Learning Objectives

By the end of the chapter the reader should be able to:

• Reflect on research undertaken to establish graduate internships

• Examine case studies or vignettes to reveal insights about working life on board

• Reflect on the administrative role that the purser's office plays on board a contemporary cruise ship

• Consider the complex relationships that together establish integrated operations

So far, this book has presented a series of chapters that have aimed to deconstruct the world of cruising from an operational perspective. In doing so, it has considered the origins of cruising and charted the development of this fast-growing industry. It has reflected on the component parts of cruising to identify what makes a cruise both in terms of the itinerary and the range of services and facilities on board, and it has considered the mechanism for packaging and selling cruises as a product. The book has analyzed the key operational functions for hotel services and the provision of revenue-generating services such as shore excursions. Finally, an overview of security and safety was considered.

This last chapter aims to round off the book by presenting a brief summary of research that was undertaken to plan for graduate internships or work placements on board cruise ships. Thereafter, a series of vignettes or case studies are presented to consider the roles of a range of employees in the purser's department on contemporary cruise ships. In conjunction with the findings from the research project, the vignettes provide the reader with an opportunity...