CRUISE MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL AND CMI LEISURE … · expedition team onboard, thank you and well...

I S S U E 8 | W i n t e r 2 0 1 9C R U I S E M A N A G E M E N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L A N D C M I L E I S U R E M A N A G E M E N T

INSIDEPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ................................ 3NEWS ........................................................... 6CREWING DEPARTMENT ..........................12COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT ....................14PORT AND FUEL MANAGEMENT ..............16PURCHASING DEPARTMENT ....................17FINANCING DEPARTMENT .......................18IT & COMMUNICATIONS ......................... 20HOLIDAY EVENTS ................................... 22

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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2 | NEW HORIZONS Winter 2019

Dear Officers, Crew, Clients and Shareholders;

Wishing you and your families a Happy, Safe and Healthy 2020.

So much has happened in 2019; ‘and we are on roll’. With the rapid expansion of our organization; new vessels, new technology, updated systems and great innovative ideas within all our Group Companies, it’s hard to contain oneself, I am looking forward to what 2020 will bring.

Our first newbuild, the M/V Greg Mortimer finally entered into management, and in September we signed the technical management agreement with Grupo Vidanta, the owners of the M/V Vidanta Elegant. As you can imagine there is a lot that took place behind the scenes, and for a very long time, to make all this happen, and we couldn’t do it without your constant feedback and support, so thank you.

I had the privilege to join the M/V Greg Mortimer on her very first cruise. It’s hard to believe, but this was my first time to Antarctica, and it absolutely exceeded my expectation. It was an unbelievable experience, as it also ignited a renewed respect for the condition under which we operate in that area, cruise after cruise.

Meeting Mr. Greg Mortimer himself was the ‘icing on the cake’ of course. His personal approach and intense interaction with the teams onboard and passengers was impressive. And while dealing with the constant changes in weather conditions and other challenges, he concluded our first cruise on time and on schedule, delivering a quality product.

The entire CMI and CMIL team worked hard to deliver a fantastic experience to our passengers. All agreed that the food was the best ever, so my hats off to the officers, crew, culinary and the expedition team onboard, thank you and well done!

Vidanta Cruises is our latest new client, they are the owners of the M/V Vidanta Elegant. They have spent the last two years remodeling the vessel to meet their resort standards and will operate the vessel as an extension of their timeshare business to commence cruising in March 2020. This is an exciting project and we are pleased to be associated with another > > >

PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE

“CMI continues to grow; however, selectively, with attention to quality and care for our current fleet”

Winter 2019 NEW HORIZONS | 3

quality-driven organization. They will offer the vessel to their current clientele as a timeshare amenity; a concept many have tried before but couldn’t really make it a success. Grupo Vidanta however, is uniquely positioned to make this concept a reality.

As you can see, our growth is inevitable; however, our directive is clear: “we are to grow our business, selectively with the emphasis on making our organization stronger to the benefit of our clients”.

“It is great to work for an organization that cares more about quality and how this will benefit the Fleet than just increasing the number of ships under management.”

With our CMI Board approval, I am extremely excited to introduce our new Vision, Mission and Values Statement;

OUR VISIONTo be the preferred provider of expert marine services to select passenger shipowners,

with the highest regard for safety, the marine environment, our clients, our employees, and our shareholders.

OUR MISSIONTo efficiently provide industry standard, technical management services to our

shipowners in a manner that is cost effective, risk averse and optimizes the passenger and crew experience.

OUR VALUESSafety / Integrity / Profitability / Transparency / Risk Aversion

We must however continue to focus on how we are going to translate these statements into a performance that can be measured over time. Therefore, we are developing new Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that will connect our new mission, vision and value statements. We are in the process of establishing this new framework, which we anticipate rolling out later this year.

The aim is to have everyone within our team clear on our purpose, our objectives and to concentrate on performing to the highest standards, while preparing for our growth. Ultimately for our shareholders, these efforts will allow us to improve efficiency, streamline our organization, while increasing our profitability.

In September, CMI Ship Management, jointly with SunStone and CMI Leisure hosted the Semester at Sea (SAS) Board Meeting here in Miami. It was a great opportunity to introduce the entire SAS Board to our team in Miami, tour our beautiful offices and provide an overview of our services. I outlined my personal involvement with the SAS program for the past 21 years and how, through CMI, we are going to continue providing the services they have been accustomed to, for years to come. We concluded with our proposed vessel strategy for the future. It was a productive and engaging two days and CMI is proud to be part of Semester at Sea’s mission.



Our three companies agreed to start a SAS Scholarship Fund to support student scholarships at Semester at Sea to honor and celebrate the lasting partnership between Cruise Management International-Leisure (CMI Leisure), Cruise Management International-Ship Management (CMI Ship Management), and SunStone Ships.

Preference for this award will be given to students whose parents are employed by CMI Leisure, CMI Ship Management, or SunStone, but a more formal announcement will be made, in which further details will be provided in due time.

As we prepare for 2020, I would like to thank all crew and the office teams for their dedication and hard work in making 2019 another successful year. We concluded a tremendous number of projects during our April-May transition season and on time. Several dry docks, major interior upgrades and new stabilizers required focus, good planning and teamwork. It is a privilege to be part of this team!

Over the past two and half years, we introduced many initiatives, from having dedicated teams onboard each ship, (which is now starting to pay off), to introducing ship management software, training/ workshops and building relations with new strategic partners. As we took charge, we must continue building upon these initiatives in 2020, however these initiatives require constant updates, upgrades and adjustments as we aim to maximize the benefits for all our stakeholders. Your involvement, whether you are a crewmember, a charterer, a strategic partner, or a shareholder, is of utmost importance to us. We value and need your constructive feedback, as this allows us to constantly customize, reorganize and improve our services. I, therefore would like to stress the importance of completing the Client’s and Crew Surveys distributed by our Compliance Department annually and thank you in advance for taking the time.

This edition of CMI’s NEW HORIZON will outline what each department within the Company is working on. I hope you will enjoy it and remember, I am always available for any questions, suggestions and or concerns you may have.

Sincerely

Jim Barreiro de León

Safety + Integrity + Profitability + Transparency + Risk Aversion

OUR VALUES

CMI Leisure Management President & CEO Dietmar Wertanzl with CMI Ship Management President & CEO Jim Barreiro de

León, and the M/V Greg Mortimer’s Engine crew.


NEWS

Since acquiring their first cruise ship,

VIDANTA ELEGANT, Grupo Vidanta

has been dedicated to upgrading,

reconfiguring and branding the vessel

to align her with their resort standards.

CMI’s President Jim Barreiro de

León confirms, “We are honored to

be awarded this contract and it is a

privilege to be associated with such a

quality organization as Grupo Vidanta”.

Mr. Jose Alonso, Director of Operations

of Grupo Vidanta remarks, “We are

excited to engage a Technical Manager

who understands our needs, behaves as

a true partner and operates within the

same time zone as our organization.”

CMI will also provide Port & Fuel

Management, Purchasing and Project

Management services and will handle

all administration for the deck, engine

and hotel crew.

Grupo Vidanta operates luxury

time share resorts in Mexico and

will continue to provide a similar

experience onboard the VIDANTA

ELEGANT to their guests. Mr. Alonso

states: “We are proud of our brand and

we are thrilled to have the opportunity

to extend it onboard our very first

cruise vessel”.

Jim further stated “our partnership

is based on similar objectives and

principles making it a natural fit. We

are confident in our ability to deliver

tangible benefits to our Owners and

we are delighted that the VIDANTA

ELEGANT and Grupo Vidanta will

enhance our reputation managing a

very select fleet of vessels”.

GRUPO VIDANTACMI’S NEWEST CLIENT

In October, CMI took over the technical and crew management of Grupo Vidanta’s first vessel, the M/V VIDANTA ELEGANT.

Omar Villa Aramburo (Left), Jim Barreiro de León, CMI (Middle), Jose Alonso, Grupo Vidanta (Right)

SEMESTERatSEA

n September, CMI and CMIL, who respectively have the

Technical Management and Hotel Management of the

WORLD ODYSSEY for Semester at Sea, had the pleasure of

hosting their Board of Directors Meeting. While the actual

meeting was held off-site due to the number of attendees, a

Reception was held in the CMI-CMIL offices where the ISE

Board Members had the chance to casually meet employees.

After the reception and being out-of-towners, the Board

and a few employees from CMI-CMIL were taken on a bus

tour of the Wynwood Art District, located within miles of

the Corporate Offices. Dinner followed the tour and several

hours later, after a very festive meal and much interaction,

the evening came to a pleasant end.

CMI-CMIL HOSTS

I


On September 1, the eye of

Hurricane Dorian made landfall on the

Abaco Islands with maximum sustained

winds of 185 mph (295 km/h), making

it the strongest hurricane on record to

affect the Bahamas.

On September 2, the eye of Dorian

moved over the eastern end of Grand

Bahama Island, and drifted across the

island.

On September 4, following Dorian’s

devastating impact on Freeport,

Grand Bahama Island, BAHAMAS

PARADISE CRUISE LINE announced

a two-fold support initiative. The

company began accepting monetary

donations online through its partner,

Mission Resolve, as well as donated

supplies at its Riviera Beach warehouse.

“Our hearts go out to all those

impacted, and we felt it was imperative

to issue a rapid response, demonstrating

our support through action,” said Oneil

Khosa, CEO of Bahamas Paradise

Cruise Line, who is engaged in direct

communications with the Bahamian

Government, including Deputy Prime

Minister Kevin Peter Turnquest, to

determine specific areas of need and

serve as a liaison for those looking to

assist in the hurricane recovery effort.

“We’re proud to partner with Mission

Resolve in taking the necessary steps

to help our brothers and sisters of

Grand Bahama Island that are in

desperate need.”

The GRAND CELEBRATION was

the first cruise line to respond to the

devastation caused by Hurricane Dorian

that lashed the Bahamian islands with

speeds of 185 miles per hour.

Cruise Line Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort

‘what are you doing for others?’– Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Activist and Clergyman

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,

BAHAMAS PARADISE

NEWS, CONT’D


GRAND CELEBRATION departed Port of Palm

Beach on Sunday, September 15 with 400 pallets of

humanitarian aid, three times the amount of the first

sailing seven days prior – including 30,000 pounds of

water, 275,000 pounds of canned and dry food, 150,000

pounds of household supplies, and 50,000 pounds of

construction materials – as well as more than 300

qualified volunteers.

150 Bahamians returned home to the island via

GRAND CELEBRATION to help jumpstart the

process of rebuilding Grand Bahama Island.

First responders who sailed were joined by numerous

business and philanthropic organizations from across

South Florida, which included Bahamas Relief Cruise

(comprised of members of The Everglades Trust team,

along with a collection of West Palm Beach businesses

and organizations including Subculture Group, Titou

Hospitality Group and the Downtown West Palm

Beach Hospitality Association) and Mission Resolve

(who were joined by its partners in the South Florida

business community, including Entrepreneurs’

Organization and others).

Also onboard were representatives from various disaster

relief response groups, including Sheep Dog Impact

Assistance, West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Department,

Big Dog Ranch Rescue, and Hope Force International -

plus more than 50 medical professionals - organized by

the Bahamas Relief Cruise team.

Upon arrival in Freeport, the ship’s crew and volunteers

prepared more than 10,000 boxed lunches, which

were delivered directly to local shelters, homes and

neighborhoods by volunteers.

30 cases of water were delivered to Pastor Robert

White on the north side of the island, a direct request

from Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line’s CEO Oneil

Khosa, who learned of the neighborhood’s plight

through a family who evacuated during the first

humanitarian sailing.

10 pallets of water and 10 generators were delivered

to RAND Memorial Hospital.

Bahamians who boarded GRAND CELEBRATION

in Freeport were required to pay $49 per person and

provide proof of an address in the United States where

they planned to stay. Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is

donating 100 percent of cruise fares back to the Island’s

relief effort.

Just over 200 Bahamians traveled back to Palm

Beach on GRAND CELEBRATION with the necessary

documentation required to enter the U.S., and the

majority were met by friends and family.

Key Facts and Figures from the cruise:

Bahamas Relief Cruise and Mission Resolve, as well as the

hundreds of volunteers who sailed with us on GRAND

CELEBRATION to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to

Grand Bahama Island,” said Khosa. “Our second sailing was a

tremendous success, and we are proud to play such a vital role

in the recovery of the island, but we can’t do it alone. We invite

other industry leaders and local groups to step up and lend a

hand to our sisters and brothers in the Bahamas as they embark

upon a challenging journey to recovery.

Thanks to the great Crew onboard for their hard work and

dedication during this very difficult time for this island nation.

We are grateful to our partners,— Story contributed by: Sandi Perchy-Crew Manager

— PhotograPhS comPlimentS of: Roger Edelman-Photographer

NEWS, CONT’D

Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line canceled all its booked sailings to ferry relief materials and run special missions

to the Bahamian Island and they have gone far and above to supporting the distressed Bahamas islands.

GRAND CELEBRATION becomes a pioneer in Bahamas relief



ONBOARDTHE VESSELS

ONBOARD THE OCEAN ENDEAVOUR

ONBOARD THE WORLD ODYSSEY

ONBOARD THE SEA SPIRIT

CREWING DEPARTMENT


When visiting the ships and talking with our crew, it is

apparent that most of them have a passion for wildlife

and nature. It is fascinating to see the almost “kid-like”

excitement on some of the Captains’ faces at the start of the

Arctic season and comments like, “I am so happy Antarctica

season is here!” “I miss it and I cannot wait to go back!”.

Talking to them I have also learned that due to the nature of

our business many of our officers have developed a passion for

photography; some more than others, and since it could not

go unnoticed we decided to feature some of the photographs

our Captains have captured of the wildlife and nature.

CAPTAINS AND THEIR CAMERAS

We all know that one of the reasons our officers and crew started their career at sea is for the possibility to travel and see the world; an answer given by most of the crew when asked WHY they decided to pursue a career at sea.

and started my marine career right after high school as an AB. Almost all my sea time I have spent on passenger vessels with only one contract on a bulk carrier.

My love for photography started when I joined expedition vessels (ISP, FleetPro, CMI). When I see myself around the beautiful

uniqueness of regions like Arctic and Antarctic, there is a desire to capture these moments through the lenses and take as many with me as possible.

The magic of captured photographs begin when looking back at these moments, which brings back the emotions and positive energy when remembering the time you experienced them in reality.”

We have received many wonderful photographs; however a few standouts for our Crewing Department as submitted by Captain Yaroslav Gonta. In his own words Captain Gonta described his love of photography:

“I’m a 50 years old seaman

During the 2019 crew show we put together each semester, Mrs. Anne

Little donated U$13,000 to the crew welfare fund. Following this amazing

gesture and contribution, the Crew Welfare Committee along with the

rest of the crew decided to name the Crew Bar in her honor.

Mrs. Little was invited to our Thanksgiving party where a short ceremony

took place for the naming of the Crew Bar to “LITTLE BAR”.

Mrs. Little & Captain Siamantas

Mrs. Little & The Crew Left to right: Executive Dean Dr. John Tymitz, Mrs. Little, Captain Siamantas, Chief Engineer Stathopoulos

ONBOARD THE

WORLD ODYSSEY


COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT


An integral part of any successful

management system is to develop

a culture of continual systemic

improvement. The use of “soft”

targets or (Key Performance

Indicators-“KPIs”) to define the

scope of improvement is important

to monitor progress, and react

to results, which in turn helps to

improve a company’s processes and

procedures for better planning. CMI has developed

KPIs for the various core processes that make up our

organization, including tracking Port State Control

(PSC) inspections for flawless performance, as well as

the PSC Deficiency Ratio, which measures the number

of deficiencies reviewed against the total number of

inspections carried out in a period.

As of mid-November 2019, the CMI managed fleet

was subjected to 40 PSC interventions, of which 18

inspections resulted in zero deficiencies. The overall

KPI rating for the three quarters of

2019 was 92.5%, while the overall

KPI rating for the second, third and

fourth quarters to date were 78.26%,

25.0% and 97.92 respectively, for an

overall average of 77.63%.

The final 2019 KPI rating for

flawless inspections was 45%, of

which 18 out of 40 inspections

resulted in zero deficiencies.

Managed Fleet Port State Control Record of Deficiencies

KPI REPORTING

Port State Control KPI Flawless Inspection RatingYearly Comparison (Goal > 50%)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

2019 45%

2018 60%

2017 51%

2016 43%

2016-2019 KPI DEFICIENCY RATING YEAR-ON-YEAR RESULTS

2019 77.63

2018 88.03

2017 79.73

2016 69.79

Port State Control KPI De�ciency RatingYearly Comparison (Goal > 75)

0 50 100

SAFETY & QUALITY KPI’S 2016 2017 2018 2019

PSC KPI Rating 69.79 79.73 88.03 77.63

PSC Deficiency Ratio 2.73 1.62 0.94 1.85

PSC Inspections 30 37 48 40

PSC Deficiencies 82 60 45 74

Inspections w/ Zero Deficiencies 13 19 29 18

PSC Flawless Inspection Rating 43% 51% 60% 45%


CMI office personnel have been working closely with the vessels’ senior management to drive down incidents of

PSC deficiencies, and better prepare shipboard staff for these inspections through the provision of training materials,

inspection checklists, and more thorough and frequent visits onboard by our compliance team and superintendents.

In all, the compliance department has spent over 140 days onboard company managed vessels during 2019. It has

been a productive year, indeed.

— CHRIS DLUGOKECKI | VP Safety & Quality

2018-2019 DEFICIENCY CATEGORIZATION YEAR-ON-YEAR COMPARISON

2019 vs. 2018 PSC Deficiency Categorization25

20

0

5

10

15

07-Fire Safety

01-Certi�cates &

Documentation

04-Emergency Systems

10-Safety of Navigation

13-Propulsion & Auxilia

ry Machinery

09-Working & Living Conditio

ns

18-MLC, 2006

11-Life-Saving Appliances

14-Pollution Prevention15-ISM

12-Crew Certi�cates

05-Radio Communications

501-Bahamas Inspectio

n De�ciencies

02-Structu

ral Condition

15-Navigation

03-Water/W

eathertight Conditio

n

171-Other

06-Life-Saving Appliance16-ISPS

99-Other (not cl

early hazardous)

2019 2018

Regarding the overall PSC Deficiency Ratio to date in 2019, the CMI managed fleet averaged 1.85 deficiencies per

PSC intervention, with the fleet having experienced 74 recorded deficiencies in 40 inspections. Although, this is higher

than at the close of 2018 of 0.94 deficiencies per PSC intervention, it is still below the company KPI goal of less than

two deficiencies per inspection. It should be noted that the overall PSC Deficiency Ratio was adversely affected by the

repositioning of the GRAND CLASSICA to Vancouver, during which time the vessel was subjected to (2) inspections

outside of the U.S. resulting in 18 deficiencies being issued.

There was one vessel detention during the 1st quarter in Alta, Norway, which is currently under appeal by CMI and

under review through the Norwegian Maritime Authority.

An analysis of PSC inspection reports revealed that the top deficiencies by category were found to be in the area of Fire

Safety and Certificates & Documentation. The large number of deficiencies found in the category of “Fire & Safety” and

“Emergency Systems” in 2019 vs. 2018 was found to be attributed to a Paris MOU Concentrated Inspection Campaign

(CIC) on “Emergency Systems and Procedures”, which ran from 1 September to 30 November 2019.


PORT AND FUEL MANAGEMENTCONTINUES TO GROW

This Antarctic season we are managing the fuel operations

for five vessels and anticipate that we will bunker over

13,000 cbm of fuel for the current Antarctic Season.

We continue to strengthen our position with suppliers to be

able to offer our clients the best rates for fuel and port costs.

Our long history with fuel suppliers and agents has allowed

us to negotiate favorable pricing and these savings are passed

on directly to the charterers as CMI does not receive any

special compensation from port agents or fuel suppliers and

all discounts are directed to our clients. We pride ourselves

on the transparency of our service.

With the increase in the number of port and fuel

management contracts the port management team

expanded in April with the addition of Inna Tsyrfa as Port

Administrator. Inna, based in Odessa, has been a much

needed and great addition to our team. She has worked in

customer service management positions onboard ships and

her organizational and planning skills have been invaluable.

She is very intuitive and has quickly picked up the new

responsibilities of this position. She will be a vital asset to

CMI moving into the future as we continue to grow

Port Operations.

Additionally, Ramon Dalagan has been transferred into Port

Operations. Ramon has sailed onboard company vessels and

his nautical experience, shipboard knowledge and experience

with expedition cruising further strengthens the Port

Operations team.

It is an exciting time at CMI! We are developing deeper

relationships with existing clients as well as expanding

relationships with new operators. We have strengthened

our team to ensure we can meet the operational needs of

our clients and their ships. Our knowledge, experience, and

professional connections allow our clients to focus their

efforts on their expertise of delivering a great cruise product

to their customers.

With the wealth of experience at CMI, we can offer support

services anywhere in the world our clients chose to operate -

from Arctic to Antarctic; South Pacific to the Americas and

everywhere in between.

— SCOTT WILL | VP Port Operations & Vessel Logistics

Port and Fuel Management continues to be an area of growth for CMI. We are currently managing both port and fuel operations year-round

for both expedition and conventional cruise ships, which was recently increased

by one more ship with the addition of the GREG MORTIMER which came

into passenger service in October; and we are already working on

itinerary development and port confirmations for Infinity Class vessels

coming into service in 2021 and 2022.


PURCHASING DEPARTMENT

has been working rigorously on logistics management

to optimize efficiency by effectively harnessing the

available resources.

Typically, logistics management consists of the process of

planning, implementing and controlling the efficient flow

of supplies from point of consolidation i.e. from hub to the

vessel, with the aim of the delivery of goods to the vessel

in a timely fashion. Simply put, optimum planning ensures

delivery of services within the vessel’s deadlines.

Logistics planning provides a roadmap of the detailed

organization and implementation of a complex operation.

As a team focused on providing logistics guidance, our

biggest challenge is to timely meet the vessels’ deadlines,

thereby minimizing the number of shipments by

consolidation and cutting cost. To achieve this outcome

for our fleet, we are working on selecting four ports as

delivery points within the next year.

Cut-off dates for raising a requisition will be established. If

the vessel does not receive the requisition in the first slot

(well within the cutoff date), it will automatically go on

to the next delivery schedule, unless it is classified as an

immediate concern, which are routed differently. This setup

will result in significant cost reduction, minimizing wastage

of resources, etc.

Container schedules will be provided in advance which

will help both the onboard and shoreside teams in the

planning operations.

Of course, none of this can be achieved without the full

support of the vessels’ crew and therefore your assistance is

paramount in the proper and adequate planning with the

aim of serving our team better.

I hope we can find a way to put this into practice and better

serve our organization!

We welcome Mr. Renan Murta who joined the Purchasing

Team in August as a Purchasing Agent. Congratulations

are in order for Purchasing Agent, Aleksandra Gradova,

who, with her husband welcomed their second daughter

Emma Rose in November. Aleksandra will return to work

in March 2020.

LOGISTIC MANAGEMENT

To conclude, I would like to quote Phillip Kotler:

“Market logistics involve planning, implementing and controlling the physical flow of material and

final (finished) goods from the point of origin to the point of use to meet customer requirements.”

— TK SINGH | VP Purchasing

The Purchasing Department


PERSONNEL

Sorel Joseph, Accounting Manager / Sunstone Fleet

Sorel joined the CMI family at the beginning of November 2015 as a Senior Accountant. Prior to this

experience, he worked as a Senior Accountant and Treasury Analyst for Faena Hotel in Miami Beach. For about

four years prior he worked as an Accountant for Brasseurs GMT Inc., a midsize brewing company founded in

Montréal. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA Canada, Québec Branch) and a graduate from the Université

du Québec à Montréal and is currently working toward his Certified Public Accounting certification for the State of Florida.

Sorel enjoys playing sports, soccer and volleyball, and is a passionate fan of F.C. Barcelona. He also enjoys reading books on

history and literature.

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

The winds of change continue to impact our organization, one gesture, one person, and one moment at a time. In our last issue we presented three of our Finance personnel and discussed some future changes that will further transform our financial services into a more efficient and effective operation delivering prompt and relevant information to our Clients. Continuing in that vein, we are pleased to present three more employees who will aid in reaching our goals, one person at a time.

These initiatives are strategically taken one step at time, so as not to disrupt the overall workflow and workload of our Department.

In the Spring issue we announced several initiatives underway to achieve our present and future goals:• InfoShip Integration with Great Plains (GP) Accounting Software• Concur Expense Reporting software• Concur Invoices Automated uploads software• Automated FX uploads to GP software• Integration of GP with wire payments• Multi-Entity Management (MEM) software addon to GP


PERSONNEL, CONT’D

Maria Cruz, Senior Accountant

Maria started at CMI in February 2018. Before, her experiences included working as Client Accountant for

Femwell. She served as a Client Accountant for a management company of a large physician group, where

she was assigned 21 physician offices. Prior to that she worked as an accountant for Kronos America, a large

distributor of high-end watches and jewelry. Maria graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science

in Economics and continued her studies at Florida International University in Accounting. In her spare time, she enjoys

kickboxing and attending art shows.

AUTOMATION

The InfoShip integration with the Great Plains accounting

software will enter its testing phase in December and final

implementation is expected in January. The delays in the

project were related to a glitch that was found and corrected.

The integration will allow seamless communication of

approved purchase orders and receipt of these orders between

GP and InfoShip. It will also allow more visibility of the

transactional flows in purchasing.

We are happy to report that Concur Expense

software became fully operational at the end

of November. This software allows employees to easily create

and document travel expenses as it automatically categorizes,

and maps expenses based on receipt images. The benefits

include streamlining expense management, enforcing travel

policy compliance and faster reimbursement to employees.

A project is in the works with our Great

Plains partner, Tidestone Solutions

and a project plan was put in place at the end of November

which included the timeline and milestones of the various

software initiatives which will increase productivity of the

Finance team. As we start these initiatives, we will update

our progress in future issues and provide more information

on the expected benefits and uses of the additional tools and

upgrade of the GP Accounting System.

In the meantime, we will leave you with another quote about

change from the great American industrialist, Henry Ford:

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll

always get what you’ve always got.”

— BILL COLOGNE | VP Finance

“And that is how change happens. One gesture. One person.

One moment at a time.”LIBBA BRAY, THE SWEET FAR THING


IT & COMMUNICATIONS2019In 2019 CMI introduced two vessels into our fleet. The new vessel, M/V GREG MORTIMER designed with the latest

technologies, systems for monitoring to allow for proactive problem solving; and the M/V VIDANTA ELEGANT,

a 1990 built vessel.

2019 was a successful year in upgrading and getting all the ships aligned with some of the latest technology. We completed 291 out of a total of 330 projects since January 2018,

and look forward to finishing the last 39 projects in different stages during 2020.

ACHIEVEMENTS

THANKS TO ALL IT OFFICERS

Hiring and Retaining Qualified PersonnelThe long-standing notion that Information Technology has three critical dimensions - people, process,

and technology - is still valid today. Behind each successful implementation of the technology is a group of

talented people, ensuring that everything goes according to plans to meet the needs of the Fleet. Recruiting

and retaining exceptional staff with the knowledge, skills, and the right attitude is not an easy task.

Increased Demand for Zero DowntimeInformation technology systems must always run and the pressure is mounting on IT experts to ensure the

accuracy and availability of these systems. Large organizations with round-the-clock operations, require a

standby IT team to solve issues that might arise.

Security and PrivacyHackers have found it very easy to hack into computers or systems connected on the internet. Hackers can

easily use an IP (Internet Protocol) address to access a user’s computer and collect data. Internet cookies

collect information as we use the internet and increases the risks of fraud and malicious intent.

HardwarePurchased hardware needs to be designed with durability in mind, including resistance to water, humidity,

dust, dirt, and extreme heat.

1

2

3

4


Top 4Top 4 2020Challenges for

in the Corporate Offices when the Group celebrated


Spooky Dayit was a

halloween at the end of October!

Best Costume winner was Michelle Stewart

– S U N S T O N E S H I P S

Spooky Day is an international affair in the Miami Corporate offices. As American families prepared to feast on traditional turkey

and various side dishes, two days before Thanksgiving the Miami Group put a spin on tradition with some of our 62 employees representing 26 countries across the globe

shared in dishes conventional to their culture.

TRIVIA: There are 195 countries in the world with varied names starting with 24 letters of the alphabet.The CMI, CMIL and SunStone Group comprises of individuals from all letters with the exception of seven!


Holiday ReceptionWith the offices draped and decorated in colors reminiscent of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebrations, an array of sumptuous hors d’ oeuvres, seafood, sushi and carving stations, a good time was had by all, dancing, singing and enjoying the tricks and illusions of a magician in the mix.

This year, the Group was proud to support the efforts of 4Ocean by presenting each employee and guest with a bracelet from that organization.

As the ocean is indeed our Group’s home, Management found it very appropriate to work with this for profit company founded in Boca Raton, Florida in 2017 that sells bracelets made mostly from recycled materials, as well as apparel and other

merchandise for which the materials are environmentally and socially responsibly sourced. Each bracelet sold pulls one pound of trash from Oceans. Over 7 Million pounds of trash pulledso far!

Holiday ReceptionHaving the Group’s annual

Holiday Reception a little later

in December from previous

years did not stop CMI, CMIL

and SunStone employees

and some 200 invited family,

friends, colleagues, clients,

vendors and suppliers from

participating and enjoying an

amazing South Florida evening

in our Corporate offices, filled

with food and music in a Mardi

Gras-esque holiday setting.

2019

Support The 4ocean Cause & Help Clean Our Oceans & Coastline Today.

Thanks to CMI Leisure vendor, JULIUS MEINL, whose coffee is served onboard our vessels; and representatives for PADRE PREMIUM TEQUILA also served onboard our vessels, for providing tastings!

CRUISE MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL AND CMI LEISURE … · expedition team onboard, thank you and well...

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