Heineken Boosts Draught Beer Training Across Cruises

Heineken Global Duty Free has announced it will accelerate its draught beer training initiative for cruise line staff through its Passion & Quality Training program, designed to improve service speed and quality in onboard bars.

The program, which first launched in the European Union in 2023, was created to address the unique challenges of serving draught beer at sea, where efficiency and consistency are key. Over 1,000 crew members have already completed the course, with the initiative doubling in size year over year.

In 2025, Heineken aims to train an additional 1,500 bar staff across Europe and Mexico, teaching them to master the Heineken draught pouring ritual—a tradition rooted in the legacy of former president Freddy Heineken, who famously said: “The only reason to order a second beer is the quality of the first.”

Training is delivered by expert draught masters from the Heineken Experience in Amsterdam, and sessions take place directly in shipboard bars, allowing crew to practice with the equipment and environment they use daily. Onshore training locations include Athens, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Cozumel, and Southampton.

Christian Klimpke, Global Account Manager Cruises, stated: “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.”

The program is currently implemented across several major cruise brands, including Carnival, Celebrity Cruises, Costa, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises, Princess, P&O, and Royal Caribbean.