Cruise Ship Operations: A Hospitality Perspective

A passenger ship aimed at pleasure travel is a cruise ship. Larger cruise ships can engage in transoceanic voyages and long round-trips. Cruise ships are organized like floating hotels with the usual ship's crew and a hospitality staff. Some ships maintain the format of ocean liners and house separate dining rooms for different suites, while others can have a standard dining room with upscale specialty restaurants with pre-booking and cover charges. Many cruises schedule formal dining nights where guests dress formally and the menu is elaborately planned. Buffet-style eateries, ethnic-themed restaurants and bars and nightclubs are some of the amenities in modern cruise ships. They also offer a host of entertainment choices and options such as casinos, spas, fitness centers, gyms, pool tables, shops, theatres and many more. The management of the hospitality services is of the utmost essence in cruise ships, and it includes varied hotel operations, laundry operations, housekeeping, lodging, security monitoring, casino management, etc. This book attempts to understand the diverse departments that fall under hospitality management in the cruise ship industry. It also sheds light on the skills, roles and responsibilities of this sector. For all those who are interested in cruise ships, this book can prove to be an essential guide.