Sailing into the Future: The Benefits of Virtual Contracting in the Cruise Industry

I would like to see the cruise industry shift towards virtual contracting as a means of sourcing talent from around the world. The specific talent I would like to see sourced is their very own - their former crew. Virtual contracting has numerous benefits for cruise lines, in addition crew also wins. For the cruise lines, it offers a cost-effective solution to staffing needs while also providing access to a wider pool of qualified candidates. For former crew, it has the potential to provide life long income not only for them, but also for their families.

One of the main advantages of virtual contracting is the ability to reduce costs associated with traditional staffing methods and while I am not an advocate of making decisions purely based on cost, this is important for any publicly traded company. By sourcing contractors virtually, cruise lines are able to pay global vs local wages and can also avoid the high costs associated with relocating staff, providing housing, and paying benefits. In our business, our virtual crew contractors are typically paid on a project basis, meaning that cruise lines will only pay for the work that is completed, rather than incurring the ongoing costs associated with full-time employees.

Another benefit of virtual crew contracting is the ability to access a wider pool of truly qualified candidates. What do I mean by "truly qualified"? Well in the niche industry of cruising, who could be more qualified than former crew who you trained, lived and breathed your product and believe in you because they did it for many times a decade? With virtual contracting through us, cruise lines can source talent from anywhere in the world, rather than being limited to local staffing options. This provides access to a broader range of skills and expertise, allowing cruise lines to truly select the best possible candidate for each job. Can you imagine when you call your pre-cruise Concierge Desk how different the experience would be if it was answered by a call center in Central America vs a former Concierge who worked for you for 10 years? Now, I am not knocking call centers or Central America, but am making a point on experience.

In addition to these benefits, virtual contracting also provides cruise lines with greater flexibility. By using virtual crew contractors, cruise lines are able to scale their workforce up or down as needed. While this is a risk for crew doing contract work, this is a huge benefit for cruise lines and I would argue scaling up is used much more than scaling down. Having this flexibility allows cruise lines to respond quickly to changes in the market, without being constrained by the need to find, train and onboard new employees in a rush.

While virtual work is widely debated, with compelling arguments on both sides, convenience for both parties is a huge point to be recognized. Virtual contractors are able to work from the comfort of their own homes, reducing the need for long commutes and allowing them to balance their work with other responsibilities. At the same time, cruise lines are able to access a global workforce without the need to manage a physical office or work site. Just think about the time wasted giving tours, doing new hire training, socializing, etc. and the money on equipment and expensive phone systems. This is eliminated with an openness to virtual work.

Finally, virtual contracting provides an environmentally sustainable solution to cruise line's staffing needs. As ESG is a growing conversation within the cruise industry, this point should be shouted from the rooftops. By reducing the need for travel, virtual contracting reduces the carbon footprint of the cruise industry and helps to promote a more sustainable approach to business.

I hope that with the launch of Ship2Shore Employ, we can start to say goodbye to crew members feeling scared, nervous, and sad when they sign off their last voyage. My goal is to see cruise lines embrace remote work, so crew members can leave their ships with peace of mind and guests can get an exceptional "virtual" experience that only experienced crew can provide.

-Barbara Cobas, [email protected], IG @barbaracobas1

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