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With more and more ships taking to the waters and more passengers interested in cruise ship holidays, the cruise industry is growing and with it the need for qualified staff. Alpine Center, the Swiss Business School for Hotel & Tourism Management Education in Greece launches a new course in Cruise Ship Hotel Operations.
It was very encouraging to read a press release in Kathimereni’s February 5-6, 2011 English edition that reported the Maritime Affairs Ministry’s optimism about the number of cruise ships seen docking at Piraeus! The Ministry’s optimism is based on an increase in programmed cruise ship arrivals this year (939 vessels against 883 in 2010), the general growing popularity of holiday cruises internationally; and the new law which allows cruise ships without a European Union flag to perform circular cruises with Piraeus as their starting point! Cruise operators including MSC, Carnival, Costa and Royal Caribbean have expressed an interest in including Greece in their schedules, according to the Minister of Maritime Affairs.
Globally, Cruise Lines International Association data suggests that the cruise industry is hoping for 16 million passengers to embark on its ships in 2011, thus expecting an increase of 6.6 % on the last year. The optimism is shared amongst the leading representatives of other industries too, with the difference being the cruise industry placing its hopes on a fleet of new ships and masses of new customers. Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska are the biggest markets at the moment, with emerging nations such as China and Russia providing not only passengers but also venues and exciting places to visit for current cruise ship fans.
According to Tourism-Review.com, cruise industry representatives hope that the new ships around the globe will tempt more people on board. Walt Disney Co’s new creation was launched in Florida just recently. The vessel is capable of holding up to 4,000 passengers and came at a cost of $900 million. The company is clearly expecting a return on such a massive investment in the near future. Currently the world’s largest cruise vessel, the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Sea, is capable of holding 6,000 passengers yet is not being used to its potential. In total, 2011 should see around half a dozen new ships on the water.
The Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance recently announced that the number of beds available on cruise ships worldwide is steadily rising. In 2005, the figure was around 200,000, however, it is expected to reach a half-million by 2010.
What does all this mean? That there will be more job openings and career opportunities for young men and women interested in embarking on an exciting career that offers many benefits. With unemployment soaring in Greece, Alpine Center is launching a new course to equip students with skills and knowledge needed to work on international cruise ships. Here’s what Ms Katy Taveira, the newly appointed course tutor at Alpine Center, had to say about her eight years of work experience with one of the leading cruise companies of the world.
“Working onboard cruise ships has challenged me in the best ways possible everyday and was the most rewarding experience of my life. You travel the world, meet the most fascinating people from across the globe (crew and guests) and obtain priceless customer service and job training in your area of expertise. Working onboard a cruise ship will make you a stronger person and together with a great team behind you, will help make your guests’ vacation a dream come true. Promotions, training, visiting exotic port of calls are all some of the benefits that you will encounter. I was offered a promotion and the position of Hotel Director in my eighth year of service, but that was when I had decided to leave the cruise ship industry and settle on land to start my family. I found that the experience that I have obtained in working on cruise ships was priceless and allowed me to find a land based job quite easily. I was one step ahead of all other candidates applying for the same job. Working onboard a cruise ship is something I would highly and enthusiastically recommend to everyone! Ah, and I did forget to mention that financially this career is quite rewarding!”
Ms Taveira assisted in the design of the 13-week course that will be launched at Alpine Center on 18 April 2011. Modules such as the cruise industry, cruise industry basics, safety and security, life on board, food and beverage operations, front office operations, customer service and excellent communication skills, and industry placement are included in the syllabus. Alpine works closely with international cruise ship companies through its partners GM&S and will assist students in finding appropriate industry placements, which are an integral part of the course.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
