An Alaska cruise

We just returned from a cruise in Alaska. It is clear from the cruise that American organization and management skills are still alive and kicking. And so is their ability to convert a leisure cruise into a money making industry.

First the organizational part- we reached the pier at Seattle port at noon along with some 2800 other vacationers. Thus began the process of checking in, passport verification, baggage handling and delivery, credit card payments etc. To our amazement, the entire process was completed within four hours and we set sail sharp at 4 pm. The crew had managed to process about 15 passengers a minute – yes a minute. And remember these were not disciplined army recruits but a mix of bawling youngster, elders in wheelchairs and the in betweens ready to party and not particularly keen on any type of order. Even when we went on shore cruises- to see the whales and salmon, totem poles and lumberjacks, and cities with a population less than a third of that of the cruise ship, there was a disciplined organization and rarely did the ship leave behind a dawdling passenger.

And this superb organization continued on board. It really operated like a five star hotel but with 2800 guests who all checked in at the same time and would leave at the same time. In between they needed to be fed, clothed and entertained.

Every day required managing a food intake for all the guests of almost 15 tons. There were cooks and butchers, chefs and pastry chefs with a total cooking staff of almost 140. They served 1300 kgs of fish and 2000 kgs of meat but balanced it with 300 kg of salad and 1500 kg of fresh fruits daily. While they offered 1000 kg of potatoes, they also provided twice that in terms of vegetables. Lest you think that the food was well balanced at all times, there was 90 gallons of ice cream served daily along with more than 6000 pastries and cakes. I calculated that if all the food was eaten, each of the vacationer took in about ten pounds daily!

Hard times had obviously hit the leisure industry as well. But they had reacted skillfully to survive in the recessionary times. Marketing had focused on seniors and the honeymooners, rates had been slashed to attract the first time vacationers attracted by the low price offers. Of course little did they realize that once on board, temptations for spending were just going to be too great including turns at the casino. While the ship provided free food at all times, all beverages were to be paid for separately- including water On average thus, each vacationer probably ended up spending almost as much on food and drinks on board as he did for the ticket itself!

The cruise management on the other hand had cut down costs as well in clever ways. Almost all the staff were on short term contract of 6-9 months. Almost all were from developing countries and almost all were young. There were no major stars for entertainment- this was provided by tapping the talent pool of the crew itself. But by providing almost one cruise staff per 3 vacationer, they were able to provide a personalized service that compensated for the inexperienced staff.

Of course, one thing I did not realize while planning the cruise was the long distances on the ship itself. To get to anywhere from your cabin required a hike of furlong or more and since the dining room and the entertainment centers were placed at either ends of the ship, you needed to be ready for long treks everyday or have a daughter around- as I did- to push your wheelchair. Another interesting facet was the care these cruise ships took to cater for the disabled- and there were a large number of wheelchair bound vacationer. All of them were given priority and there was always a crew member ready to assist.

The leisure industry- particularly the vacation cruise industry is still a multi billion dollar industry. With a fleet of 151 vessels and a combined capacity of a quarter million berths,the North American cruise industry generated $35.7 billion in gross U.S. economic output in 2006, including $17.6 billion in direct spending. The industry supported 348,000 American jobs last year, accounting for $14.7 billion in wages. And it is projected that 13.5 million passengers will sail with its member lines in 2009, a 2.3 percent increase from the estimated 13.2 million last year, with almost 20-25 percent of the passengers coming from abroad.

All in all it was a relaxing experience, particularly if you did not take all those shore cruises.

And best of all—I lost three pounds!