he
came across the New York Maritime College
at Fort Schuyler.
“I realized I could get a college degree that
would lead to a sure position,” he said of his
decision to enroll. “And I could get a license
to sail as a civilian mariner, which is today
a pretty lucrative career starting right out of
college.”
The structured military-like environment
suited the eager student and he excelled in
the classroom and extra-curricular activities.
He ranked near the top of the class and
graduated in the top 10 percent academically.
“Like all of my fellow classmates I wanted
to go for a job on a tanker or container
ship,” he says. “I didn’t know much about
or even considered cruise ships.”
That changed at one of the school’s semiannual
career fairs when he chatted with
three executives from Celebrity Cruises.
Both sides liked what they heard, even
though an entry level office earned only
two-thirds of what officers on container or
cargo ships made. “But obviously, I wasn’t
in it for the money,” he says with a smile.
“I was 21 years old. Who wouldn’t want to
be aboard a cruise ship right after graduation?”
Six days after he graduated, Celebrity offered
him a position. That was six years ago
and in that time he rose to the rank of Staff
Captain.
If you’re lucky enough to be aboard the same
ship with Staff Captain Thomas, you’ll see
him using the people and leadership skills
he developed in school. When he isn’t dealing
with his administrative duties, leading
his crew in safety and emergency drills and
taking his turn on bridge, he’s confidently
walking the decks greeting passengers and
answering questions – always with a smile
on his face.
He even has his own popular lecture series
dealing with ship’s propulsion, navigation
and recycling program on the main theater
stage – which is where he met his wife, who
was a Celebrity dancer. As of this writing
he is enjoying his three months off with his
bride at their home in New Jersey.
There are less than a handful of Americanborn
cruise ship masters in the world. But
it’s pretty obvious that it’s only a matter of
time before Hinderhofer takes up that ultimate
cruise ship responsibility.
“I still get goose bumps when I think about
being an officer on a cruise ship,” the Staff
Captain said, “To be honest -- I don’t know
why things happen in life, but sometimes it
just fits.”
This is the first in WD&T’s profiles of notable professionals
in the travel and hospitality industries.
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