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Selling the Sea: An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry
Written by the man who helped make Carnival Cruise Lines the largest cruise line company in the world and a travel and tourism expert, this book is the guide to marketing in the cruise industry. It takes the reader through the basics of the cruise line industry, ship operations, and on-shore business operations--while continually sharing the business secrets of one of the leading figures in the travel industry.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 30, 1996
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July 4, 2024
“We support the claim of the Peninsula and Oriental Steam Navigation Company that it invented cruising in 1844. The line, popularly known as P&O, ran ships from Britain to Spain and Portugal and to Malay and China. Today P&O operates cruises under the P&O flag as well as the flag of Princes Cruises (the ‘Love Boats’)” (1).
“There is little doubt that in 1977, when the television series ‘Love Boat’ was launched and broadcast all over the world, the public awareness of cruising as a romantic and relaxing vacation increased. Nevertheless, the thought of chucking it all and escaping the workaday world by going to sea is a fantasy that most of us have entertained at one time or another, so it’s no surprise that one of Carnival’s most popular ships is called the Fantasy, while Royal Caribbean invokes these deep-seated stirrings with the Legend of the Seas” (5).
“Because of their fears of the unknown, many people wanted to forget they were at sea. Ships were therefore designed to nurture the illusion that one was not at sea and to shield passengers as much as possible from even being aware of the extremes in weather they might encounter. English architect Arthur Davis, who began designing the great Cunard liners in 1907 put it this way: ‘The people who use these ships are not pirates, they do not dance hornpipes; they are mostly sea sick American ladies, and the one thing they want to forget when they are on the vessel is that they are on a ship at all…If we could get ships to look inside like ships and get people to enjoy the sea, it would be a good thing; but all we can do as things are is to give them gigantic floating hotels’” (6).
“White vessels are still favored today because of their superior heat-reflecting qualities and their fundamental attractiveness. After all, what is more alluring than a sparkling white ship on an azure sea?” (9).
“…umbrella drinks (as today’s Pina Coladas and Rum Punches are called” (46).
“In the early days of cruising a good deal of provisions and water had to be carried on board, since cruises were typically seven days or longer and there were no reliable provisioners in the Caribbean ports of call. Storage rooms and freezers were stuffed to the gills (like the passengers)” (46).
“Sometimes this lack of storage space prove an embarrassment, as in the case of death at sea. Today’s ships have morgues for deceased passengers, who can hardly be offloaded at the next port. But these facilities are relatively new. In the 1970s the custom was to wrap dead bodies and store them in the freezer. There is one story (true) about a butcher who removed a package of what he believed to be beef from the freezer. When he began to unwrap it a human foot appeared and the poor man ran screaming from the galley. He was so upset the ship’s doctor finally had to sedate him” (46).
“More than anything, a trademark of the big mass-market ships and a focal point of every cruise has become the lavish Las Vegas-style ‘flesh and feathers’ shows, which are produced twice nightly” (58). Also ice skating revues
“Every commercial ship is registered to a flag state (that is, country) under whose rules and authority the ship operates. The choice of country depends on many factors, including, perhaps, the financing of the vessel, the cost of operation, and/or the routes the vessel sails. The flag-of-convenience tradition dates back to the early days of naval warfare when merchant ships, to avoid being attacked carried the flag of a neutral nation, thus protecting their passengers and cargo from the ravages of war” (65).
“When a ship carrying an international crew is registered in Liberia or Panama, it is not subject to union and other restrictive crewing policies. This means that owners are in a better position to negotiate fair and equitable compensation packages in a global, free-market environment” (66).
“Passengers are frequently curious as to what the Captain does all day. Put simply, he is the ultimate authority on board, charged with carrying out company policies and rules and complying with all applicable national and international laws and regulations” (70). AND “Royal Caribbean ships, for example, operate under Bahamian and Liberian flags and a special Norwegian flag of convenience. In truth, however, most flag of convenience countries have few laws governing ship operations, so the ship operates under its company’s policies and procedures”
“the Captain’s primary responsibility is to ensure the care and safety of everyone on board and, with that in mind, to make sure that the ship is seaworthy and that proper navigation and operating procedures are carried out. He is responsible for the navigation of the vessel: its speed, direction, bearings (location) and port maneuvering, and for its itinerary and schedule” (73).
“purchasers of Carnival vacations have made a highly discretionary decision to spend their time and money experiencing the Carnival product. Guests therefore have a reasonable expectation regarding the food, service ambience, entertainment and activity choices that the product offers, and they anticipate an enjoyable, hassle-free vacation that will provide lifelong memories. Individually, they may anticipate meeting new friends, rekindling romance, finding romance, quiet solitude, or pretty much non-stop partying—and every possibility in between” (116).
“There is little doubt that in 1977, when the television series ‘Love Boat’ was launched and broadcast all over the world, the public awareness of cruising as a romantic and relaxing vacation increased. Nevertheless, the thought of chucking it all and escaping the workaday world by going to sea is a fantasy that most of us have entertained at one time or another, so it’s no surprise that one of Carnival’s most popular ships is called the Fantasy, while Royal Caribbean invokes these deep-seated stirrings with the Legend of the Seas” (5).
“Because of their fears of the unknown, many people wanted to forget they were at sea. Ships were therefore designed to nurture the illusion that one was not at sea and to shield passengers as much as possible from even being aware of the extremes in weather they might encounter. English architect Arthur Davis, who began designing the great Cunard liners in 1907 put it this way: ‘The people who use these ships are not pirates, they do not dance hornpipes; they are mostly sea sick American ladies, and the one thing they want to forget when they are on the vessel is that they are on a ship at all…If we could get ships to look inside like ships and get people to enjoy the sea, it would be a good thing; but all we can do as things are is to give them gigantic floating hotels’” (6).
“White vessels are still favored today because of their superior heat-reflecting qualities and their fundamental attractiveness. After all, what is more alluring than a sparkling white ship on an azure sea?” (9).
“…umbrella drinks (as today’s Pina Coladas and Rum Punches are called” (46).
“In the early days of cruising a good deal of provisions and water had to be carried on board, since cruises were typically seven days or longer and there were no reliable provisioners in the Caribbean ports of call. Storage rooms and freezers were stuffed to the gills (like the passengers)” (46).
“Sometimes this lack of storage space prove an embarrassment, as in the case of death at sea. Today’s ships have morgues for deceased passengers, who can hardly be offloaded at the next port. But these facilities are relatively new. In the 1970s the custom was to wrap dead bodies and store them in the freezer. There is one story (true) about a butcher who removed a package of what he believed to be beef from the freezer. When he began to unwrap it a human foot appeared and the poor man ran screaming from the galley. He was so upset the ship’s doctor finally had to sedate him” (46).
“More than anything, a trademark of the big mass-market ships and a focal point of every cruise has become the lavish Las Vegas-style ‘flesh and feathers’ shows, which are produced twice nightly” (58). Also ice skating revues
“Every commercial ship is registered to a flag state (that is, country) under whose rules and authority the ship operates. The choice of country depends on many factors, including, perhaps, the financing of the vessel, the cost of operation, and/or the routes the vessel sails. The flag-of-convenience tradition dates back to the early days of naval warfare when merchant ships, to avoid being attacked carried the flag of a neutral nation, thus protecting their passengers and cargo from the ravages of war” (65).
“When a ship carrying an international crew is registered in Liberia or Panama, it is not subject to union and other restrictive crewing policies. This means that owners are in a better position to negotiate fair and equitable compensation packages in a global, free-market environment” (66).
“Passengers are frequently curious as to what the Captain does all day. Put simply, he is the ultimate authority on board, charged with carrying out company policies and rules and complying with all applicable national and international laws and regulations” (70). AND “Royal Caribbean ships, for example, operate under Bahamian and Liberian flags and a special Norwegian flag of convenience. In truth, however, most flag of convenience countries have few laws governing ship operations, so the ship operates under its company’s policies and procedures”
“the Captain’s primary responsibility is to ensure the care and safety of everyone on board and, with that in mind, to make sure that the ship is seaworthy and that proper navigation and operating procedures are carried out. He is responsible for the navigation of the vessel: its speed, direction, bearings (location) and port maneuvering, and for its itinerary and schedule” (73).
“purchasers of Carnival vacations have made a highly discretionary decision to spend their time and money experiencing the Carnival product. Guests therefore have a reasonable expectation regarding the food, service ambience, entertainment and activity choices that the product offers, and they anticipate an enjoyable, hassle-free vacation that will provide lifelong memories. Individually, they may anticipate meeting new friends, rekindling romance, finding romance, quiet solitude, or pretty much non-stop partying—and every possibility in between” (116).
December 16, 2015
The cruise industry is a big business, and running it can be complex - imagine all the issues involved in taking a luxury hotel with entertainment venues, and then finding a way to move it from place to place! It's a challenge to operate a cruise ship, and it can be just as much of a challenge to sell travelers on taking a cruise. Bob Dickinson and Andy Vladimir, two of the execs responsible for Carnival's great success in the 1990s, take us behind the "crew members only" doors and show us a bit of what happens, as well as discuss issues that cruise lines and travel agents face in selling cruises, such as line branding, the plusses and perils of discounting fares, and getting potential cruisers to overcome their biases against the product. The book was written with travel agents in mind, but is accessible to the average person, and having two cruise industry veterans provide their insights as well as the insights of their colleagues is a definite plus. The biggest problems I had with the book are really poor editing by the publisher - the edition I read was full of typos and unclear sentences - and the fact that the book was written and first published in 1997, which means you don't get a feel for the issues currently facing the industry. Still, the book's a good overview of the cruise industry - definitely worth a read if the topic interests you.
May 28, 2014
Excellent look at the cruise industry from earlier days to what is happening today (or as of publication date - 2008). How cruises are sold and why. By chairman of Carnival.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews