Crunchtime’s Ops Excellence Awards recognize those who have raised the bar in the industry. Each year, that bar of excellence keeps getting higher and higher, largely in part due to the amazing caliber of submissions we received from our incredible customer base.
With an impressive slate of nominations, narrowing the field was no easy task. Among all of the submissions, five brands stood out the most and earned their spot as finalists:
- Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
- MSC Cruises
- Gong cha
In this series, we’ll take a closer look at each finalist’s story and achievements.
2026 Ops Excellence Award Finalist: MSC Cruises
Brand Snapshot
As the world's third-largest and fastest-growing global cruise brand, MSC Cruises delivers premium hospitality across a modern fleet of 25 ships sailing to more than 300 destinations in 100 countries worldwide. As the company continues to expand its global footprint, it remains focused on providing every guest with a consistently exceptional dining experience — no matter which ship they're sailing on.
Commitment to Operational Excellence
At MSC Cruises, operational excellence isn't viewed as a one-time initiative; it's a philosophy of continuous evolution.
The organization believes meaningful improvements come from making thousands of better decisions every day. By standardizing processes, connecting operational data, and eliminating manual work, MSC Cruises empowers its teams to operate more efficiently, freeing up time to focus on delivering exceptional guest experiences.
"At MSC Cruises, we believe that operational excellence is built through marginal gains, which, when applied to a complex environment, have a profound impact — thousands of better decisions, better standards, and better habits that we're bringing together with Crunchtime," said Patrick Apostolo, Director of Business Transformation at MSC Cruises.
That philosophy extends beyond improving operational performance. Every enhancement is designed to support the people behind the operation, helping crew members spend less time on administrative tasks and more time creating memorable experiences for its cruise guests.
Operational Challenges
As MSC Cruises expands its fleet, maintaining consistency across ship operations has become increasingly difficult.
Previously, different vessels operated with inconsistent item codes, recipes varied across the fleet, and many operational processes relied on spreadsheets and manual reporting. These disconnected workflows made it difficult to establish a single source of truth for food and beverage operations.
Patrick explained, "Before Crunchtime Inventory, MSC Cruises faced fragmented data, inconsistent coding, and recipe variation across the operation."
The organization needed a way to:
- Standardize recipes and inventory across every ship
- Eliminate manual administrative work
- Improve forecasting and purchasing decisions
- Increase visibility into fleet-wide food and beverage operations
- Create a single source of truth for operational data
- Give crew members more time to focus on hospitality
The Solution for Smarter Operations
To modernize operations across its fleet, MSC Cruises implemented Crunchtime Inventory, Labor, Ops Execution, and Insights, creating one connected operational suite.
Standardization became the foundation of MSC Cruises' operational transformation.
By harmonizing recipes and item masters across every ship, Crunchtime Inventory has improved inventory accuracy, strengthened purchasing decisions, and created greater consistency throughout the fleet.
Patrick stated, "Crunchtime Inventory has allowed MSC Cruises to improve inventory efficiency and reduce stock on hand by 20% by standardizing recipes across the board."
With standardized data and real-time inventory visibility, managers can confidently make operational decisions without relying on spreadsheets or disconnected systems.
Managing labor aboard a cruise ship presents challenges unlike any land-based restaurant operation.
Patrick said, "Cruise operations are uniquely complex because our staff and inventory are fixed once we're at sea. By leveraging Crunchtime Labor and Crunchtime Inventory, we ensure the right people and products are in the right place at the right moment. This allows us to manage that complexity and turn every shift into a major revenue-generating opportunity."
By improving labor planning and eliminating unnecessary administrative work with Crunchtime Labor, MSC Cruises has been able to redirect valuable time back to its operational teams.
With standardized operational data available across the fleet, reporting has become significantly faster and more actionable.
Patrick noted, "What used to take days to prepare reports is now automated with Crunchtime Insights."
Instead of spending valuable time compiling information, managers can focus on using operational data from Crunchtime Insights to make smarter decisions.
"As a result, we're finally making data-driven decisions," Patrick said.
MSC Cruises continues to strengthen operational consistency by standardizing workflows across its fleet with Crunchtime Ops Execution.
By reducing manual touchpoints and connecting operational processes, the organization has built greater transparency and accountability while supporting a culture of continuous improvement.
"With Crunchtime tools, MSC Cruises has returned 25,000 hours of labor to our team," Patrick added.
Results Worth Celebrating
MSC Cruises' commitment to operational excellence has produced measurable improvements across its global fleet.
Key results include:
- Reducing inventory on hand by 20%
- Returning 25,000 cumulative hours to operational teams
- Standardizing recipes and inventory management fleet-wide
- Automating reporting that previously required days of manual effort
- Giving managers real-time operational visibility to support data-driven decision making
Beyond the numbers, these improvements have allowed shipboard teams to spend more time where it matters most.
Patrick concluded, "Crunchtime helps us eliminate tasks that don't add value so that our teams can focus on the guest experience."
Consistent Excellence in a Fast-Moving World
MSC Cruises' story demonstrates that operational excellence isn't about one major transformation; it's about creating systems that make every decision, every process, and every team stronger over time.
By standardizing operations, connecting data across its fleet, and eliminating manual work with Crunchtime, MSC Cruises has built an operational foundation that supports both efficiency and exceptional hospitality.
As the company continues expanding around the world, its commitment remains the same: empowering its teams with better tools, better data, and better processes so they can consistently deliver extraordinary guest experiences at sea.
Ops Excellence Awards winners are voted on live by all Ops Summit attendees. Click here to learn more.
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