CRUISE INDUSTRY AND SEA TRANSPORT - 2021/2

Module Overview

The cruise industry is a dynamic and evolving form of tourism. The market for cruises is complex and cruise companies have been inventive in designing products to attract different market segments. This module will examine the growing demand for cruise holidays and explore the supply-side of the market, which is characterised by the innovative development of a myriad of cruise ship designs. This module will also investigate other forms of sea transport, such as ferries, hydrofoils and catamarans, to enable students to gain a deep knowledge and understanding of the passenger elements of the international maritime industry.

Module provider

Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management

Module Leader

COCOLAS Nicole (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

• Cruise regions and destinations

• The cruise product (accommodation, dining and bars, entertainment, shore excursions etc.)

• Itinerary planning

• Marketing and selling cruises

• Legal, taxation and environmental legislation affecting cruising

• Working on board cruise ships

• Local ferries and sea-going ferries

• High-speed sea services – catamarans and hydrofoils

• Maritime accidents

• Maritime pollution

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

In cases where the original group presentation is not suitable for re-assessment (e.g. only one student needs to retake the failed group project), an individual essay of 1,000 words will be assigned.

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the cruise industry, and is designed to allow students to evidence their achievement of the learning outcomes. The assessment comprises of a group presentation and an individual assignment.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A group presentation, in which students will work in small groups to research a relevant issue impacting the cruise industry.

• An individual assignment, in which students are examined on their ability to critically review academic literature, theories and industry reports related to the cruise industry.

Formative assessment

During the first seminar, the assessment and the feedback process is explained. Feedback is also provided during and after in-class discussions. Pre-assignment feedback sessions are an integral part of this module. During these sessions, students will work in groups on a task which reflects the requirements of each assignment and receive feedback on their work.

Feedback

When marking is completed, students are able to access a marking form online which contains detailed feedback, as well as a breakdown of marks. Students receive written feedback and the marking form outlines each student/group’s strengths, areas for improvement and suggestions on how to improve performance in future assignments.

Module aims

• To explore the growing demand for cruise tourism and the obstacles to further expansion
• To understand the competitive business environment in which cruise companies operate
• To analyse the impacts cruising itineraries have on tourism destinations
• To evaluate the drivers behind changes in the cruise ship labour market
• To investigate the role of ferries in transporting passengers and other modes of transport (cars, coaches, trains etc.)
• To examine the environmental impacts of cruise ships and ferries

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to develop a deep understanding of the cruise industry and sea transport. The use of lectures, seminars, case-study exercises, in-class group activities and industry guest speakers will provide students with the opportunity to meet the key learning outcomes of the module.

The formative and summative assessments will develop the students’ critical reasoning skills and will challenge them to apply academic theory to a dynamic commercial industry.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• 1-hour lecture and 2-hour seminar per week x 11 weeks, with a range of specialisms designed to provide a framework of knowledge

• In-class exercises, case studies and discussion topics will highlight contemporary issues and allow the students to form and challenge perspectives from the vested stakeholders

• Visiting speakers will ensure students appreciate the relevance of the material to the cruise industry and sea transport

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN2155

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.