Among the topics set for the Marine Hotel Association’s (MHA) Conference at Sea, this December will be the cruise ship supply chain.

The Conference at Sea will run aboard MSC’s Divina on a three-night itinerary in December (Dec. 17-20); port calls will include the brand new Ocean Cay Marine Reserve as well as Nassau, as the cruise sails from Miami roundtrip.

The event brings MHA members together with relevant cruise line purchasing decision-makers.

The first session during the Conference at Sea will focus on the all-important cruise ship supply chain.

The three-hour workshop will discuss the supply chain from start to finish, purchasing to consumption and also include consolidation and loading.

Presentations are scheduled from multiple cruise operators and purchasing entities, and vendors will get the important question and answer time from panel participants ahead of business networking sessions scheduled for Thursday aboard the ship.

Immediately following the supply chain workshop, MHA members will have the opportunity to get a unique behind-the-scenes look aboard with hosted tours of key areas on the ship.

The MHA has thus far confirmed 14 participating cruise lines for its December Conference at Sea, representing 78 ships and nearly half a billion dollars in annual food spending.

Scheduled every other year, this will be the association’s third event hosted aboard a cruise ship, with previous events held with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line

The MHA is a true not-for-profit organization, with membership dues at $500.

Its not-for-profit status also means that revenue is put back into the organization and into the famed MHA scholarship fund, which has doled out over 8,000 scholarships over 35 years.