Cruise Ship:

Its anatomy, facilities and amenities

Basic Parts of a Cruise Ship

• Bow – front

• Stern – extreme rear of the ship

• Aft – rear

• Port – left side

• Starboard – right side

• Midship – towards the middle of the ship

II. Words and Terms: Cruise Vocabularies 101

• Deck – is the equivalent of a story / floor in a building

• Embarkation – boarding the ship

• Debarkation or Disembarkation – exiting the ship

• Bridge – where the vessel is controlled

• Galley or Kitchen – where food is prepared

• Mechanical Areas – Engine Room

• Guests – passengers

• Concierge Level – an entire deck made up of suite

• Stateroom or Cabin – guest’s room

• Lido Deck – café

• Roominess – the hallways and stairs will be less crowded and there will be more space between
tables in the dining room

• Purser’s Office – front desk, hotel desk, reception desk or information desk

• berth – bed

• Berth – docking space of a ship

• Stateroom Category – is the price that a certain kind or level of stateroom represents

• Pax – industry abbreviation for passenger

Styles of Ships

• Small Ships – smaller vessels, most of which accommodate fewer than 300 passengers

 Up-close and more intimate cruise vacation

 Education, soft adventure and/or luxury experience

 Miniature cruise ship

 Masted Sailing Ships – cruise ships with masts and sails and partly or almost powered by
the wind

 An experience of the traditional sailing

 Specialized type of cruising (themed)

• River Vessels – modern style ships and great steamboats (19th Century)

• Barges – usually luxurious, affording a pampered and leisurely discovery of the country side
(themed cruise)

• Ferries – specifically in Europe offering an overnight or a multi-day cruising

• Multipurpose Ship – cargo, transport passengers, cruise life experience (with private staterooms),
glitzy entertainment and bountiful dinning

• Miscellaneous – freighter, yacht and house boats

IV. Measuring the Cruise Ship

1) Number of Staterooms

2) Number of Passenger / Guests that the ship can accommodate

FACT:

 2000 passengers or more = “megaship”

 1 crew member = 2 guests

 1 crew member = 3 guests

 Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) – is determined by a formula that gauges the

volume of the public spaces on a ship

 Measures ONLY the spaces enclosed for guests (not included the
open spaces and areas for crew)

INTERPRETATION OF GRT:
 • Very Small: Under 10,000 GRT; under 200 pax

• Small: 10,000-20,000 GRT; 200-500 pax

• Medium: 20,000-50,000 GRT; 500-1,200 pax

• Large: 50,000-70,000 GRT; 1,200-2,000 pax

• Megaship: 70,000 GRT or more; 2,000 pax or more; the very largest megaships are now
over 200,000 GRT and carry more than 5,000 passengers

V. Ship Facilities

THREE TYPES OF SPACES ON A SHIP:

 Stateroom Space

 Private/Crew Space – lower decks (crew cabins, dining area, bridge, galley, mechanical
areas and recreational facilities)

 Public Space

• The Reception Area – purser’s desk (shore excursion office or tour desk)

• The Dining Room

• Alternate dining areas – lido deck, other restaurants, fast food chain

• Showroom – entertainment

 Public Space

• The Pool Area – not too big; magradome (retractable glass skylight)

• Health Club – spas, sports facilities, gymnasium

• Children’s Area – supervised by a trained staff

• The Gift Shop – souvenir shops

• The Main Theater

• The Photo Gallery

• Art Auction Gallery

• The Casino – closed when the ship is in the port

• Internet Cafe

VI. Cruise Staterooms

 “Hotel Rooms in Miniature”

THREE TYPES OF SHIP STATEROOMS:

1) Outside Staterooms or the Ocean-view Staterooms

• With windows (portholes or larger window)

• With verandas (limited)

2) Inside Staterooms

• Ship interiors

• No windows

• With false windows

• Least expensive

THREE TYPES OF SHIP STATEROOMS:

3) Suites

 Most expensive accommodation on cruise ships

 Sitting area, sleeping area, living area

 Concierge level

 Butler

THINGS THAT IS COMMON IN A TYPICAL STATEROOMS:

 Two single lower beds (parallel or right angle; berth)

 A bed stand

 Vanity – chair, drawer, cabinets

 Closet

 Television

 Extreme lighting, wall-to-wall carpeting

 Bathroom

CRUISING AN INTRODUCTION

I. Overview of Cruising
Etymological Definition: 1650s, from Dutch kruisen "to cross, sail to and fro," from kruis "cross," from
Latin crux which means “cross”

A Cruise (v) is to sail about touching at a series of ports.

A Cruise is a vacation trip by ship.

A Cruise is primarily a leisure vacation experiences with the ship’s staff doing all the work.

Cruising (n) is a desire to relax, to get away from it all, to experience, to learn, to be pampered and to
have fun.

II. Reasons for Sailing and the Exclusion for Cruising

 Exploration

 Commerce

 Migration

 War Fare

 Pleasure (Visiting Significant Places)

The following are NOT identified to be a pleasurable trip (cruising):

 Business Purposes

 Sailing on one’s own small pleasure craft

 Travel in a vessel for primarily transportation purposes

(short ferry ride)

III. Impacts of the Cruise Industry

ECONOMIC IMPACT

• Employment Generation

• Multiplier Effect

• Business Investments

• Destination Development

• Over Dependent on Tourism

• Over Crowding of Tourist Destination

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
 • Environment Distraction

SOCIAL IMPACT

• Explore new life perspective

• Demonstration

• Alienation

IV. Historicity of Cruising and Cruise Line Management

“Leisure” Travels in sea were rarity. Most of the sailings were concentrated on exploration, trading,
conquering and migration. Pleasure was only an afterthought.

 HERODOTUS (484-425 BC) – compiled a list of the most interesting man-made things (Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World)

Reason: to promote other pleasure travelers with a sort of guide book to where to go and what to see.

 1800s – shipping companies rediscovered that they could increase their profits by booking
passengers aboard their merchant ships.

 Wealthy Patron (Adventure)

 Poor People (Migration)

 1800s – shipping companies began building vessels (steamships – primary purpose: to transport
people)

 1800s – steel ships with sail riggings (to attract passengers)

 1800s – Turn-of-the-Century vessels

 Aquitania

 Leviathan

 Titanic

 Cunard

 P&O

 Holland America

 Early 1900s – creation of ocean liners (comparing the great hotels of Europe)

Classes of Passengers:

 First Class – 100 (Wealthy)

  Second Class – 100 (Modest but sufficient means)

 Third Class – 2000 (Steerage – masses)

For Third Class Passengers…

o Considered to be important in terms of profitability

o Designing their exteriors to be glamorous as their marketing strategy (smokestacks)

o Migration (mode of transportation)

o World War I (1914 – 1918) – ocean crossing vessels were converted into troop transport ships

o After the War – innovation and development of ships (bigger, sleeker and FASTER)

o Blue Riband– was awarded to whichever ship could cross the North Atlantic in the least
amount of time.

o 1920s and 1930s – intensive entertainment and pampering activities were created (marketing and
promotions strategy)

o 1920s and 1930s – became a fashionable things (newspaper – celebrities on-board)

o 1920s and 1930s – ship as a symbol of prosperity, taste and might

o 1960s – new liners, with new features and amenities, were made

o Tore out the bulkheads separating the classes

o Air conditioned

o Expanded Pool Areas

o Casinos

o Discos

o 1970s – cruising became a major phenomenon

o 1980s and 1990s – “Megaships” (huge ships)

V. Developments in the Cruise Industry

Span of Time in Cruising

o Short Itineraries (3 to 4 days)

o One day “party cruise” plus a multiday cruising

 o Three months cruising

o “Saturday-to-Saturday” – seven days cruising

Kinds of Cruise Itinerary

 Round-trip or Circle Itinerary– vessel leaving from and returning to the same port

 One-way Itinerary – starting from one point and finishing at another

 Open-jaw Itinerary – an air itinerary featuring a return from a different city than from the
one first flown

 Cruise-only Trip – cruise with no need for air transportation

Experiencing Onboard Activities primarily on…

 At-sea Days – a day when the ship is traveling a long distance and doesn’t stop at a port
of call

 Port Days – a day when the ship stops at a port of call

Kinds of Cruise Packages

 Pre-cruise Package – package that includes lodging at the cruise departure port before
the cruise

 Post-cruise Package – package that includes lodging at the cruise arrival port after the
cruise

VI. Future Trends in the Cruise Industry

 Global destinations

 Exploring the unknown

 Big brand entertainment

 Specialty dining

 Romance reigns

 Importance of outdoor spaces

 The more the merrier (groups)

 Rapid innovation across all areas of the guest experience

 River Cruising fastest growing segment

 Lingering longer
  Families and generations

 Leveraging technology wherever possible

People on Cruise

I. Passengers
II. Cruise is indeed a global phenomenon.
a. 29% are under 40, 52% are between 40 and 59 and 20% are 60 years old
b. 40% of the people onboard are taking their first cruise.
c. 86% of cruisers are married.
d. People who take cruises earn about 18% more money in household income per year.
e. ¼ of all cruisers bring a child or children along
III. Passenger Profile (Short Cruises)
a. Be younger
b. Have more modest income
c. Have less education
d. Be more likely to work full-time
e. Be interested in a mass-market destination, such as the Caribbean
f. Be new to cruising
IV. Passenger Profile (Long Cruises)
a. Be older
b. Have higher incomes
c. Be more educated
d. Be more likely to be retired or semiretired
e. Be interested in a more exotic destination, such as South America
f. Have already experienced cruising

II. Reasons why People go on Cruise

1. A Cruise is a Hassle-free Vacation.You pack and unpack only once, there’s no driving around,
looking for a hotel or where to eat. It minimizes your concerns, melts away your stress, &
maximizes your actual vacation time.

2. A Cruise takes you away from it all. Smog, pollution, stress, traffic, alarm clocks, ringing
telephones, non-stop business emails – these are not what a cruise is all about. Cruises are instead
about water, sea, sky, and landscape- the simple things that touch us so deeply.

3. 3. You’re pampered like nowhere else. Breakfast in bed, lounging on deck, soaking in a hot tub,
afternoon tea, perhaps champagne & caviar, and the most ever present and gracious service
you’re ever likely to experience. These are rare in our everyday life but common place on cruise.

4. 4. You can do it all—or nothing at all.Most cruises provide a wide variety of choices when it
comes to activities, foods, events, & services. The level of planned activities varies from ship to
ship. People who like plenty of things going on can certainly find a cruise that fits the bill. On
the other hand, more independent types can select a cruise that features a very relaxed experience
with very little structure.
5. 5. You can sample a Broad Geographic Area.A cruise usually covers a vast area, stopping at the
most interesting places along the way. This is why majority of the cruisers, consider a cruise
vacation to be a good way to sample vacation spots that they want to return to later for a resort
vacation.

6. 6. A Cruise is something “New”.Many people are tired of taking the same old trip so they like
trying out a new vacation experiences. Since the vast majority of people have never been on a
cruise, the desire to have a fresh adventure like a cruise can be powerfully motivating.

7. 7. Cruise offer a huge variety of events, activities and meals.See a show. Snooze lazily by the
pool, jog, learn, swim, shop, dine indoors or out, casual or elegant, 7 times a day if you want.
Explore a port or stay on board. Cruises these days are about choice. The size and personality of
the ship determine what choice you’ll have, but almost surely you’ll find it impossible to be bored
on a cruise.

8. 8. Cruise facilitates Shopping.Each port has its own shopping opportunities (often duty-free); as
does the ship itself (a wide selection of onboard boutiques is becoming increasingly common.
Plus, you don’t have to haul your purchases around as you go from place to place.

9. 9. It’s easy to make friends on a Cruise. Meeting new people on cruise is simple. Opportunities
to socialize seemingly are endless. Many of the people you meet will share interest—that you
chose the same ship, cruise, and destinations assures it. And some of these friendships may
endure well beyond the cruise.

10. 10. Cruises lend themselves to groups.If you take a cruise with people from an organization you
belong to, you’ll see old friends and meet new ones. If it’s a theme cruise, you’ll meet people you
have plenty in common.

11. 11. A cruise is a romantic experience. Cruises have a way of breathing new energy into an old
relationship, or setting the stage for a new one.

12. 12. A cruise is a learning experience. Even if your goal is merely to have a good time, you’re
almost sure to learn something new about the ports you visit. On many cruises, expert lecturers
onboard give enrichment presentations that help you understand more fully the history and the
culture of places on the itinerary. Indeed, some specialty cruise lines make passenger learning
their primary goal. A few merge “soft adventure” experiences with education, offering what is
called an “expedition” cruise product.

13. 13. There’s a cruise that can satisfy virtually anyone. Families, singles, clubs, church groups,
young and old people, sports lovers, knowledge lovers and more can find a cruise to be fulfilling.
Few other experiences can make that claim. And it doesn’t have to be a vacation. Many
companies hold their meetings, retreats, or incentive events on ships. Some charter the whole
vessel.

14. 14. It’s a great way to celebrate a special event. People on their honeymoon, couples celebrating
their anniversary, or those enjoying a birthday all find a cruise to be especially fulfilling.
 15. 15. Everybody’s talking about how wonderful cruises are. Cruising is an “in” thing. Everyone
seems to talk about cruises and that’s being reinforced by many TV shows and movies. Several
studies indicate that word-of-mouth from relatives, friends, and acquaintances is a prime reason
consumer choose to cruise. And several experts argue that a “hidden” reason for people to go on
cruises is so they can brag about it when they get back.

16. 16. Cruises represent a safe travel experience. In an age when crime and terrorism happens too
easily, a cruise represents one of the safest vacation choices available. The ship’s environment is
highly managed. Anything out of the ordinary is swiftly noted. Passage onto and off the ship is
strictly controlled. Professionals often check the vessel’s hull while in port, even underwater.
Luggage is scanned. And vessels have safety and construction features that make problems very
unlikely.

17. 17. It’s a fabulous value for money. When you compare what you get from your cruise dollar to
what you’d pay for a similar land-based vacation, you discover quickly that a cruise is a
remarkable bargain.

18. 18. Cruises are ideal for family vacations. Because they’re a packages product, in a controlled
environment, and at a reasonable price, cruises appeal strongly to families. Many cruise line have
major facilities and programs to keep young people occupied and entertained.

19. 19. They provide an excellent context for extended business meetings. Retreats, incentive
programs and similar away-from-the-office events are a growing option that the cruise lines can
facilitate. Some companies charter the whole vessel.

20. 20. You know what you’re paying in advance. A cruise is generally an inclusive vacation. When
people pay for their cruise experience, they know up front what the majority of their vacation will
cost.

Reservation and booking process

Making Reservations From the Client

1. Obtain the information and fill out a reservation form, if possible. Select cruise line, ship, date(s).

2. Make certain to ask the citizenship of the clients, since documentary requirements vary.

3. Ask what category/type of cabin they might prefer. Don’t just select a cabin. After checking with
the cruise line, explain what is available. If the cruise line offers a choice of cabins, show the
clients the deck plan and point out the cabins available. Circle the cabin that has been selected.

4. Obtain meal sitting preference and any other requests.

Making Reservations: From the Cruise Line

1. Confirm cabin number (unless it is to be assigned – TBA)

2. Reconfirm prices per person, port taxes, air/sea add-ons, if applicable, any other fees, and the
total due.
 3. If clients will be paying by credit card, find out payment processing procedures, unless you are
already familiar with the process.

4. If it is an air/sea program, confirm any details. If the flight information is available, write the
schedule down so that you can give an itinerary to the clients.

5. Obtain deposit option date and final payment deadline (or total payment deadline if a short-notice
booking).

6. Get the name of the person and a confirmation/reservation number, and write this down with the
date of confirmation.

3. Making Reservations: Abbreviations

• A/S – Air/Sea

• BTH – Bath

• CFMD BY – Confirmed by

• DBL – Double

• DEP – Deposit

• DOCS RECD – Documents received

• EB – Eastbound

• F/P – Final payment

• GTD or GUAR – Guaranteed

• I/S – Inside cabin

• M/M – Mr. and Mrs.

• OPT - Option

• O/S – Outside cabin

• OW – One way

• PP – Per person

• PSGR ADVSD – Passenger advised

• PT – Port taxes

• QUAD – Four people accommodated

• RT – Round trip
 • SGL – Single

• TBA – To be assigned

• WB – Westbound

• WL - Waitlist

• Abbreviations for beds:

• D – Double

• Q – Queen

• 2S – 2 Singles

• U&L – Upper and Lower

Cruise Booking Terms

Add on – A supplementary amount

Air/Sea or Fly/Cruise – A package combining the air fare and cruise rate.

Booking – A reservation

Cruise Only – The rate for the cruise, not including air fare

Gratuities – Tips

Guarantee – Agreement to provide expected services or products. A rate that is protected against
increases. A special fare extended because the cabin will be assigned at the time of sailing.

Guarantee Share Rate – A special fare extended to a single passenger who agrees to the assignment of a
cabin mate by the cruise line. The line will ask age, gender, and if a smoker/non-smoker and attempt a
match with another passenger.

Open sitting – No table assignments made.

Option date – Date by which payment must be received or the reservations will be cancelled.

Run of the Ship Rate – Low fare offered because cabin is assigned by the cruise line. Also called a
guarantee rate.

Shore excursions – Tours at ports which usually cost extra.

Stand By – Waiting list for passengers on a sold-out cruise

Upper & Lower – Like bunk beds

Waitlist – List established for those passengers waiting for possible cancellations.