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Logistics is no cruise…or is it?
asked how long he'd been doing this work; or how he liked the
Caribbean compared to Hawaii or Alaska; or to explain the
meaning of the chevrons of his dinner jacket. Our conversation
became more open and collegial once he knew my background.
We'll be a few hours late leaving Roseau tonight and they've
told us that we'll also be a few hours late leaving Bridgetown,
Barbados tomorrow night. It turns out that the ship's bow
thrusters require some underwater maintenance (shorthand
for repairs), both here in Roseau and again in Barbados.
Needless to say, the cruise business and the ocean cargo
business are not identical; not any more than airfreight and
sea freight are identical. Although very different, each of these
sectors relies heavily on mastering the concepts of the logistics
processes that lie at the foundation of each.
Over these past few days, listening to other guests has made
it clear that not everyone paid the same amount for their
stateroom. Of course size and location play an important role
here, but regular customers (volume), timing (seasonality), and
other specifics play significant roles.
Capacity issues and competition are also very evident for
both cruise lines and container lines. Maintenance and repair
(those pesky bow thrusters), and the decision to employ ever-
larger vessels connect very closely. The logistics of supplying
the cruise ship with all the needs of its passengers and the
logistics of managing a global supply chain are not identical
twins, but they are very much a part of the same family. This
list goes on and on, and at this writing we're only at the halfway
point of the trip. A tour behind the scenes, to the engine room,
the galley and (hopefully) the bridge is on our program in the
coming days.
I found this "Aha" moment very similar to one I experienced
about 10 years ago when I took a position at the Port of
Portland. After more than 30 years of experience, I figured I
knew a lot about ports and thought so until about day 2, when
I discovered that I scarcely knew anything. Something similar
has happened with this cruise.
We tend to take a lot of things for granted as we move along
whichever continuum we've selected. Working within this
amazing, globe-spanning industry provides many such "aha"
moments that demands of us a willingness to keep our eyes
wide open and to at least have a look at any new opportunity.
