By
Rebecca Lambert |
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2017 issue of International Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed.
In such a highly competitive cruise industry, delivering a complete and seamless luxury onboard experience for passengers is vital to securing ongoing success. A wide range of factors go into ensuring cruise passengers have a time they won’t forget in a hurry – both on and off the vessel.
Naturally, different elements will appeal to different passenger demographics. But one thing is universal – a poor level of service will stick in the mind and word is likely to spread. If cruise lines want to keep their passenger ratings high, they must look to tick each and every box. Everything from room cleanliness and hygiene to the contents of the minibar should be considered!
But how are lines ensuring the highest levels are consistently reached? According to Mark Tamis, senior vice president of hotel operations at Royal Caribbean International, the secret lies in creating a service-oriented culture.
“This culture runs deep at Royal Caribbean, which is at the centre of how we deliver the most adventurous vacations and is built on nearly 50 years of experience,” he says. “The key to bringing these experiences to life for millions of guests each year? Our passionate crew members and their steadfast dedication. They are our best brand ambassadors to articulate our common values across our 24 ships around the world. It’s important that we not only lean into the culture and our core principles, but that we also enable our crew with training, tools and procedures that ensure we sustain our high standard of service excellence.”
Tamis says that it’s vital to “inspect what you expect,” and such standards are what keep Royal Caribbean International at the top of its game in the hotel space.
“At the end of the day, our guests continue to come back because of the relationships they’ve made with our fiercely committed crew who make their dream vacations a reality,” he says. “They are the cornerstone of our operation and as long as we take care of them, we’ll have happy guests.”