The Company of Wolves Research Paper Example

The Company of Wolves Paper In The Company of Wolves the distinction made between man and wolf is based upon, the wolf is the worst for he cannot listen to reason. (p. 111) The forest the wolf inhabits represents an intermediary between the natural and unnatural worlds and it is between the portals of the great pines (p. 111) that the danger lies. It is the apparent danger and inherent fears of the intermediate grey areas that allows Carter to use these realms as the centres for her subversive discourse. The wolf may be more than he seems, (p.111) for in his human form he also represents the peril that is the naked man (! ) The emphasis in this tale resting on the masculinity of the wolf. The wolf is carnivore incarnate,'(p. 110) a phrase repeated three times in the tale, thus the predator/prey relationship between the man and woman is focused upon and subverted when it is the adolescent girl who encourages the sexual encounter with the wolf. By actively burning his clothes she condemn [s] him to wolfishness (p. 113) a state, which to the girl seems preferable to manishness. We will write a custom essay sample on The Company of Wolves specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Company of Wolves specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Company of Wolves specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Alice and the girl in The Company of Wolves both reside in the realms between childhood and adulthood, on the brink of sexual maturity; between the virgin-child and the fallen woman of Perraults tale. Red Riding Hood ripped (p. 118) off the wolfs shirt and despite the fact that the old bones under the bed set up a terrible clattering she did not pay them any heed. (p. 118) In some aspect of the adaptation the girl has outwolfed the wolf. She will lay his fearful head on her lap, (p. 118) the ambiguity lying in where the fear dwells, is the wolf now afraid of her assertive sexuality? An image strikingly different from her initial presentation, She is an unbroken egg; she is a sealed vessel; she has inside her a magic space the entrance to which is shut tight with a plug of membrane. (p. 114) Egg, membrane, all serving to demonstrate the fragility and precarious stability of her situation, similar to Beautys glass bed in The Courtship of Mr Lyon. In contrast wolf-Alice already inhabits a world of sexual immediacy,'(p. 119) that the young girl has just entered, permitted by her wolf-like existence. The association between the animalistic and sensual working both when the wolf is masculine and feminine. The onset of menstruation in Alice serves to bring her into the human realm through her awareness of time, she discovered the very action of time by means of this returning cycle. (p. 123) Adolescence makes Alice no more or less of a sexual being than her animalistic associations have already allowed. Gamble notes that the virginity of the Beauty and Red Riding Hood figures, Constitute both her particular vulnerability and her peculiar defiance. It is what marks her out as the lycanthropes prey, as the shedding of her hymeneal blood is what he specifically desires. She argues that the girls actual pursuit of the sexual threat is necessary in order for her to develop from her virginal state. Her declaration that she is nobodys meat (p. 118) demonstrating this neither submissive nor aggressive11 pursuit of maturation. The presentations of virginity and femininity represent a change whereby the women are no longer gobbled up or passively taken by male sexuality, but meet on equal sexual terms. Carters representation refuses the Wholesome or pretty picture of female gender (nurturing, caring) and deal [s] plainly with erotic dominance as a source of pleasure for men and for women. 12 Warner argues that it is Beautys attraction to the beast before his metamorphosis that represents the most disturbing image of the story, the attraction of the feminine to the monstrosity of the other. The first connection between Beauty and Mr Lyon requires a transformation of her beliefs on the nature of the other, with a flood of compassion, understood: all he is doing is kissing my hands. (p. 47) Yet Carter does not present this alteration naively, she saw, with an indescribable shock, he went on all fours. (p. 47) Beautys metamorphosis is more gradual than the transformation of the Beast. Through her vanity, Beauty also possesses an element of monstrosity. Carters fashioning of the tales raises the question about the nature of beastliness and the true location of monstrosity. The original sources represented a difficulty in ascertaining friend from enemy, the normal from the monstrous, traditionally established through demonising these figures. 13 Carters interpretations of monstrosity and demonisation, initially, dared to look at womens waywardness, and especially at their attraction to the beast in the very midst of their repulsion. The presentation of an attraction to beastliness serves to deconstruct the marginalisation inherent in the original tales. The monstrosity of the wolf and the beast is replaced by that of grandmothers, fathers and the heroine herself. And what, I wondered, might be the exact nature of his beastliness? (p. 55) Yet the Beast himself shows no evidence of beastly behaviour. Her father a feckless sprig of the Russian nobility,'(p. 52) whose gaming whoring agonising repentances,'(p.52) killed Beautys mother is criticised more than the noble beast, who in his appeal to see Beauty naked wishes to see her true self beneath the artificiality of her clothing. Carter uses her examination of the location of monstrosity to investigate identity and individuality in a genre associated with stereotypes. Carter makes sense of the disparity between this contradiction through her understanding of the mercurial slipperiness of identity, as well as the need to secure meanings. 15 Carters fairy tales represent struggles and inner conflict her characters need to overcome in order to secure their identity and enter a true existence. Brewer suggests that this exploration is most successful when depicting processes of maturation, emotional maturation through the Beauty characters, coupled with the physical and sexual maturation of the Red Riding Hood figures. Carter extends the sense of individuality of Beauty in The Tigers Bride, through her use of the first person narrator, combining the narrative of the narrator with Her own prose, [which] was glitteringly, self mockingly hybrid, contrived and slangy at once, mandarin and vulgar, romantic and cynical. 17 In the same way as the narrative is hybridised, the tales are a combination of modernity and traditionalism, individuality and stereotypes, a modern view on the traditional discussions of identity. In The Tigers Bride the concentration of mirrors, images and unexpected reflections create the basis for Beautys quest to reconcile her confused identity. When Beauty looks in the mirror she sees the true vision of beastliness in the story, I saw within it not my own face but that of my father, as if I had put on his when I arrived Now all I saw was myself, haggard from a sleepless night. (p. 60) Beauty takes on the identity of her father in the paying of his debt. Warner suggests that Carter was fascinated with female impersonation and disguise. Similarly to Beautys confusion of identity, the beast also disguises himself in a mask, But one with too much formal symmetry of feature to be entirely human: one profile of his mask is a mirror image of the other, to perfect, uncanny. (p. 53) The beast adopts his disguise to make himself socially acceptable, to dispel his otherness. However, its perfection serves to isolate him more, he becomes uncanny. His identity becomes too slippery, Beauty can no longer simply label him as The Beast. The beast provides Beauty with the mirror image of herself in the form of the automaton, She is a marvellous machine, the most delicately balanced system of cords and pulleys in the world. (p. 60) A description one could easily apply to Beauty herself; the image of Beauty expected by her father and the patriarchal society, the element of control lying in the key in her side, to perform the part of my fathers daughter. (p. 65) Daughterhood becomes a role to be acted out. Otherness becomes acceptable to the father if it is conformist and obedient, as a robot. The moment of metamorphosis or the moment the disguise is removed represents the solidifying of identity and individuality. The metamorphosis of the Beasts changes their positions in society; the revealing of the wolf affects the identity of the girl, The granny bonnet, the wolf mask have offered a helpful disguise to some of the boldest spirits. The revealing of the wolf manifests a choice of situations for the girl, assimilation with otherness and individuality, the grasping of her own sexuality, or her allegiance with the mass culture of those who inhabit the areas outside the forest. For Mr Lyon, metamorphosis allows him and Beauty to join the domestic suburban life of modern civilisation, in his transformation he chooses Red Riding Hoods second option. In The Tigers Bride, Beautys revelation of her nakedness and her transmutation represent her maturation into her sexual role and her acceptance of otherness.

Free Essays on Symbolism And “the Yellow Wallpaper“

In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, symbolism plays a large factor. The narrator uses the wallpaper in her room to represent herself. In the story the woman is suffering from Post-Pardom Depression following the birth of her son. Her husband, John, is a doctor and he feels that nothing is wrong with her. He brings her to an old house in the country and prescribes that she do hardly anything but rest. The narrator loves to write, but this enjoyable task is forbidden to her by her husband. John does nothing short of confining the narrator to an upstairs nursery that has been transformed into a bedroom. The narrator complains adamantly about the wallpaper in the room. John refuses to change the paper, citing that it only fuels her condition by giving into the fancies in her head. Upon being forced to contend with this paper the narrator begins to study it. She finds the pattern to be very askewer. At first she hates it because it lacks definition and is, in her eyes, an horrid yellow color. As time goes on she begins to depend on the wallpaper to, in essence, keep her sanity. The wallpaper symbolizes this woman’s mind. As the pattern jumps all over the wall, the woman’s mind jumps in all directions. Towards the end of the story the narrator recognizes a woman trapped behind the paper. This represents herself. With her prescription of constant rest, the woman is simply trapped within her own mind. She is torn with wanting to feel better, and obeying her husbands orders. The narrator finally sees the woman behind the paper shaking it and creeping around. This symbolizes the narrator’s internal fight. She wants out of the confines of her own mind and situation. At the end of the story the narrator tears down the paper and creeps around on the floor. This is the most powerful symbol in the story. By tearing down the paper, the woman has finally broken free of her confines. She... Free Essays on Symbolism And â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaperâ€Å" Free Essays on Symbolism And â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaperâ€Å" In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, symbolism plays a large factor. The narrator uses the wallpaper in her room to represent herself. In the story the woman is suffering from Post-Pardom Depression following the birth of her son. Her husband, John, is a doctor and he feels that nothing is wrong with her. He brings her to an old house in the country and prescribes that she do hardly anything but rest. The narrator loves to write, but this enjoyable task is forbidden to her by her husband. John does nothing short of confining the narrator to an upstairs nursery that has been transformed into a bedroom. The narrator complains adamantly about the wallpaper in the room. John refuses to change the paper, citing that it only fuels her condition by giving into the fancies in her head. Upon being forced to contend with this paper the narrator begins to study it. She finds the pattern to be very askewer. At first she hates it because it lacks definition and is, in her eyes, an horrid yellow color. As time goes on she begins to depend on the wallpaper to, in essence, keep her sanity. The wallpaper symbolizes this woman’s mind. As the pattern jumps all over the wall, the woman’s mind jumps in all directions. Towards the end of the story the narrator recognizes a woman trapped behind the paper. This represents herself. With her prescription of constant rest, the woman is simply trapped within her own mind. She is torn with wanting to feel better, and obeying her husbands orders. The narrator finally sees the woman behind the paper shaking it and creeping around. This symbolizes the narrator’s internal fight. She wants out of the confines of her own mind and situation. At the end of the story the narrator tears down the paper and creeps around on the floor. This is the most powerful symbol in the story. By tearing down the paper, the woman has finally broken free of her confines. She...

Homework Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 55

Homework - Assignment Example But on the negative side, there are environmental worries such as a disastrous oil spill (the pipeline could break due to a number of factors such as acts of sabotage, an earthquake, an explosion, an accident, etc.) which could destroy pristine lands along the route, especially along the sensitive Sand Hills region of north-central Nebraska. My stance is the pipeline project should be approved because environmental concerns were being adequately addressed by the project proponents. This is because more oil supplies will bring down the cost of oil and benefit millions of American consumers. This is similar to what consumers enjoy today regarding the use of fracking (hydraulic fracturing) technology which made natural gas easier to access, more abundant and considerably cheaper too. The project passed the Senate (by a vote of 62-36) and the U.S. Congress ( or Lower House) approved it on February 11, 2015 (by vote of 270-152). Keystone was delayed due to Democratic control of Congress as Democrats opposed it but the recent mid-term elections shifted control of Congress to the Republicans who support it. President Obama is expected to veto it as he is a Democrat but neither the Senate nor the House has enough votes to overcome an expected presidential veto as of now. If the Republicans win the next presidential election, they will certainly approve the Keystone XL Pipeline Project because it favors Big Business. They are expected to revive this big oil project in the next Republican administration if their candidate wins whoever it will be among the various possible frontrunners such as Jeb Bush, Mitt Romney, Scott Walker, Paul Rand, and Marco Rubio. The Senate is now in Republican control (majority of senators are now Republican). What this all boils down is a s tark choice between conservation (wise use of resources) and preservation (no

What are the effects of chemicals on children Essay

What are the effects of chemicals on children - Essay Example the most dangerous elements scientists distinguish â€Å"air pollutants, pesticides and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), lead, mercury, arsenic, mycotoxins and hazardous chemicals in the workplace† (Chemical Safety). This study aims to search for the effect of chemicals on children`s health and wellbeing and possible measures of harmful effect prevention. Children may get access to chemicals indoor and outdoor through water, soil, house dust, nourishment and shopper items, in the environment where they dwell, study and play. Since specific chemicals can cross the placenta, they can also be transferred to children during pregnancy. Feeding newborn children with breast milk can also expose children to potentially harmful chemicals. As a rule, nobody realizes to the full extent what chemicals may do harm to individuals, particularly infants and babies who are prone to bite things or rub them on the skin. For a significant number of these mixes, there has been almost no examination to explore kids presentation to them. However, some scientists stress over potential dangers in light of the fact that it is presently clear that many chemicals untested for potential wellbeing impacts are found in ordinary things, for example, clothes, footwear, furniture, and toys. Kids are exceptionally defenseless taking into account their hand-to-mouth pr actices, floor play and developing immune ad nervous systems. Producers claim that there is no any threat considering the substances in an item, and it does not mean that any requirements of manufacture were violated. If some chemical from the list of harmful substances is detected in the item on the Washington state rundown is found in a toy or diversion, it does not consequently mean there are grounds for concern as people cannot have contact with these substances at all (Kay, 2013). Erry et al. explore the influence of PVC on children`s organism, which turned out to be extremely negative. In the research, a number of items

Evaluation approaches Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluation approaches - Research Paper Example The paper tells that evaluation techniques are crucial in any form of research regardless of whether it is a qualitative or quantitative research or a combination of both. This is because evaluation or measurement determines the interpretation of data gathered and, hence, impacts the findings and conclusions of a particular study. There is an ongoing debate as to which technique of evaluation or measurement can best interpret probability. According to Hand, this debate is stimulated and aggravated by controversy over the legitimacy of applying different classes of statistical methods to data that emerge as a consequence of different kinds of measurement activity. The body of literature supports this theme, from theories to actual research examples. The following studies undertaken to investigate three separate issues with different evaluation and measurement techniques highlight the differences by which the studies went through with their investigations. With an aim of investigating the validation approaches in Information Systems research, Boudreau, Gefen and Straub used an evaluation technique anchored on a comprehensive review and analysis of literature on the subject, specifically comparing two time periods. The researchers refer to it simply as a literature review except that such review was undertaken in a highly systematic manner. Clearly, the study is qualitative in character and it aims to describe the validation trends from 1997 to 1999. The employment of the review of literature as a foundation for inferences and conclusions is valid since qualitative research aims to find depth when quantitative studies seek breadth. Ambert et al. (1995) for instance, explained that because of this focus, evaluation could draw from a smaller group of research subjects or respondents instead of a large representative sample of the population. (p. 880) Bourdeau et al. selected five journals to represent the periods by which the study sought to compare. Out of these jo urnals, the author evaluated a total of 193 articles selected based on specific criteria or attributes. (p. 6) There were at least eleven such attributes (i.e. research type, content and construct validity, research method, etc.) and that they were, in turn, evaluated according to a validation test statistic – a second independent coder. (p. 6) The resulting data allowed for the identification of relationships and the evaluation of the efficacy of validation approaches based on previous documents so that the research objectives are finally met. It was found, for instance, that instruments are more frequently validated today than they were 11 years ago. (p. 7) Multi-method Evaluation Boyd et al. (2007), investigated community health services with emphasis on the need for stakeholder participation and dialogue. For this purpose, they designed a multi-method approach in order to cover the numerous stakeholders involved in community health services: health practitioners, communit y leaders, marginalized people, etc. Three evaluation frameworks are designed for goals, the stakeholders and the organization. The researchers employed the so-called critical systems thinking (CST) principle in this strategy, which is typified by three fundamental characteristics, namely: Critical awareness for the examination of assumptions in addition to the conditions that led to their emergence; Improvement both on temporary and local levels done in an adequately informed manner; and, Methodological

The Challenge of Communication between Men and Women Essay -- Personal

He looks at me with big puppy dog eyes and says,"Kate, do you really want me to stay?" HELLO! Now, you have to understand that I don't want to make decisions for him, and I don't want to be controlling, so I say, "It's your decision." Wow, that is the number one clue; if you get that line you'd better stay with her. Why can't you just listen to me? I don't want your advice; I just want you to listen!" I yelled. "I did listen to you; you could have done something to prevent that problem!" my boyfriend replied. That was the gist of our last argument. We concluded that we were just different people. Well, of course we are different people. I am a woman, and he is a man. That's right; I am a woman, and why can't a man understand what a woman wants? Come on--we give them all the right clues; we basically feed it to them. (They might as well just roll over and drool.) The truth is, men and women communicate in different ways; we talk, listen, and act differently. This fact can create some major misunderstandings and even arguments. I am a woman, so I have a pretty good idea of what a woman wants. So listen up boys! Men and woman actually think differently. For example, a man and a woman are having a professional conversation. As the man talks, the woman nods her head, and the man thinks, "Oh great, she agrees with me." (Where the heck does he get off thinking that?) The woman actually nods her head to show she understands what is going on. Now why don't men pick up this good habit of nodding the head? I mean, come on, when I am trying to explain something to a man he just stares at me. (Do I have to repeat everything ten times before a man says or shows me that he understands what I am saying?) Being a woman, I understand ... ... play dumb, so men you better start picking up the obvious clues we lay down in front of you. There is no other way to explain it--men and women are just simply different. We think, act, and talk differently, and overall we communicate differently. It's no wonder men and women get in so many arguments. To each man and to each woman, their point of view is very clear. However, every woman knows, just as every man knows, that a woman is always right, and that what a woman wants is just what she should get! Works Cited "English Language by Gender." Geocities.Com 26 October 2000 http://www.geocities.com/a3a17013/jokes/genderlang.htm Wood, Julia. Communication in Our Lives. New York: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2000. Center for Applications of Psychological Type. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator. Gainesville: Consulting Psychologist Press, Inc., 1988.

B2B Organizational Marketing

Present day market leaders confront a number of challenges in securing new orders and customers. These challenges may take the form of a larger number of players influencing the customer decision process, increased buying criteria, greater expectations of faster feedback, and more expectations from the customers that the sales force understand the customer’s requirements. The customers have become more demanding and the competitors have become more productive which have also increased the challenges being faced by the businesses.The businesses are expected to possess the characteristics of flexibility, speed, easiness in dealing, fast, resilience, customer focus, and human warmth in their dealings (Rick Wolfe). Being a business based on the impulse and moods of the customers, the leisure cruise business needs much of these factors to be integrated into them for being successful in attracting more and new customers.This paper attempts to make a detailed report on the marketing techniques and business issues relating to the Carnival Cruise Lines and Crystal Cruise Lines who are the players in the same line of business with different marketing approaches to the business. Carnival Cruise Lines – A Background The evolution and growth of Carnival Cruise Lines marked the redefining of the leisure cruise industry. The company approached a diverse market adopting a novel theme of ‘Fun Ships’ adequately supported by competitively low pricing.There was increased pressure from competition which forced the company to have a relook into its ‘Fun Ship’ brand, without disturbing the equity content of the brand already developed by the company. From the points of view of the customers the cruise lines do not have any differentials. Hence it became necessary for the Carnival Cruise Lines to differentiate them to the customers by providing upgraded product features, efficient service, and a brand image which is not only convincing but also sophisticated.The 2,974 passenger capacity 110,000 ton Carnival Liberty was set to sail in July 2005. Built at $ 500 million the ship was the twenty first vessels in the fleet of Carnival Cruise Lines and it gave the company more passenger carrying capacity than any other cruise lines. The company arranged cruises covering more than three million guests during the financial year 2004 and the company’s revenues were in the region of $ 9. 73 billion, with net earnings of $ 1. 85 billion in the year 2004.The company has been maintaining its principles to adhere to the term ‘Fun Ships’ throughout the year and a time has come when the top leaders of the company have to have a rethinking on the level of customer service so that they can still maintain the brand image. This was due to the fact that there have been increased expectations and renewed competition in the industry. Marketing Strategy of Carnival The company had to develop its marketing strategy purely out of necessity. At a certain point of time Carnival did not have to make an advertising campaign to promote its cruises.In fact at that time no cruise lines made any efforts to advertise. During the start up years which were lean the onboard product was limited. The customers’ expectations were also limited as the cruise products that were available were still relatively new to the market and to the customers. The ‘Fun Ships’ concept of marketing was set in motion by Dickinson for the first time in the 1973 when he took charge as the vice-president sales of Carnival. He was inspired by the concept of ‘Happy ship’ promoted by Commodore Cruise Lines.This promotion started at a time when the cruise marketing focused its attention on the destinations covered by the cruises rather than the ships that were used for the cruises. The cruising during these times was promoted as a highbrow, luxurious experience. However Carnival adopted a different marketing strat egy by reasoning that ‘fun’ was what people really wanted to experience in a vacation. The company promoted the cruise in Mardi Gras as a fun-ship experience while cruising instead of promoting the cruises on the basis of destinations.This way Carnival decided to send a message that was unique in the cruise industry. (20) The marketing strategy of the company centered round the policy of the company to anchor the brand ‘Fun Ships’ to coincide with its positioning strategy. This enabled Carnival build an unmatched value proposition on the promise of fun during the cruise. This promise of fun has been made the marketing strategy of the company for at least the next thirty years of its existence.In quite contrast to the other cruise line customers Carnival through its ‘Fun Ships’ marketing theme attracted middle-class customers who are relatively young. To these kinds of customers Carnival offered full casinos, live music, discos, and wild daytime activities–including belly-flop, beer-chugging, and hairy-chest contests which were offered for the first time by any cruise. These fun based activities were quite different from the existing idea of in-cruise entertainment of shuffleboard and afternoon tea.With a view to make improvements in these fun activities Carnival built the new ships starting from the year 1980 providing for the facilities for the fun activities with bright colors and neon lighting unlike anything before seen in a cruise ship. These were quite different and shocking to the traditional ship owners. Carnival used the first-time cruisers as tools for the market development strategy for communicating the brand message of ‘Fun Ships’. The company articulated the ‘Fun Ships image by showing the ships and the possible entertainment architecture within the ships.The company promoted the marketing theme as ‘having fun comprising of guests â€Å"dining, dancing, playing, swimming, sun ning, and socializing at affordable price†. The company has started the advertising commercials in the 1984 and was the first cruise to advertise on the Television. The marketing objective of the company remained provision of fun all along the cruise. The company however continued to have the marketing objective to â€Å"introduce vacationers to cruising and to reinforce the image of Carnival as the essence of fun† (J. Robert Kwortnik Jr 2006).Challenges to Carnival’s Market-Leadership The major challenge to the marketing efforts of Carnival and a threat to its market-leadership position, is the continuous copying of the ‘Fun Ships’ brand by the competitor lines. For example the Royal Caribbean’s product offering of adventure-theme challenged the fun concept of Carnival Cruise Lines by an active-adventure version of Royal Caribbean; similarly the next generation of the ships of Royal Caribbean had a water theme park which would challenge Carni val Line’s water-park innovation.Another threat to the market position of Carnival arises due to the repositioning of the brand. This may be the result of the tension faced in the development of brand image which is characterized by the improvements in the product. However the management steers the brand toward a more sophisticated version of fun, the risk of mixed signals and brand confusion This makes the a brand's equity as more a function of the customers for a particular brand than the function of the brand. Crystal Cruises – a Background Crystal Cruise offers a hybrid style of cruising experience which is intriguing.Though the cruise line is decidedly upscale, its ships are larger ones quite unlike its luxury line competitors. These ships have the capacity of carrying 940 passengers. NYK lines of Japan own Crystal Cruises. The company founded in the year 1990 is based in Los Angeles. The earlier ships owned by the company included a 940-passenger ship by name â⠂¬ËœCrystal Harmony. This ship was first launched in the year 1990. The ‘Crystal Symphony’ was the second one to follow and also has a passenger carrying capacity of 940-passengers.The company added to its fleet the new ship ‘Crystal Serenity’ with a capacity of 1080 passengers which first sailed in the summer of 2003. The company has sold the ship ‘Crystal Harmony’ in the year 2005 to have once more only two ships in its fleet (Cruise Critic). Though the company has only two ships it has earned the distinction of one of the best cruise lines in the world with the extravagance of services it offers on board the ships. The added feature which enhances the marketing ability of the Crystal is the health club products it offers on board its ships including the Spa.Crystal Serenity is the largest ship of Crystal Cruise. This ship has all the facilities that the cruises of Crystal normally provide. These features include a Sushi Bar, a tennis court, and a board room offering variety of wines. The ship also provides a state – of – the – art children’s play area known as ‘Fantasia’ and also a teen center. There is also an indoor/outdoor pool and a higher ratio of balcony cabins and about 85 percent of the staterooms are having verandahs. The attractiveness of Crystal Cruise is magnified by its getting the ISO 14001 certification for its fleet-wide environmental management system maintenance.In continuation of its environmental management program the company is continuously establishing new goals to minimize the degradation to environment by reducing the use of plastics and increased recycling and enhanced fuel efficiency (Even Keel). Marketing Strategy of Crystal Cruises Crystal’s bigger ships carrying more passengers are one of the marketing points as against its smaller competitors. The company has a unique characteristic of having a highest guest-to-staff and largest guest-to-spa ce ratio.This has won more number of repeat passengers. The smaller line competitors do not have the facilities to compete with Crystal. â€Å"The facilities that crystal offer include biggest-ships-in-luxury-class status along with far more options, in terms of entertainment, socializing, casinos, spa and fitness facilities, activities, and enrichment opportunities† (Cruise Critic). â€Å"The renowned Crystal experience is distinguished by incomparable service, abundant space, extensive choices, and superior quality† (Crystal Cruise).Crystal Cruises is offering a program known as ‘Share the Experience’ which offers membership to its repeat customers to ‘Crystal Society’. The members of this society are given $ 100 shipboard credit when they are able to persuade a first timer to take a cruise with crystal. Crystal has roughly 60 percent of its customers as first timers to the cruise line. The marketing strategy of the company is to bring in mo re new customers and increase the ratio of new customers. The company believes in getting more to the new people for its growth (Christopher Elliott, 2007)The product offering by Crystal includes the ‘Crystal Spa’ the only Feng Shui- designed Spa on board any ship is one of the major marketing points for Crystal. â€Å"Superior service, state-of-the-art facilities and amenities, such as treatment rooms, saunas and a private sun deck or relaxation area with expansive ocean views, propelled the luxury line's Crystal Spa into first place among the magazine's savvy travelers who placed it alongside, and even above, some of the foremost spas in the world† (Crystal Cruises).The other area where Crystal concentrates to improve the satisfaction of its customers is the service being provided by its extraordinary staff which makes the cruises with crystal a unique experience. The company claims that their attention to details is the strength of its marketing and the compan y also provides a personalized experience with a boutique ‘Crystal Adventures’ and other customized ‘Crystal Private Adventure’.â€Å"The line’s glamorous casinos, array of evening entertainment and creative culinary venues and menus — such as the cuisine of master chef, Nobu Matsuhisa — rate high among those seeking quality choices on their floating luxury resort† (Article Avenue). Marketing Strategies of Carnival and Crystal – A Comparison While Carnival Cruise Lines are perceived to have action packed fun and look for younger and value driven customers, Crystal Cruise targets older generation customers who are keen to receive five star services aboard luxurious ships.The basic distinction in the marketing concepts of both the lines lies in the way they perceive the preferences of the customers. On the basis of the products that these lines can offer they select their customer bases and arrive at the marketing strategies . The idea of getting more number of new customers is considered unique as far as Crystal is concerned since the company feels that with the extravagant service it offers on board it can make them repeat their visits to their cruises.By taking more care on the health aspects with the provision of Spa and other extensive health club facilities the travelers will feel more at land than at sea. This coupled with the provision of the highest guest service with more number of attendants and staff would make the customers feel that their travel was filled with an experience quite different and they may decide to experience it once again. In the case of Carnival the marketing strategy involves more value in terms of fun at lesser cost while cruising. The cost factor is taken as the base of promoting their product offering.The customers that Carnival caters to being young ones the company takes more care to provide as many number of recreation facilities to the customers so that they repeat their visits to the cruise. Conclusion In general as the sales teams deepen their knowledge about the customer’s needs and preferences they are able to pinpoint the metrics that the customers will make use of for making an assessment of the product offerings by different vendors. This gives rise to several variations and product differentiations by the suppliers to meet the requirements of different customers.This is evident from the fact that two cruise lines’ – Carnival and Crystal – product offerings. It is observed that both of the lines have different marketing objectives and different set of customer segments to cater to and serve. While Carnival has the marketing strategy of having fun during the cruise and attract younger customers, Crystal looks for increased number of new customers with a product offering of fun combined with health with the offering of the state of the art Spa and other connected facilities aboard to attract the customers. Ref erencesArticle Avenue ‘Information and Tips for a Cruise Ship Vacation’ Christopher Elliott (2007) ‘Strategies to Make More Passengers Maiden Voyagers’ The New York Times dated February 25th 2007 Cruise Critic ‘Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Cruise ‘Crystal Cruises Celebrates Thanksgiving and Fall Sailings with Family â€Å"Values† ‘ Crystal Cruises ‘Crystal Cruises Named No. 1 Cruise Line Spa by the Readers of Conde Nast Traveler’ Even Keel ‘Cruise Line News: Crystal Cruise’ J. Robert Kwortnik Jr (2006) ‘Carnival Cruise Lines: Burnishing the brand’ http://www. allbusiness. com/accommodation-food-services/1190122-1. html Rick Wolfe ‘The New B2B Marketing Dashboard’