That's what motivated Douglas Diggle, ceo of Across Oceans Group, a Florida-based consultancy, to form Cruise Shipping Association.
'It's something I've been thinking about for at least 10 years,' Diggle said. 'When I joined the cruise industry, working at Celebrity Cruises, auditing ships, I noticed a lot of disconnect between the head office and the ships.'
This was some years ago, and Diggle said he's subsequently approached various cruise line chief executives to talk about how crew needs could be better addressed as a way of supporting the goal of improving guest satisfaction.
When it comes to shoreside workers, Diggle said they're siloed by company; there's not much opportunity to interact across lines and share common interests. And suppliers need help making the right contacts to get a foot in the door.
For crew and shoreside workers, the association would provide a forum for networking, job leads through recruiters and discounts on products and services like health insurance and legal aid. Diggle also envisions occasional face-to-face networking events in cities like Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle.
As for vendors, they'll be channeled to his for-profit company, Across Oceans Group, which offers assistance and advice connecting with cruise lines. 'That's my strong suit,' Diggle said. 'Working for [suppliers] is what I've done for a decade.'
But, as he sees it, vendors who join the association, registered as a nonprofit in the state of Florida, would also benefit from networking with shoreside employees and crew.
The cost of joining? $1 per month.
The Cruise Shipping Association would hinge on a mobile application, to be developed, that will be free to download. Using the app, members can post a profile and make payments for dues and purchases. Diggle's talking with a trade publication [not Seatrade] about supplying news and with companies about offering discounts and services.
He hopes that by August he can start sending updates to his database and that the app could be ready by year's end.
'The industry in the next five years is going to grow in leaps and bounds,' Diggle said. 'This is the perfect time to form an association for people.'
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