By Leonard Seelig

When it comes to the world of cruising the oceans and seas, the thoughts that mostly come to mind involve the voyage itself and the stops along the way. However, another part is the planning and the period it takes. This planning can be either a small or time-consuming process. With Covid, these past few years, the change of technology, and the evolution of ships, sometimes the monster of the seas can rear its ugly head and affect how easy or difficult the planning can be. During times of difficulty and change, it can bring out the best in a person and sometimes the worst in planning a cruise and other aspects of daily life. 

During the last several years, with Covid and other influences, cruise lines have changed their ways of doing things. Their hope is that the planning process can be seamless from beginning to end. There is a new art of checking in for a cruise. Gone are the days of booking the voyage, receiving an envelope of documents, and setting sail. Cruise guests must now check in online and follow the required steps to meet procedures and guidelines. Cruise lines are now bound by policies they did not have to follow just a few years ago. This has to be passed on to the guests. It is not a tool to make things more difficult but, in the end, to make the pre-cruise process easier. 

Enjoying the Sun-Photo by Leonard Seelig

The cruise traveler first meets individuals like reservations agents, air department people, and specialists. Like many, such as in other places like stores, they are front-line people. It is these front-line people that create the first impression for the guest. Their job is to provide the best service and information a passenger needs. Most people know of this and interact with them in a positive communication pattern. Unfortunately, some try to make it difficult for those at the cruise line they meet for the first time. Mistakes and issues can happen at any time, but sometimes it is felt by those trying to help them that there is a conflict and not an effort to solve a problem. People, as it has been said, are angry at a situation and not at the individual. Sometimes this anger is directed at the person. People working at a cruise company with the responsibility to assist and help should not have fear or have to prepare for battle when logging on to their phones daily. Many people working at cruise companies have years of experience and come from travel backgrounds. Conflicts are something they are not trained to do. It is their job to assist and solve issues as they arise. A person booking for the first time should have their concerns and possible fears addressed, while a repeat passenger should be treated like an old friend. 

Island Tropics- Photo by Leonard Seelig

There is a saying that the customer is always right. Unfortunately, some people take this to hand and can become verbally abusive and attack when they do not understand something. It is the goal of those working at the cruise lines, not those on the front lines but in other behind-the-scenes departments, to make the planning process as smooth as possible. It is the commitment of the cruise line to provide things pre, during, and post-cruise for the guests. If there were no guests, there would be no cruise companies. Cruising has been around for decades, and people have enjoyed the places they have visited. There have been changes, nips, and tucks along the way. They are there for reasons to ensure the traveler has a good experience. Change happens anywhere. 

Island Fashion- Photo by Leonard Seelig

It can be said that people are having their experiences met during the cruise. The same should happen beforehand. They are there for the passengers just like the person serving them that delectable dinner while onboard. It is a constant. Chances must be given to that pre, during, and post-cruise. There can be hiccups along the way, but there are remedies to help. Cruise lines make up for these incidents for future travelers in various ways, either discounts or something else on a future voyage. During the days of Covid, things have enticed the passenger to come back again. People should be refreshed and not aggravated during the planning, the voyage itself, and after the cruise is over. 

The front-line people and those behind the scenes invite guests to contact them anytime via phone to help them. There are additional tools such as online resources, websites, and chat lines to take advantage of. Some of these resources are in their infancy stage, and, of course, nothing is perfect. If one seems not to address a concern, another one can be tried. As said before, there can be some hostility along the way, but, in the end, those pre-cruise people are responsible for extending professional and personal service. Some people wanted everything last month, but in other places, along with planning a cruise, these front-line people are working diligently and as fast as possible to ensure that more significant issues do not rear their ugly heads and make what should be an enjoyable voyage into a disaster.