The Cruise Industry

A ______is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are a part of the experience, as well as the ______along the way. Transportation is not the prime purpose, as cruise ships operate mostly on routes that return passengers to their originating port, so the ______are usually in a specified region of a continent. There are even "cruises to nowhere" or "nowhere voyages" where the ship makes 2-3 day round trips without any ports of call. Cruise ships are known for their rooms with balconies providing beautiful scenic views. The world's largest cruise ships are Royal Caribbean International's Oasis of the Seas and its sister ship Allure of the Seas. They carry ______and ______. They are truly floating ______.

Why do people Cruise?

1. A cruise is a ______. You pack and unpack once. All accommodations/tours etc can be prearranged

2. A cruise “takes you away from it all”

3. You are ______like nowhere else – breakfast in bed, lounging on deck, hot tub soaks, etc.

4. You can do it all or you can do nothing during your cruise!

5. You can explore ______

6. A cruise ______

7. You meet people and make friends

8. You can go alone or with someone or with a large group

9. ______

10. ______takes place

The cruise industry is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. The cruise industry generated nearly ______.

1 Industry estimates are that ______people took a cruise vacation in 2015. The cruise industry’s total economic benefit to the U.S. economy was $35.1 billion in 2009. To the Texas economy $1.33 billion dollars were contributed in 2014. Over 750,000 guests left from Galveston Port. Texans made up only 11% of that total! Galveston is the ______with 238 embarkations annually. When in port a cruise ship ______, hires local companies for ______, ______, ______, and consulting. 43% of the dollars generated by cruising goes to airlines, hotels, travel agencies, restaurants and providers of ground transportation.

Operators of cruise ships are known as cruise lines. ______is the largest cruise ship operator in Texas. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business. Ships have a crew headed by the ______, and a hospitality staff headed by the equivalent of a hotel manager. ______; each has its own personality and character.

The Crew The cruise lines operate their ships virtually _____hours a day, _____ days a week, _____ weeks a year. Crew is usually hired on three to eleven month contracts. Most staff work _____ hour work weeks for _____ months continuously followed by _____ months of vacation. The direct salary is low for American standards, but the staff has potential earnings from passenger tips. Often American employees can be found in the Front Desk area, also known as the ______, the Shore Excursion Desk and as Entertainers in the shows.

Crew members do not have ______while on board as food and accommodation, and transportation for most employees, are included. Living arrangements for staff vary by cruise line, but mostly by shipboard position. In general ______with a shower, commode and a desk with tv. Senior officers are assigned single cabins. There is a set of facilities for the ______from that

2 of ______, such as mess rooms and bars, recreation rooms, prayer rooms/mosques, and fitness center, with some larger ships even having a crew deck with a swimming pool and hot tubs.

Many cruise lines are headquartered in Bahamas, Panama, and Liberia, a practice known as “______” to take advantage of ______and lower ______. Also sailing under foreign flags allows ships to operate casino-type gambling.

Dining Dining on almost all cruise ships is included in the cruise price. Traditionally, the ships' restaurants organize two dinner services per day, early dining and late dining, and passengers are allocated a set dining time for the entire cruise. A recent trend is to allow diners to dine whenever they want. Having two dinner times allows the ship to have enough time and space to accommodate all of their guests. Upgrade specialty restaurants that require pre-booking and cover charges are available for guests. Many cruises schedule one or more "formal dining" nights. Guests dress "formally" and the menus are more upscale than usual.

Besides the dining room, modern cruise ships often contain one or more casual buffet-style eateries, which may be open 24 hours and with menus that vary throughout the day to provide meals ranging from breakfast to late-night snacks, pizzas to hamburgers. Most cruise lines ______passengers from bringing alcohol aboard and consuming their own beverages, including alcohol while aboard. Alcohol purchased ______to passengers when they debark.

As with any vessel, adequate provisioning is crucial, especially on a cruise ship serving several thousand meals at each seating. For example, passengers and crew on the Royal Caribbean International ship Mariner of the Seas consume ______, ______, ______of ice cream, and 18,000 slices of pizza in

3 a week. Normally, a cruise ship stocks up at its home port. They also have special arrangements with designated suppliers at ports of call if required.

Other on-board amenities Most modern cruise ships feature the following facilities: spas; fitness center, restaurants, children’s areas, medical facilities casinos and shops — only open when ship is at sea to avoid merchandising licensing and local taxes; a library, and a cinema. For those wanting more physical recreation some ships offer: basketball courts, pool tables, bowling alleys, miniature golf courses, ping pong tables, sky-diving simulators, bumper cars, indoor and/or outdoor swimming pool with water slides, hot tubs, rock climbing walls, Ice-skating rinks, surfing simulators, and driving ranges.

There are ______, ______, discos and ______. The casinos are only open when the ship is at sea to avoid conflict with local laws. Entertainment is Broadway style shows, magicians, comedians etc. offered in the evenings after dinner.

What do you get for your money? The passenger's ticket includes the ______accommodation, ______, unlimited meals in the main dining room and buffet, access to shows, and use of pool and gym facilities. However, there are extra charges for ______and ______, official cruise photos, Internet and Wi-Fi access, and ______. Factors that affect the cost of the cruise are: ______of cruise, ______, and the ______and style of cabin.

The longer the cruise the more it will ______. The higher your stateroom is on the decks of the ship, the higher the ______of the room. Outside rooms with windows and balconies also ______more. Booking far in advance is rewarded with a cheaper price.

4 Off-season is wintertime. A seven day cruise will have 4 ports of call. Itineraries range from 3, 4, 7 to 14 or more days. Once on-board the ship however, everyone is treated the same, no matter how much they are paying or where their cabin is located.

Cruise lines obtain the largest profit from ______and ______. Cruise lines also earn income from selling ______(keeping up to 50 percent or more of what passengers spend for these tours) offered by local contractors. In addition, cruise ships earn significant commissions for sales from onshore stores that are promoted on board as "preferred." Ship purchased insurance will not cover ______incurred on privately arranged tours/activities.

Travel to and from the port of departure are the passengers' responsibility. Purchasing a ______from the cruise line for the trip between the airport and cruise terminal ______that the ship will not leave until the passenger is aboard. Similarly, if the passenger books a shore excursion with the cruise line and the tour runs late, the ship is obligated to remain until the passenger returns. Conversely excursions booked on your own that run late returning to the ship put the passengers at risk for missing the boat, literally! They would have to secure their own transportation to the next port of call to rejoin the cruise. A ______is a vessel that transports passengers from ship to shore and back.

The Cruise Market ______– generally households with annual income of $20K to $40K, interested in an average cost per person of between $125 - $200/day; Carnival ______– household income is between $40K to $60K, generally spending $200 to $350/day; Princess, Norwegian, Royal Carribean

5 ______– household income is above $60K and generally spend $350+/day; Seabourn, Radisson

Ship Sizes Today’s typical cruise ship carries approximately 2000 passengers and 1000 crew. Ships this size can have as many as ______decks. Some ships carry up to 5400 passengers. Larger ships are more restricted to their ports of call due to their large sizes.

The Peak Season The Peak Seasons are summer-time for families as well as major holidays- Thanksgiving and Christmas. ______provide one-way transportation to a destination. Guests must secure the ‘other leg of their trip’ on their own. The purpose of a repositioning cruise is to relocate the ship for a new season with new itineraries.

Security and Technology In addition to security checkpoints, passengers are often given a ship- specific identification card, which must be shown in order to embark (get on) or disembark (get off) the ship. This prevents people boarding who are not entitled to do so, and also ensures the ship's crew is aware of who is on the ship. The ______cards are also used as your room key. Closed circuit tv cameras are mounted frequently throughout the ship. Royal Caribbean, which ranks as the world’s second-largest cruise company behind Carnival, has developed a “dynamic dining” app that allows passengers to pick where and when to eat either before departure or when on board, alerting them when the restaurant or reservation time conflicts with something else on their agenda and suggesting alternatives.

Ship Terminology

6 Aft – ______of the ship Bow – ______of the ship Bridge- part of the ship where the navigation is done Cabin Steward- the person who maintains staterooms Captain – master of the ship (the General Manager) Cruise Director – individual who plans and directs all shipboard entertainment, including passenger activities, shows and shore excursions Day at Sea – a day when the ship is traveling a long distance and doesn’t stop at a port of call Deck – the ______building Deck Plan – ship’s ______, showing cabins and public spaces Embarkation- is the process of loading a passenger ship or an airplane with passengers. Galley – ship’s ______Gangway- ship’s boarding ramp Port –______side of the ship Port Day – a day when the ships stops at a Port of Call Purser’s office – the equivalent of a ______Shore Excursions – activities that occur off the ship for an additional price either booked through the ship or privately Starboard - ______side of the ship Stateroom – guest accommodations, a/k/a cabin Tender – small boats that ferry passengers between port and ship Tonnage - a customary measure of ship’s size Wake - ______

Cruise Industry Professional Association Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry association with representation world-wide. The Association represents the interests of cruise line and travel agents before regulatory and legislative policy makers. CLIA also promotes cruising, use of travel agents, professional development and training, industry research. Two other purposes of CLIA are to actively protect the marine environment with

7 minimal impact on the ocean, marine life and destinations. Also they foster continued growth of a safe and secure cruise industry.

Trends and Challenges The greatest potential market for first-time cruisers include the 95 million ______, a group between the ages of ______. Current statistics show that people who have been on a cruise before are roughly five times more likely to take another cruise in the future. There is an estimated 85% satisfaction rating – the highest in the travel business. CLIA President Christine Duffy says “Cruising as a segment of the travel industry does extremely well once we get people on the ship.” Royal Caribbean CEO, Richard Fain, says “Reaching first time cruisers is a constant challenge. People need to experience a cruise to appreciate it, and then they become obnoxious about how good they are. The best marketing we have is “______.”

Silly passenger questions 1. Do we get cable tv on the ship? 2. How will we know which photos are ours? 3. Does the crew sleep on board the ship? 4. Is the fish caught each day by the crew? 5. What do you do with the ice carvings after they melt? 6. Why does the ship rock only when we are at sea? 7. Does the ship generate its’ own electricity? 8. Does the elevator go to the front of the ship? 9. What time is the midnight buffet?