With consumer-focused quality a key component in its growth strategy, Heineken Global Duty Free is accelerating its draught beer training programme for cruise partners.
The Heineken Passion & Quality Training programme has been developed to address the dynamics of the on-board draught experience, where speed of service is a priority. Launched in the EU in 2023, the training programme has doubled year on year, with over 1000 crew members trained to date.
The expanded 2025 programme welcomes another 1500 bar personnel across training programmes in Europe and Mexico to complete the Heineken draught pouring quality ritual that epitomises the principles of former Heineken president, Freddy Heineken and his enduring legacy, “The only reason to order a second beer is the quality of the first.”
Led by the best draught masters from the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, the training takes place in the onboard bars so that crew are in their natural working environment with familiar set-up and equipment. The on-shore programme includes Athens, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Cozumel and Southampton and is part of the Heineken global quality commitment to ensure Heineken consumers enjoy the best possible experience in bars on land and at sea.
Christian Klimpke, Global Account Manager Cruises, Heineken Global Duty Free, commented: “Quality is at the heart of Heineken® wherever we operate, and crew engagement is fundamental to the success of our Cruise business. Our focus on quality extends beyond the beer to the people entrusted to fill the glass. The Cruise training programme has been highly successful, and is very popular with bar teams who become valued Heineken ambassadors. The training helps busy on-board bars to better meet the expectations of guests, driving results for our Cruise partners and Heineken, but also increasing guest satisfaction too.”
Participating cruise lines include Carnival, Celebrity, Costa, Holland America, MSC, Princess, P&O, and Royal Caribbean.
Already the second-biggest brewer globally and the market leader in Europe, the Heineken company has a presence in 190 markets worldwide with annual revenue in 2024 of €35.995 billion. It is now on a mission to become the top seller in the 2.2 million-hectolitre beer and cider category in GTR, drawing on its broad brand portfolio of beers, ciders and seltzers, including Heineken, Dos Equis, Amstel, Lagunitas and Birra Moretti, as well as consumer-focused data insights and inclusive Next Generation marketing campaigns.