10 Pages
2427 Words
Introduction: Navigating Challenges in Eastern Mediterranean Routes
The following assignment will give operative functional strategies for the ferry company to expand its business to the transnational position effectively. Thus, to provide operative strategies for the company the following valuation will give an overview of the rows and anchorages proffered by the company. In extension, the following report will also provide effective information describing the arising effects and openings that may be encountered by the ferry company while expanding its business to the transnational position. Similarly, the following report will also bandy the nonsupervisory effects that may be during the expansion process as well as operative strategies to maximise the profit from the expanding process. altogether, the following valuation will give effective information describing the essential arrangements and training needed for the crew to provide an operative client experience.
Brief Discussion of Cyprus Port and Piraeus Port
The company has proffered to expand the ferry services to connect Cyprus harborage in Limassol, and Piraeus harborage in Greece to the Eastern Mediterranean to give more effective services to the guests. In extension, the significant distance between the Piraeus and Limassol is 400 navigational long hauls. Similarly, the Limassol Port is located in Cyprus, and the Piraeus Port is located in Greece. Thus, the anchorages involved in the following expanding process are significantly important for the operative success of the ferry services. In extension, the anchorages involved in the expanding process are also essential for the company to gain a competitive advantage in ferry services. In the other phase, Limassol is one of the biggest capitals located on the southern seacoast of Cyprus for the weight business and passengers for ferry services.
Furthermore, Piraeus is one of the major and largest ports in Greece to establish essential transportation links within the region as well as serving as the essential gateway to Athens. Therefore, the connection between these ports is crucial to maintaining an effective ferry service between the Piraeus port in Greece and Limassol port in Cyprus. In addition, the rich infrastructure of the ports located in Greece and Cyprus can also provide efficient facilities and transportation for the ferry service of the company (Michaelides et al., 2019). Furthermore, the significant location of the Piraeus port in Greece also makes it a suitable location to efficiently transport goods between different continents, such as Africa, Europe and Asia (Vasileiou, 2022). Overall, both ports are located in Greece and Cyprus providing a significant amount of value to the ferry services of the company while providing efficient infrastructure and modernised connectivity within them.
Possible Issues with Routes and Ports
While establishing the connection between the Piraeus Port located in Greece and the Limassol Port located in Cyprus, a significant number of operational issues can be encountered by the company. One of the major issues that can be encountered by the company is the ferry schedule. In addition, the scheduling process of the ferry and its reliability are crucial aspects of the ferry services that attract more customers (Poulsen, 2019). Furthermore, there can be a significant number of operational challenges encountered by the company due to the unpredictable weather conditions of the Eastern Mediterranean. Additionally, during the winter season, the ferry services can be hampered significantly while operating around the eastern Mediterranean (Stergiou, 2023). In addition, it can also significantly hamper the overall schedule of the ferry services.
Furthermore, during peak travel seasons, the traffic management process for the ferry services also needs to be upgraded to manage the ferry services more efficiently (Axt, 2022). Furthermore, the low availability of the fuel and bunkering facilities can also develop significant issues and challenges for the ferry services operating around the Piraeus Port and Limassol Port. On the other hand, inefficient regulatory services and custom procedures can also develop significant challenges for the company while operating around these ferries. Overall, the emerging issues within the Eastern Mediterranean and both need to be addressed efficiently to implement the ferry-expanding process.
Regulatory Compliance Issues
Various regulations and laws can significantly impact the overall operational process of the company between the Piraeus Port and Limassol Port. In addition, there are some international regulations and some EU regulations that can drastically affect the operations of the company while operating around the ports. The international regulations of “SOLA (Safety of Life at Sea)” are the safety standards for the operation process of the ships (Joseph and Dalaklis, 2021). Therefore, the company needs to ensure the maintenance of the SOLA while operating around the different ports. On the other hand, the other international regulation is the “MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution for Ships)” to prevent the pollution caused by ships.
On the other hand, there are some EU regulations the company also need to implement within their ferry services to efficiently operate around the different parts of Europe. To ensure the safety of the passengers as well as to provide adequate ferry services to the passengers, the implementation of the “EU Passenger Rights Regulation” is necessary. In addition, the following regulations allow the customers to demand compensation as well as cancel the ride for the delays within the ferry services (Citizensinformation.ie, 2023). In addition, it also ensures high-quality services to the passengers for the ferry services.
Port Infrastructure Requirements
To ensure the proper success between the Limassol Port located in Cyprus and the Piraeus Port located in Greece some operational considerations need to be addressed for each port. Furthermore, it is essential to implement the appropriate ferry design to provide efficient comfort and an enhanced experience to the customers (Crowle and Thies, 2022). In addition, as for the port infrastructure requirements, passenger comfort is also an essential aspect of the ferry services, such as clean facilities, proper seating areas for passengers, and a variety of dining and entertainment for the onboard passengers. On the other hand, other considerations that need to be maintained efficiently include the proper handling process and flexible operation process to fulfil the customer demands more efficiently.
On the other hand, the requirements for the ferry services within the Limassol Port located in Cyprus and the Piraeus Port located in Greece should include the customs and immigration facilities to ensure the safety and clearance of the passengers. Furthermore, efficient terminal facilities are also required to effectively handle the departure and handling process of the ferry in both ports (Wagner, Kotowska and Pluci?ski, 2022). In addition, security and safety measures also need to be maintained within both ports to ensure the well-being of the passengers and the crew of the ferry. Furthermore, an adequate connection between the ferries is also required to attract a significant amount of customers.
Effective Planning to Maximise the Revenue
To develop an effective plan for maximising the revenue of the ferry services there are some key aspects and key services the company need to maintain. Additionally, identifying the peak travel time between the two ports of Piraeus Port and Limassol Port is essential to maximise the overall revenue of the ferry services. Furthermore, identification of the freight traffic and high demand period is also crucial to effectively maximise the revenue of the ferry services (Mako, Dávid and Olei, 2021). On the other hand, the company also need to ensure the overall capacity of the ships to maximise the revenue earned from each travel process.
Furthermore, implementing strategic competitive prices is also one of the major aspects of maximising revenue. In addition, the competitive pricing will allow the company to set attractive prices to attract more customers while ensuring the profits of each operation as well. Therefore, optimizing the vessel capacity and implementing an effective pricing strategy can provide a significant competitive advantage to the business. In addition, the implementation of effective promotional activities and marketing strategies can also maximize the overall revenue earned by the company.
Required Crew Training and Arrangements
The essential requirements for crew training and arrangements include various responsibilities and safety operations. In addition, the crew initially includes engineers, catering staff, deck officers and other essential candidates. To implement an effective crew training process the company needs to implement correct international regulations and international conventions for the training process of the crew. Furthermore, to ensure the necessary qualifications and certifications of the crew members, it is crucial to implement “Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). Furthermore, the training programmes of the crew should include the language training process to ensure the language proficiency of the crew members while communicating with passengers (). Furthermore, it can also help the crew members maintain professional and effective conversations with the passengers.
On the other hand, the training requirements should include different skills for approaching the passengers effectively. In addition, the training process should also include an effective ship handling process as well as effective safety procedures to ensure the safety of the passengers. In addition, the catering staff must maintain the food safety protocols as well as the proper hospitality procedures to fulfil the requirements of the customers. Furthermore, the effective training regarding customer service will provide a significant amount of competitive advantage to the ferry services, as it will also attract more customers during the onboarding process.
Strategies for Effective Customer Experience and Expectations
To fulfil the customer expectations and to provide an enhanced customer experience to the passengers, the company must ensure the comfort of the customers by providing a pleasant comfortable journey to the passengers. Furthermore, ensuring the safety and security of the passengers also provides an enhanced experience to the customers. On the other hand, proper scheduling and reliability of the ferry services also can provide a significant amount of positive customer experience to the customers while expanding the business. Furthermore, exceptional customer service such as friendly behaviour from the staff and effective communication between the staff and the passengers, can provide a personalized customer experience to the passengers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the following assessment has discussed the efficient management and operational strategies for the ferry company to effectively expand its business to the international level. Furthermore, the following report has also discussed the overview of the routes and ports proposed by the company. Furthermore, the following report has also provided efficient information regarding the possible issues and opportunities that the company will encounter while expanding its business toward the international level. Additionally, the following assessment has also discussed the efficient information regarding the essential arrangements and training required for the crew to provide an effective customer experience to the passengers.
Recommendation
Market demand analysis
Market demand analysis can be an effective strategy for the company to efficiently expand its business to the international level (Tsoi and Loo, 2021). In addition, it can provide valuable pieces of information to the company regarding the travel preferences and travel patterns of customers from different regions to develop a more effective expansion strategy.
Economic and infrastructure development
Both economic and infrastructure are crucial aspects for any company to expand its business to the international level. In addition, the economic development will allow the company to gather essential information regarding operational costs, capital investments and revenue projections related to the expansion process (Robinson, Cook and Malinauskaite, 2023). On the other hand, the infrastructure development will allow the company to develop new facilities for ferry services for more efficient docking facilities.
References
- Axt, H.-J. (2022). Conflicts and Global Powers in the Eastern Mediterranean. An Introduction. Comparative Southeast European Studies, 70(3), pp.393–413. doi:https://doi.org/10.1515/soeu-2022-0052.
- Citizensinformation.ie (2023). Your rights when you travel on a ferry or cruise. [online] www.citizensinformation.ie. Available at: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/consumer/travel/your-rights-when-you-travel-on-a-ferry-or-cruise/#:~:text=You%20have%20passenger%20rights%20when [Accessed 17 Nov. 2023].
- Crowle, A. and Thies, P. (2022). Floating offshore wind turbines port requirements for construction. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part M: Journal of Engineering for the Maritime Environment, p.147509022210784. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/14750902221078425.
- Joseph, A. and Dalaklis, D. (2021). The international convention for the safety of life at sea: highlighting interrelations of measures towards effective risk mitigation. Journal of International Maritime Safety, Environmental Affairs, and Shipping, 5(1), pp.1–11. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/25725084.2021.1880766.
- Mako, P., Dávid, A. and Olei, A.B. (2021). Possibilities of increasing the throughput of ports. Transportation Research Procedia, 55, pp.426–433. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2021.07.006.
- Michaelides, M., Herodotou, H., Lind, M. and Watson, R. (2019). Port-2-Port Communication Enhancing Short Sea Shipping Performance: The Case Study of Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean. Sustainability, 11(7), p.1912. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071912.
- Poulsen, R.T. (2019). Regional, yet Global: The Life Cycle of Overnight Ferry Shipping. Shipping and Globalization in the Post-War Era, pp.213–248. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26002-6_9.
- Robinson, D., Cook, D. and Malinauskaite, L. (2023). Connecting remote coastal communities – An evaluation of the economic feasibility of a RoRo ferry between Reykjavík and Ísafjörður in Iceland. Ocean & Coastal Management, 235, p.106489. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106489.
- Stergiou, A. (2023). Eastern Mediterranean Energy Geopolitics Revisited: Green Economy Instead of Conflict. Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies, pp.1–22. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/19448953.2023.2167163.
- Tsoi, K.H. and Loo, B.P.Y. (2021). Cutting the loss: International benchmarking of a sustainable ferry business model. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 145, pp.167–188. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2021.01.007.
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- Wagner, N., Kotowska, I. and Pluci?ski, M. (2022). The Impact of Improving the Quality of the Port's Infrastructure on the Shippers' Decisions. Sustainability, 14(10), p.6255. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106255.
