Cruise Lines only award
the value of the cruise fare only. Port charges, taxes and
government fees are not free and must be paid by everyone
in the group, including the Tour Leader. Each cruise line
has its own group leader policy and they vary depending
upon the cruise line.
Converting Free Berths
Here are a few ways group
leaders can take advantage of earned berths:
You Sail
Free
Keep the free bed for yourself and cruise for free and
even earn extra spending money if enough people travel
with the group. This is agreed upon in advance and can be
kept confidential.
Lower the Per Person
Price
You can take the value of the free berth (s) and divide it
among the others in the group as an additional discount.
Since the number of free berths depends on the number of
cabins that actually sail, the additional discounts are
applied at final payment or as a rebate after the group
returns from the cruise.
Personal Cruise Direct
Escort
You can hire an on-board group escort to help coordinate
on-board and on-shore activities. Use one of free berths
to cover the escorts passage. A separate special
services fee may apply.
Invite A Special Guest
Invite a guest lecturer or celebrity. This could be a
local pastor, radio or tv personality or an expert in your
field whose participation may encourage others to join
your group.
Shore Tours
Take the value of the free berths and apply them towards
the purchase of shore excursions like sightseeing tours,
snorkeling, fishing adventures or a glacier helicopter
landing.
In Cabin Amenities
Give everyone an in cabin
gifts like fruit baskets, wine, or chocolates.
Interested in planning a group cruise? Have a Groups Representative
contact you.
Just fill out the
Group Request Form
click here
| |
|
Small Group Cruise and Cruise
Tour
Exclusive
Our Exclusive Mini -
Group Program
Save Hundred's Off Brochure
Rates
All you
need is 3 couples Or More
Traveling Together
or a
Family of 4-6 with 2
staterooms.
Get 2 or more couples in
addition to you and your
traveling partner; Get your
friends or family to take one of
our special cruises or
cruisetours, and you will get
even bigger discounts than
traveling as a single couple
alone. There is no need to join
a large group or have eight or
more cabins to qualify. All it
takes is a total of 3 cabins.
it's that simple. |
|
|
|
Individual
Incentives
Looking to reward
your top individuals, one at a time. After all,
there's no motivation more powerful than being
singled out. With an individual incentive cruise
program, your participants can choose when
they'll cruise, or even where they go. Or
perhaps reward someone a cruise as an
on-the-spot bonus for exceptional performance,
or how about creating a multi-tiered incentive
program with varying award levels? Winners could
go on a 3-day Caribbean getaway, a 7-day Bermuda
cruise or a 12-day Europe cruise. Nothing can
increase motivation and productivity more than
an individual incentive. It's the ultimate
reward. Let us customize an incentive cruise
program made just for you.
24 Cruise Lines
Have Meeting &
Incentive Programs |
Group
Incentives
Going on a cruise is like taking two vacations
in one: the first-class treatment and facilities
of a luxury resort, combined with the excitement
of travel to exotic destinations. From cocktail
parties to award ceremonies, a cruise is a great
way to bring colleagues closer together, while
everyone still has time to themselves. What's
more, were professionals in the business of
planning group and incentive travel, so relax:
You're in the hands of experts here.
|
Meeting Incentives
No
deadlines, no sales calls, no e-mails, no memos.
Is this any way to conduct business? Well -
actually, yes. Think of a cruise ship as a
floating conference center complete with video
and overhead sound and light capabilities,
multi-image shows, theatrical special effects
and more. Many ships have rooms that accommodate
large sessions, breakout rooms and hospitality
suites of all sizes. And since your associates
can't stray too far when they're aboard ship,
you can keep attendance higher and be more
productive. |
Full Ship
Charter
For large
groups, nothing is more impressive than a privately
chartered ship. Since you "own" the ship, virtually
every aspect of the cruise can be customized for your
group. You can decide which ports the ship will call
on, what dishes will be offered on the menu, and which
shore excursions will be available. Choreographed
stage shows can be customized for the company, or the
ship can be renamed in the company's honor. The ship's
Captain can even promote the company's chairman to the
rank of Honorary Admiral in a full-dress ceremony.
It's like having your own corporate yacht to do as you
please, only better. Because aboard a cruise ship,
there's so much more to do.
The Details
From business meetings
to awards ceremonies, cocktail receptions, shore tours
and theme parties, Cruise Direct Online can customize
every detail. Gift items such as shirts, caps or
sunglasses imprinted with the Company's name;
signature cocktail napkins, menus, and daily
newsletters; custom nameplates on everyone's stateroom
door; ice sculptures in the form of a logo; corporate
ideas played over closed-circuit TV, "Welcome Aboard"
notes from the ship's Captain ... unlimited
opportunities to customize your incentive cruise. And
you can count on us to deliver.
Compare the Cost
|
|
Land Resort/
Caribbean |
Land Resort/
USA |
Cruise |
|
Accommodations
(tax included) |
$1,850 |
$1,550 |
$1,850 |
|
Food & Beverage
(3 meals daily, cocktail party with live
entertainment, wine with dinner each night, tax
and gratuities) |
$1,450 |
$1,100 |
Included |
|
Meetings
(all audio-visual equipment including VCR,
projectors, monitors and screens, wireless
microphones and coffee breaks) |
$5,000 |
$5,000 |
Included |
|
Entertainment
(Broadway shows and variety acts) |
$20,000 |
$20,000 |
Included |
|
Per Person
Per Person, Per Day |
$3,600
$515 |
$2,950
$420 |
$1,850
$265 |
|
|
(94% More Expensive than a cruise) |
(59% More Expensive than cruise) |
|
|
This comparison is based on
a 7-Day program with 4 meetings, 2 productions
and for 200 participants
Compliments of NCL. |
Frequently Asked
Questions
What size
groups can be accommodated?
Depending on the ship
you choose, as few as 16 guests or up to a full-ship
charter.
What's
included in the price?
Your cruise fare will
include stateroom accommodations, sea transportation,
all your meals, entertainment and on-board activities.
What's not
included?
Generally speaking,
depending upon cruise line, air transportation, shore
excursions, medical services, items of a personal
nature such as bar
beverages
(except coffee, tea, or milk with meals or when
expressly specified) gift shop purchases,
photography, beauty salon/barber shop and spa
services, gambling and service/porterage gratuities
are not included in the cruise fare. Also not included
are charges
for passports, visas, inoculations, laundry,
travel insurance, postage, telegrams, telephone
calls and surcharges, any items of a personal nature,
Guests are urged to read the cruise lines
brochure and cruise line confirmation from the cruise
line for complete details on what is or what is not
included.
How does the
cost compare to a resort?
The economies are
evident. Not only because our prices are competitive,
but because many of the services that resorts charge
extra for are complimentary aboard our ships: meeting
rooms, coffee breaks, meals, afternoon snacks, AV
equipment, entertainment, theme parties, sporting
events and many daytime activities, to name just a
few.
How are private
functions handled?
Your group's
functions and cocktail receptions can be held either
in public rooms or in private suites. Drinks and hors
d'oeuvres can be provided at an affordable cost
(gratuity included).
What about dining
arrangements?
You may have ,
depending upon availability, all your group's members
seated in one area of a dining room, with either
assigned or open seating.
How are
on-board purchases handled?
Drinks, spa services,
shore excursions and shop purchases can all be charged
to on-board accounts. You may either set up a master
account for your group, or leave it up to individual
participants to establish and settle their own
accounts.
How can we
handle tipping?
Gratuities for your
group's dining room staff and room stewards are
prepaid prior to sailing. A 15% gratuity is
automatically added to all purchases in bars and
lounges.
Are telephone
and fax services available?
Yes, anyone from your
group can telephone directly from their stateroom. In
addition, worldwide telex, radiogram or fax services
are available from most ships. The guest will be
charged at applicable ship-to-shore rates. And aboard
many ships, you will find internet access via
the ship's satellite system.
Study: Biz Cruises Float With Meeting Planners
Foreign-flag cruise lines, which control over 90%
of the berths serving North American passengers,
represent an underused market for corporate
meetings and incentive travel, according to the
results of a survey conducted by Royal Caribbean
Cruises, Ltd. .....and others.
The study found that 79% of meetings planners
would consider holding their business events at
sea, and 68% do not consider tax deductibility
when planning events.
Cruise observers have long maintained that
foreign-flag ships make poor venues for corporate
meetings because expenses tied to such gatherings
are not tax deductible....
....The survey's sponsors said they recognized
that it is likely that the planners did not relate
to the tax deductibility question because "it is
not an issue with domestic hotels and resorts."
However, they added that the findings on the tax
question "is an indicator of the attention, or
lack of, paid to this subject by the majority of
meeting planners."
Indeed, respondents said the most important
factors to consider when planning an event are
location (45%), followed by price and budget (38%)
and service (21%).....
......The study also found that only 12% of
respondents use cruise ships as a meeting venue
vs. 74% who use land-based resorts.
"All of the elements are in place for these
groups to use cruise ships. The amenities and
level of service are comparable, both have a sense
of exclusivity and both have an all-inclusive
atmosphere."
"With the all-inclusive nature of cruising, many
meeting planners find that a cruise ship event can
be more affordable than traditional meeting
venues," said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, associate vice
president of national and corporate sales at Royal
Caribbean.
"The variety of destinations, dining options,
activities make cruise ships an innovative and
hassle-free option."
The study was distributed via e-mail to 12,481
registered meeting planners as identified by
EventSource.
To increase the response rate, an incentive of
entry into a drawing for a seven-night Royal
Caribbean cruise was included in the survey form.
A total of 548 planners responded to the survey, a
4.4% response rate.
Other findings pointed to the cruise segment's
growing exposure, desirability and market
potential.
The survey found that while 82% of respondents
had not held business events on a ship, 42% had
been on a cruise before and 79% said they would
consider holding an event aboard a cruise ship.
Of those who said they would not consider holding
an event aboard a cruise ship, the most common
reason given was "cost/budget," at 27%, followed
by "not a professional atmosphere/too
distracting," at 17%.
Also cited were "too confining," and "didn't like
the inflexibility of arrivals/departures for
attendees," at 11%, and "length of meetings," at
10%.....
......Overall, the survey concluded that many of
the planners who responded to the survey fit
within the cruise-candidate profile and that there
is an interest in the market for cruise-ship
venues.
------------
Excerpt comments
from an article that appeared in
TRAVEL WEEKLY NEWS - Meetings & Incentives
|