Running the ships
Shipping lines` staff
There is lots of administrative and clerical work involved in
shipping, and much of it has to be done on shore. For instance,
passengers will need to make bookings, their cabins will have to be
reserved, and the crew told who is occupying which cabin. The
passengers will need to be advised when and where to join the ship.
Cargo also has to have documents, often more than a passenger as
customs officials in the ports it passes through will need to know
what it comprises. 
 Presentation ceremony inside Cunard
offices |
Then the crew needs to be hired. At the end of a voyage or their
contract, they need their wages calculated and paid. Repairs or
modifications to the ship need to be supervised, and new ships
planned. Although some of this work will be done by agents, many owners
like to have all this administrative and clerical business under
their control in their own office. The work is described in more
detail in `On the line`.
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