Wellness and Health
on Cruise Ships
Under the terms "Wellness and Revitalizing" we are not only being exposed to a general trend, but also an immensely expanding market. Since the shock of the initial health reform has produced a change and consequent competitive offering within the health resort environment, various ship-owner companies are only now trying to participate on this trend and are to establish wellness programs on their cruise-ships. Especially within the German cruise ship market medical know-how and manpower seems to be of no avail to ship companies and to travel agencies. In various situations companies are looking for experienced wellness clinics for sporadic engagement on a board or try to put their own designed programs into action.
This undertaking however, will lead into a dead end road, since the need for wellness programs as well as clinics is entirely different on any given cruise ship. It is to be assumed that ship companies will experience an additional couple of expensive "learning years" until they have gathered sufficient experience. An additional and most modern way to fill this trend gap in a fast and risk a few manners is offered in that the entire health service on board of a ship is outsourced and is transferred to a concessionaire. Within the future some interested concessionaires will offer this service. At present time this type of service is only offered by a single German concessionaire, who does not only possess the necessary market knowledge, but is also in the position to readily make available the necessary academic medical personnel.
The offer by a concessionaire shall next to the operation of a ship-hospital also include the possibility and experience to establish a meaningful wellness program on board. Different to the past traditions the hospital on board is assuming an active central role within the health sphere without excluding other services. German passengers for example, in contrast than American passengers, will primarily book a sea tour to enjoy a vacation and only secondarily are to be enthused by additional offerings. Thus by itself is sufficient that not all or different wellness programs on board are accepted by passengers. Offered treatment programs must fit into the entire ship philosophy, show possible immediate results and should be harmoniously integrated into the daily ship activities. Since these demands at different ships, patronized by a different clientele, are as such of different nature, it is only too understandable that a pure ship management, as well as a "spa clinic management" has no chance to satisfy this expressed demand.
The transfer of organization and arranging to a competent concessionaire saves high testing cost and the wellness activities may be initiated within a short time limit without initial problems, cost effective management time and work is saved and can be concentrated toward ship typical specialized demands. In addition the personnel office is being freed from organizing and recruitment of medical personnel. Ships which within a short time offer successful health management on board will obtain a marked competition advantage as compared to other primarily foreign cruise ships and tourist companies. Experience has shown that also "loyal guests" like to test or visit other ships owned by competitors. Most likely this will take place within the reasonable German speaking market. No cruise ship company is in the position to bind customers to its own ships. Nevertheless the goal of all German owned cruise ship companies should be to stop the potential customer from booking his trip on foreign large scale ships and to motivate these special customers to return to German managed cruises.
This can only be accomplished if service and quality is
in accordance with the pricing as to the overall offer, and if a certain
reasonable effort is undertaken within the moderate price class to offer
and expand the need for safety and medical care as part of the general
awareness, and this is guaranteed through quality medical attentiveness.