Four Days on a Ferry with the Cruise Lines – MedCruise Professional Development Course 27/01/2010 Over 50 port managers representing 35 MedCruise ports and four ship agencies, hailing from as far wide as Russia to the Atlantic Islands, converted into “students” for four days while on a ferry at-sea with 12 industry leaders as their “instructors” during MedCruise’s second edition of its professional development course “Ports and Passenger Shipping”.    The course, accredited and organised with the Escola Europea de Short Sea Shipping (EESSS), took place back and forth between the ports of Civitavecchia and Barcelona on board Grimaldi Line’s ‘Cruise Roma’ from January 23rd to January 26th.   MedCruise offers this course to its members’ staff as part of its mission to encourage the application of best management practices at its members’ ports, to support the growth of the cruise industry in the Mediterranean and its adjoining seas, and to promote the development and success of its cruise port members.   Having earned the highest participant evaluation scores ever recorded at the EESSS for its first course, MedCruise set forth the same case-study approach for the second edition, with teams evaluating eight real-life MedCruise ports and competing for the top strategic report. Each instructor also lectured on different aspects of the cruise and passenger shipping industry.   The same core instructors and team coaches in the first edition volunteered their time to continue the mission during the second edition. They included Giora Israel, vice president at Carnival Corporation; Bruce Krumrine, vice president at Princess Cruises; Luis Ajamil, president at cruise port architects and developers Bermello Ajamil & Partners; and George Michaelides, cruise consultant, retired from Cyprus-based Louis Cruises.   New instructors added included Michael Crye, executive vice president of Cruise Line International Association; Carles Domingo, general manager of Barcelona terminal operators Creuers del Port; Han van Midden, manager at the Rotterdam-based consultancy Policy Research Corporation; and Fivos Andritsos of the European Commission maritime security staff.   The most important outcomes of the course were the overall understanding the students’ gained of how the cruise industry works from the perspective of the cruise lines and the working relationships developed between port managers and cruise industry leaders.   “Not only was it educational for the ports,” said CLIA’s Michael Crye, “but working with so many port staff was educational for me and for the other instructors. We were fortunate to be stuck on a ferry because it provided us with the ideal opportunity to generate enthusiasm and participation for the cruise industry. As an instructor, I got a lot out of it.”   The second edition saw a 50% increase in students, ranging from port authority presidents to cruise and marketing managers, and for 75% of the students, this was the first opportunity to take part in such a course.   “I think it was something incredible because now we know so much about the cruise industry having worked with such professionals as Bruce, Michael and Giora,” said Nelly Tkachuk, marketing manager at the port of Odessa, Ukraine. “We realised their way of thinking, how the industry really works and what we have to offer to the cruise lines so that they are successful in our ports.”   “The course was really a positive and good experience,” said Bruno Freitas, president of the Ports of Madeira. “The case studies and all the presentations were very good, focusing a lot of important information, discussing it between everyone, and getting different points of view and solutions for the future.”   “It was a great opportunity to work with all these port representatives from so many different countries and creating a network of cruise industry professionals,” continued Tkachuk. “It was perfect from all points of view - a great job and a great idea.” Bruce Krumrine coaching the Malaga Case Study Team