by David Giersdorf | May 13, 2026 | Insights
The Most Powerful Thing You Can Do Today Might Be to Remove Something I have been in this industry long enough to watch the same mistake repeat itself with remarkable consistency. A new ship gets announced. The press release celebrates what has been added. More dining...
by David Giersdorf | May 13, 2026 | Insights
What Emirates, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian Teach Us About Designing Resilience, Not Just Surviving Crises Emirates just gave us a masterclass in Strategic Alchemy: how resilience, designed from first principles and compounded over years, converts...
by David Giersdorf | May 13, 2026 | Insights
Picture a shipyard at dawn in 2026. Steel hulls under construction. Thousands of workers. Dozens of ships on the orderbook. Contracts inked for vessels that will sail well into the 2050s. None of those welders are debating “Is cruising a fad?” They are building...
by David Giersdorf | May 2, 2026 | Insights
The cruise industry is often viewed through the lens of leisure, hospitality, and escape. But what if we looked at it differently? What if contemporary cruising—the largest and most visible segment—was actually one of the most sophisticated industrial systems in the...
by David Giersdorf | May 2, 2026 | Insights
What if I told you there’s a $200 billion global industry that makes its biggest capital decisions — billion-dollar commitments with decade-long horizons — without waiting for demand signals? No market studies. No pressure on inventory. No “let’s see...
by David Giersdorf | May 2, 2026 | Insights
The most interesting action in cruise today isn’t on the mega‑ship side. It’s in the niche segments: luxury, expedition, yacht, and river. It’s also where the ownership picture is most misunderstood. Executives and advisors know the brands. They rarely see the capital...
