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I was invited to attend this
annual event as a member of a panel discussing why cruises work for
meetings and incentives.
Morag Donald, a former Maritz
Canada executive who is well versed in cruising, was the panel
moderator. Morag took the project and panel in hand and came up
with a great list of questions as well as using each panel members
expertise to raise or address key areas of interest.
I think all of us were taken
aback when the bulk of the discussion turned out to be more of a Q&A
than we had anticipated, as well as the very nature of the questions
posed.
One of the biggest and most
important questions asked was "how do I select a ship for my
clients?" With over 360 cruise ships in operation today and over 40
major cruise lines in the market this is indeed a very valid
question. While a cruise line representative may be very
knowledgeable about their product, they in general have never been
on their competitors ships or for that fact their own sister brands
ships.
Worldwide is unique in that we
represent most of the major players in the industry as well as many
of the boutique cruises lines that are off most peoples radar
screen. Over the past 20 years we have had the opportunity to
cruise first hand on many of these ships that would be of interest
to your clients.
Additionally because we assist
you with the operations of the program we have daily first hand
information from the ops side of the cruise lines as well as our
clients feed back after the cruise. Worldwide is your best match
maker due to our experience and the time and the money we invest in
cruising on these ships thus enabling our sales team to insure the
right match of ship to your client's program.
We also fielded a large number
of questions focused on the operational and organization side of the
cruise industry. I think we, as panelists, were a little surprised
in how bad a job the industry has done in getting the message out of
how simple a cruise can actually be to arrange.
Here is a sample of those Q&A’s;
Q: It must take hours to board a big ship?
A: No it doesn’t, over all it is quicker than
getting on an airplane.
Q: Can we get private check-in counters?
A: Yes you can but why have only 2 stations
available when there can be up to 40 stations at the ready for your
clients. In some cases you can do pre-check-in at hotels at an
additional expense.
Q: How secure is a cruise ship, can people
just walk on a ship like they can walk into a hotel?
A: A ship is much more secure than a hotel in
that first off, all names go though a security check before the
passengers embark. Secondly you are given your room key that will
have your picture imbedded in the card which you must produce when
you get on and off the ship. The ship knows at any given time who
is on or off the ship and it is nearly impossible to have a
non-passenger get approval to visit a ship.
Q: The ships nickel and dime you to death so
how do I know my total budget? A: When you receive your
proposal and contract, all of your costs are simply spelled out
with no surprises on board. While the luxury brands are very, very
inclusive of most costs the mass and premium market brands will not
include items such as wines with meals and bar beverages, however,
for an additional charge you can purchase bar packages to cover
these items. While shore excursions are additional you have the
option of pre-purchasing these for the participants as a group event
or allocating money to the individuals to select their own tours as
a cabin credit against a master account. Budgeting for a cruise is
a breeze compared to land programs!
Q: Can I customize the cruise to make my group
feel special on a big ship?
A: Yes you can. Your group can sit together
daily for meals, you can have private dining on some ships
(primarily the luxury brands), you can have private cocktail
receptions, meetings and presentations. There numerous events we
can arrange for your groups while on the ship and off the ship that
will be custom for your group. Worldwide has years of experience in
providing these custom options for groups and charters, some that
are often over looked by the cruise lines.
Q: How many staff do I need to take on a
cruise?
A: While this varies from company to company,
based on the client, the answer is far less than on a land program.
In general we see about 1 staff member per 50 participants.
By and large the questions
boiled down to selecting a ship and operating a program. Our team
at Worldwide has years of experience in doing both items with an
unbiased approach to give you and your client best value for money.
While dealing direct with a
cruise line will get you their answers to their ships, you are only
dealing with one brand, where the sales person passes the completed
deal along, in many cases with no first hand experience as to how
the ops works.
Worldwide offers our clients the
total package from the original inquiry to checking to see how
satisfied your group and your staff were with the actual cruise.
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