His passion for hospitality led Frits to enroll in the well–renowned Middle Management of Hospitality, The Netherlands. At age 20, after graduating at the top of his class, he moved to the south of the Netherlands where he started working for Château Neercanne in Maastricht, which at that point had the longest–running history of Michelin stars awarded in Europe.

After landing in the position Director of Banquets, Frits moved back to his hometown where he started the University in Hotel Management. It was here where Frits opened a Hospitality Recruitment Agency, WestCrew, which still operates now and has grown to three locations. Two years later, Frits followed his dream and joined Holland America Line, working his way through top positions at award–winning cruise lines, including HAL, Silversea and Regent Seven Seas. After cruising around the globe, Frits van der Werff moved on to become Maître d’Hôtel at Bermuda’s most exclusive Cottage Colony. One year later, he landed at Fort Lauderdale’s prestigious St. Regis Resort, and when that hotel changed flags, Frits took on the role of Director of Food and Beverage at Aspen’s luxurious St. Regis Resort.

Embracing the diversity of cultures and resulting service found in Fort Lauderdale, Frits quickly made a name for himself in a city known for its great restaurants. Unrelenting in providing the ultimate dining experience, his talent in hospitality continues to reap rich rewards for the St. Regis Resort, which has since achieved the Mobil Four–Star Award, the AAA Four Diamond Award and the Best Restaurant award by Gold Coast. Frits’s passion helped him to reach the same achievement again in Aspen, where he successfully launched The Restaurant at The St. Regis Aspen — the resort’s first own signature restaurant.

After some cold winters it was time for Frits to move back to sunny South Florida to take on the role of Corporate Manager of Food and Beverage Operations at the Norwegian Cruise Line. NCL is an industry leader when it comes to Food and Beverage Operations and with Frits on board, it will continue to be. He searches worldwide for the best services available and then implements them so no detail is overlooked. Exuberant in sharing his passion for food and beverages with guests, he is often found in guest areas chatting with them about their experience and the provenance of his service team.