Shared Cruise Ship ownership

[Liberal_Baggie]

I was thinking about how on earth a cruise ship could get sailing again and I think some radical re thinking is going to be required. I would suggest its going to be almost impossible for companies to own and operate ships with large numbers of staff. On a Cunard ship its 1 member of staff for every 2 guests. The staff need to be in cabins on there own in future so that limits the amount of staff maybe to 1 member of staff for 4 guests so we cannot expect the same service levels. I would see a situation where we have and pay for shared ownership of a cabin basically we own the cabin and the guests that share the cabins pay for the running of the ship and we appoint a management company Cunard to run the ship for us.

 We would make up our own beds and clean the cabins and do basic maintenance work agreed by the owners at an on line AGM. No more room service but we could bring our own food on board and use a microwave in the cabin.  We get to decide where the ship goes and have a captain for the day.

  Over to you Cunard lets get on with some new ideas! as the old system is dead.

[Host Hattie]

Like a cut price version of this -

The World

[Guest SilverHengroen]

26 minutes ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I was thinking about how on earth a cruise ship could get sailing again and I think some radical re thinking is going to be required. I would suggest its going to be almost impossible for companies to own and operate ships with large numbers of staff. On a Cunard ship its 1 member of staff for every 2 guests. The staff need to be in cabins on there own in future so that limits the amount of staff maybe to 1 member of staff for 4 guests so we cannot expect the same service levels.

If this is true, then I expect smaller ships will be done for, on larger ships they will cut passenger (sorry, 'guest') capacity somewhat and reassign some inside or oceanview rooms to staff members. I don't see the sort of wholesale change you suggest being popular with cruisers or a viable model to support more than a tiny handful of ships. 

[Liberal_Baggie]

Of course the cruise industry is going to adapt and change (unless a vaccine is found) you simply won't be able to have the numbers of staff living in little cabins together and social distancing rules will mean fewer passengers and massively reduced staff levels. I just don't see how cruising can continue in the way that it has. Hattie yes a cut price version of the world. Instead of owning a cabin on your own in the cut price version you would own a share of the cabin say 4 weeks ownership time on board for each cabin owner. The new Cunard ship could be re-designed with shared ownership in mind and the new owners having input into its design. At the end of the cruise each owner would clean the cabin and bathroom and balcony ready for the next owner. Cunard would only clean the bedding. At the bars it would be social distance rule no table service and limits on the amount of people in the bars. Tables for Eight will become tables for 4 and you would only be allowed to dine every other day I guess. You would defiantly need a proper promenade deck on the new ship as we would be allowed out of our cabins for exercise only during the inevitable lockdowns.

[majortom10]

41 minutes ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

Of course the cruise industry is going to adapt and change (unless a vaccine is found) you simply won't be able to have the numbers of staff living in little cabins together and social distancing rules will mean fewer passengers and massively reduced staff levels. I just don't see how cruising can continue in the way that it has. Hattie yes a cut price version of the world. Instead of owning a cabin on your own in the cut price version you would own a share of the cabin say 4 weeks ownership time on board for each cabin owner. The new Cunard ship could be re-designed with shared ownership in mind and the new owners having input into its design. At the end of the cruise each owner would clean the cabin and bathroom and balcony ready for the next owner. Cunard would only clean the bedding. At the bars it would be social distance rule no table service and limits on the amount of people in the bars. Tables for Eight will become tables for 4 and you would only be allowed to dine every other day I guess. You would defiantly need a proper promenade deck on the new ship as we would be allowed out of our cabins for exercise only during the inevitable lockdowns.

Wouldnt be practical and would never work.

[ovccruiser]

How many of the "staff"are on short term (six months or so) contracts? 

[resistk]

Better just hope that after the COVID ruckus is sorted out things go back to semi normal.  Otherwise mass market cruise ships will go extinct with just a few survivors, super yachts or cargo/passenger like the MV St. Helena:

 

https://sthelenashipping.com/about-us/

 

There really is no way today's mega cruise ships can be remastered to accomodate social distancing of 1-3 meters.  It is just wishful thinking to suggest COVID wouldn't spread in the Britannia or Grills or among all the crew.

[BlueRiband]

7 hours ago, Liberal_Baggie said:

I was thinking about how on earth a cruise ship could get sailing again and I think some radical re thinking is going to be required. I would suggest its going to be almost impossible for companies to own and operate ships with large numbers of staff. On a Cunard ship its 1 member of staff for every 2 guests. The staff need to be in cabins on there own in future so that limits the amount of staff maybe to 1 member of staff for 4 guests so we cannot expect the same service levels. I would see a situation where we have and pay for shared ownership of a cabin basically we own the cabin and the guests that share the cabins pay for the running of the ship and we appoint a management company Cunard to run the ship for us.

 We would make up our own beds and clean the cabins and do basic maintenance work agreed by the owners at an on line AGM. No more room service but we could bring our own food on board and use a microwave in the cabin.  We get to decide where the ship goes and have a captain for the day.

  Over to you Cunard lets get on with some new ideas! as the old system is dead.

What you propose sounds like a "time share".  If the radio ads I hear from companies who claim to help people get our of those contracts these things come with a lot of buyer's remorse.  

 

As for amenities - or lack thereof - if I wanted freighter travel I'd book freighter travel.   Or, it I wasn't over-age, join the Navy or Coast Guard.

 

If the old model is dead then the cruise industry will need an entirely new customer base. 

Edited April 25, 2020 by BlueRiband

[resistk]

19 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

What you propose sounds like a "time share".  If the radio ads I hear from companies who claim to help people get our of those contracts these things come with a lot of buyer's remorse.  

 

As for amenities - or lack thereof - if I wanted freighter travel I'd book freighter travel.   Or, it I wasn't over-age, join the Navy or Coast Guard.

 

If the old model is dead then the cruise industry will need an entirely new customer base. 

 

A few cruise ships could be made into time shares but I think demand would be limited due to price and fees.  But having your own floating apartment with dining area would indeed separate passengers enough IMO.

[BlueRiband]

There is already one: MS The World from Residences at Sea.  They target the high end vacation home market who expects to be on the ship for weeks or months at a time.

[Windsurfboy]

Sounds like timeshare. 

 

That ran into big trouble when people wanted to relinquish their timeshares and there was no market. Left paying annual fees for something they didn't wan6

[navybankerteacher]

OP’s concept is essentially a time share arrangement — which is unlikely to appeal to the more budget-conscious market of the larger ships, who would not be inclined to make that sort of investment;  while not being overly attractive to those who are more affluent and who might not think making their own beds, tidying their cabins and cleaning their toilets should be part of their vacation activity.