CRUISE SHIP INDUSTRY

THE REEMERGENCE AND INNOVATION OF WATER TRAVEL IN THE LATER PART OF THE CENTURY GREATLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS WHO AVAIL OF THIS MODE OF TRANSPORTATION.

INDUSTRY PROFILE Careers in cruise ships are among the

most sought-after jobs by hospitality students. The industry provides decent pay and enables its employees to travel all over the world.

Cruise ship in this era serve as floating vacation liners.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CRUISE LINE INDUSTRY

Ships changed very little during the first half of this century. Although engine efficiency improved, passenger staterooms, public lounges, and deck space on a cruise ship built in the 1950s were not much different than those on the Titanic.

Cruise ships in this era serve as floating vacation liners.

Ships have been used in traveling throughout the ages.

In the early 1900s, transatlantic voyages were introduced for travel and trade. During that time, ocean liners were expensive and only the wealthy can afford to travel first class. A vast majority of the travelers who cannot afford first-class travel were assiged to the steerage class. Steerage refers to the lowest decks in a ship and only offer basic amenities.

The decline of the popularity of water transport was brought about by the introduction of commercial airplanes.

However, the cruise industry flourished again with the introduction of leisure travel. Cruise ship repositioned themselves by offering leisure activities to their passengers.

The industry’s popularity reached new heights with the introduction of mega ships in the 1990s.

MARKET PERSPECTIVE A cruise ship is a stress-free and hassle

free vacation. It provides a new experience to

vacationers as this differs from their usual vacation habits.

Cruises offers different activities inside the sip, such as swimming, jogging, shows and other recreational activities.

Cruises facilitate socialization and networking.

A cruise is ideal for special occasions, like honeymoons, anniversaries, and rekindling and renewing of relationships.

A cruise provides a brief overview of historical and learning experiences from one port to another. In-house experts, such as port and shopping lecturers, provide passengers with information about the places included in the cruise itinerary.

In the advent of highly sophisticated technology, cruises offer a safe travel experience. Sea vessels ensure guest safety and security.

The cruise package price is generally all inclusive. Passengers will know how much their vacation will cost.

CLASSIFICATION OF CRUISE SHIPSize Gross registered

TonnagePassenger Capacity

Very small Under 10,000 Not exceeding 200

Small 10,000-20,000 200-500

Medium 20,000-50,000 500-1,200

Large 50,000-70,000 1,200-2,000

Megaship More than 70,000 More than 2,000

CRUISE SHIP FACILITIES1. STATEROOM SPACE If hotels have guestrooms, a cruise ship has a stateroom or

a cabin. Ship staterooms are usually extremely compact but all spaces are well utilized to answer all the guests need.

There are three types of ship staterooms: A. Outside staterooms are meant for guests who may have

a preference for an ocean view. Since most of the spaces in cruise ships are well utilized, this type of room does not give off a feeling of smallness due to its ocean view.

B. Inside staterooms are cheaper than outside staterooms since they do not have windows. To create a bigger space for the room, several deign methods have been employed by cruise ships, like the use of colors, patterns, and mirrors.

C. As with hotels, suites are the most expensive rooms on a ship. Today, suites in cruise ships may be comparable to land-based hotels. Services and facilities inside the room are highly personalized to exceed guest expectations.

2. PRIVATE SPACE Private spaces are reserved for the ship’s personnel.

These include the crew’s cabins, cafeteria, gym and recreational facilities, the bridge where the vessel is controlled, the gallery or kitchen, and machine areas.

 3. PUBLIC SPACES

These are areas dedicated to passengers’ usage. The public areas in cruise ships are similar with those of land-based hotels. The following are the areas that comprise the public area section of cruise ships.

Reception AreaSimilar to a hotel lobby, the reception area in cruise ships has several offices. These offices have direct contact with guests.

Dining RoomThis is where the guests’ meals are served. Similar to the food and beverage outlets typical in land-based hotels, the size of the dining area usually depends on the carrying capacity of the vessel.

ShowroomThis serves as the ship’s venue for entertainment and business functions, such as conventions, conferences, and meetings. 

Pool AreaOne of the many recreation centers in cruise ships, this area also has food and beverage outlets and relaxation areas for the passengers.

Gym, Spa, and Sports FacilitiesJust like in land based hotels and resorts, cruise ships provide complete gym services, like aerobics programs, yoga, and weight machines.

Children’s AreaThis area offers babysitting services to a wide range of age groups. As compared with land-based hotels, this service may only be availed in top land based as part of their highly personalized services.

Gift shopThe gift shop sells both souvenir items and

sundries Bigger vessels may even have dresses and jewelries by designer labels.

ClinicMaritime law requires any vessel that carries more than 100 passengers to have a physician on board, often assisted by one or more nurses.

Internet CenterThis is similar to business centers in land-based hotels and is an important feature of cruise ships since communication is hard to get by at sea.

Casino OperationsCasino operations are usually legal on ships; most cruise vessels boast of casinos where clients can play a wide selection of card games, slot machines, and others.

PHILIPPINE SETTING Philippines ferry and passenger

ferries are the life blood for traveling in and among the Philippine Islands.With 7,107 islands to explore, it is almost impossible not to experience a trip or two in one of the many forms that a ferry can take.

Whether you need to travel short distances or extremely long distances there is a Philippines ferry to suit you and your budget.

For short distances the most common Philippine passenger ferry is the banca and can be found just about on or near to every beach in the Philippines. You will be able to negotiate a fare with the captain prior to your voyage. Have a look here for more information on banca boats.

All the major cities can be reached by a Philippines ferry of some description. The major ports are Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga and Davao, from these ports you can get to just about any island in the Philippines. The Philippine ferries that ply this particular route are some of the super ferries and can take up to 46 hours or more, depending on weather conditions.

The Philippines ferry services has really opened up the opportunity to discover the many islands in the Visayas, which helps local businesses and communities by bringing in tourist money that was not available prior to the Philippines ferries.

WHY TRAVEL BY PHILIPPINES FERRY

Traveling by Philippines ferries is an economical way for budget conscious travelers to get around.

It is also a fantastic way to see areas of the country that would be impossible to see by air or land travel. You have the chance to also mingle with the extremely friendly Filipino people. A ferry trip is all part of your adventure, treat it as one an you will have risked nothing. Having said that long trips on boats may not be every ones ideal way for getting from a to b.

Philippines passenger ferries have not had a great safety record in the past, so it is always a good idea to have an idea about what the weather is up to between your port of disembarking and destination is, if it looks like it may be a bit rough and stormy, particularly in the monsoon season then postpone or take an airplane.

WHERE DO PHILIPPINES FERRIES TRAVEL TO?

From Manila the major ports or islands you can travel to by Philippines passenger ferry are Bohol, Catanduanes, Cebu, Leyte, Lubang, Marinduque, Masbate, Mindanao, Mindoro, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Romblon and Samar. This is not an exhaustive list but does cover the major ports.

From these major ports or islands you can take other Philippine ferries to smaller or lesser known islands and so forth.

FERRIES ON THE PHILIPPINES Some of the leading ferries in the

Philippines include the following:1. Cebu Ferries – a sister company of the

Super Cat and Super Ferry, which are all subsidiaries of the Aboitiz group.

2. Montenegro Shipping Lines3. Negros Navigation- Considered the

oldest shipping line in the Philippines. It was established on July 26, 1932

4. Super Ferry- the second largest shipping company in the Philippines. It is one of the major subsidiaries of the Aboitiz group of companies.

CEBU FERRIES

MONTENEGRO SHIPPING LINES

NEGROS NAVIGATION

SUPER FERRY

CAREER OPPURTUNITIES The cruise line industry offers

various carrer paths in the tourism industry. Cruise ships have land-based and sea-based operations from which a person can choose his/her career.

The sea-based operations may be divided into bridge and hotel operations.

1. BRIDGE The captain has the final authority on

the ship The deputy captain is the second-in-

command and is in charge in absence of the captain.

The chief engineer oversees all the mechanical equipment, such as the engines, electrical systems, lightning, plumbing, waste management, on-board climate control, and the maintenance or repair of the ship itself.

The chief medical officer, or doctor, tends to the health of the passengers and the crew.

The chief radio or communications officer oversees in-room satellite TV programming, ship-to-shore phone calls, Interner service, and all other shipboard communication systems.

HOTEL The hotel manager ensures that all hotel

operations on the ship are properly implemented.

As with the front desk personnel of a hotel, the purser is in charge in all phases of guest stay, like welcoming the guest, assisting the guest, transacting financial matters, and processing immigration and customs requirements.

The shore excursion manager/concierge orchestrates the operation and booking of port-based packages.

The cruise director provides the guests with on-board activities and entertainment.

The executive chef manages the French kitchen brigade on the ship.

The head housekeeper of chief steward manages the sanitation of all staterooms, public spaces, and private spaces.

The food and beverage manager oversees the dining team, which is composed of the maitre, d’ hotel, table captains, waiters/waitresses, busboys, bartenders, drink servers, and wine stewards.

The chief radio or communications officer oversees in-room satellite TV programming, ship-to-shore phone calls, Internet service, and all other shipboard communication systems.