Queen Mary 2 and Partner

Queen Mary 2 and Partner

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The Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is the largest and most expensive cruise ship ever built. It includes five swimming pools, a planetarium, a two-story theater that seats 1,000, a casino, a gym, luxurious kennels, a nursery staffed with British nannies, and the largest ballroom, library and wine collection at sea. Of all its amenities, the one considered most valuable to the crew and management and key to the functioning of the vessel is the integrated network and information system accessible in every cabin.

The $800 million QM2, constructed in the shipyard at Chantiers del’ Atlantique, France, and owned by Miami- based Cunard Line Ltd., made her maiden voyage in early 2004. Passengers in each of her 1,310 cabins had access to digital entertainment such as on-demand movies and interactive television. Each cabin is also wired with Internet access and network services. For example, passengers use the network to make shore excursion reservations and dinner plans.

Upon checking in, passengers are presented with a plastic bar-coded card. The card is used while on board to make purchases, which are then billed to the customer’s account. It is also swiped as guests leave and return to the ship to track passenger location. The ship’s massive data network brings order where there once was chaos. Ship managers can run reports showing which passengers are on board, how many will be attending the morning exercise class, and which entrée was most popular at last night’s dinner. The network and database are backed up by redundant systems that automatically take over if the primary system fails.

The information system, called the Ship Partner, is used to track security, billing, telephone service, onboard television, and other operations. It was designed by Discovery Travel Systems LP (DTS). John Broughan, president of DTS, says that the IT needs of cruise ship operators differ from those of typical hotel property management companies, so specialized systems had to be created to better serve cruise companies.

The Queen Mary 2 provides yet another example of how information systems assist with management functions, providing valuable information and offering services to customers.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What conveniences does The Ship Partner information system provide to passengers of the Queen Mary 2? What entertainment services could be made available to passengers through this digital network?

Ship Partner information system best of everything including comfort, entertainment and security on the passengers of the Queen Mary 2. Since the cabin of the cruise ship is equipped with access on the internet and network services, passengers can use the network to have their plans and reservations. Also the passengers had an access to their entertainment digitally to demand such movies.

2. How does The Ship Partner information system assist ship managers with their duties and responsibilities?

The Ship Partner Information System assists ship managers by the process of running reports on the system and show it which passengers are on board. For example: how many will attend the morning exercise, which entrée was most popular at the last night’s dinner. Another is that their Information System helps the manager provide the effectiveness of services to those on-board passengers.

3. How does The Ship Partner information system assist Cunard in competing in the travel industry? What other travel & leisure industries would benefit from a system like The Ship Partner?

The Ship Partner Information System is a vast support in competing in the travel industry and with provides valuable information to give services to the passengers. It also accommodates a massive number of information to the on-boards. Their modem comfort brought by their system will be recognized by the passengers.

4. Why is it important for the Ship Partner to have a backup system? How would a system wide failure affect the functioning of the ship?

Since having a backup system for the Ship Partner is very important, it is an essential way and an advantage for the Ship to backup their system because there are many passengers are boarding and these involves many transactions and businesses. It there comes a system breakdown, it will paralyze and give burden to the cruise ship to function very well. Because of this, it would cause a huge amount of many to fix and recover their Information System.