On The Cover - February 2008

The Carnival Triumph takes attendees around the world in a single day — the ship’s “Great Cities of the World” theme includes the Paris Dining Room, a Las Vegas-style show in the Rome Lounge, and dancing the night away at Club Rio. Photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Lines

By Kristyn Lak Miller

Don’t be surprised if the mere mention of a cruise creates a stir among incentive winners — it’s been reported that nearly 85 percent of people have never experienced a cruise. Besides providing a powerful way to motivate, cruise ships have the space, facilities and amenities to accommodate up to 3,100 attendees for both business and pleasure.

The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reports that at 45 percent, cruising has the highest percentage of extremely satisfied customers of any type of travel. It’s no wonder, then, that a total of 40 new cruise ships are set to launch by the end of 2012, with more than a dozen cruise ships scheduled to make their maiden voyages this year.

For meeting and incentive planners, the pluses of holding meetings at sea add up to one easy solution: the ability to contact one company for everything from reserving the cruise, including planning shore excursions, to booking airline tickets, and then handling just one bill when the meeting or event is over. In addition, some lines also provide overview documents that planners traditionally had to create for attendees.

The options for planners extend beyond the obvious. Cruise ships can be used as floating hotels when docked in a port city where the current market has created a shortage of hotel space.

For total exclusivity, ship buyouts are another option. Said Terry L. Dale, CEO and president of CLIA, “On a full-ship charter, groups can customize itineraries to revolve around meeting schedules to include as few or as many ports of call that the meeting schedule requires. The group can also personalize activities and create themed events.”

To facilitate a successful meeting or event at sea, planners often seek the expertise of third-party cruising event specialists such as Buy The Sea’s Shari Wallack, who can help them navigate the ins and outs of this dynamic industry, which is always charting new courses with new ships, new itineraries and hot new destinations. 

Picking The Right Ship
“Don’t shoot in the dark!” said Wallack, president of Buy The Sea, a Plantation, FL-based cruise brokerage firm that’s a meetings matchmaker of sorts, guiding meeting and incentive industry planners to the ship that best fits their group. “Picking a ship and itinerary is easy. Picking the right ship is not.”

“There are so many choices today,” agreed Lisa Davis, meetings and incentives manager for The Braun Corporation, a Winamac, IN-based leader in mobility products, who has planned many events at sea. “It’s hard to stay on top of changes, additions, refurbishments, etc. This is where a broker can be helpful to a planner.”

Wallack said there are several things she needs to know when helping a planner coordinate a successful meeting at sea, including budget, ships or hotels the client has used in the past, prior destinations, group

Royal Caribbean International — the cruise line that introduced the first onboard rock-climbing walls, ice skating rinks and in-line skating tracks — also offers FlowRider, the first surf park at sea, where adventurous attendees aboard RC’s Freedom of the Seas can “hang 10” or body board. Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean International

profile and number of nights they are willing to travel. “We ask a lot of questions to effectively steer the client in the direction of a product that would best suit his or her group,” said Wallack. “Each cruise line produces a gorgeous brochure or Web site to entice the customer. In all cases, the pictures are beautiful, the people look happy, the ships are sparkling new, the food always looks amazing. But you can’t judge a book by its cover. I’ve had clients call with a specific line in mind and, a half hour later, they were sold on something else.”

Working with a brokerage firm can literally mean the difference between a great meeting or event and a costly mistake. “If you go it alone, you risk not knowing what you didn’t think to question,” said Wallack. “A cruise line is not going to talk you out of a sale. The rep isn’t going to tell you what you don’t ask. We’re unbiased. We explain how everything works. Our reward is hearing ‘This was our best incentive ever.’”

Wallack has helped Lynn Averill plan incentive trips for her company. Averill, who is a second vice president at Montpelier, VT-based National Life Group, appreciates the value of expert advice. “Working with Shari saves me time as I don’t have to investigate all the options available to me,” said Averill. “She knows all the products and can advise which may work dependent on group profile and budget. As an example, I was looking for a high-end charter for 45 couples with Istanbul in the itinerary. Shari knew the vessel Le Levant, which I had never heard of and possibly would never have found. Working with Shari doesn’t cost me any more money. We both get the same quote from the cruise lines. I get her expertise at no cost.”

Once a planner has picked an itinerary, there’s still work to be done in planning the meeting or event, and some cruise lines offer expert planning advice. Silversea, for instance, employs Certified Meeting Professionals to provide highly personalized service, and Carnival’s “Learn the Ropes” program — which includes a seminar at sea — literally shows planners how their individual program would work on a Carnival cruise.

“I’d never been on a cruise before, yet I was trying to organize all of it,” said Mindy Belmont, finance director for Big #1 Motorsports, a Birmingham, AL-based dealership. “But Carnival made it easy. A coordinator actually came to our office.”

Reflecting on her company’s five-day incentive cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines, Belmont added, “Everyone is still talking about it. When you give people money, it’s gone. But with a cruise, they’ve got pictures and memories. It’s an experience. Our president now wants to do this every year.”

European Vacation
For Tracie M. Hardy, director of event planning for Frosty Acres Brands Inc., based in Alpharetta, GA, a river cruise turned out to be an economical and efficient way to take  her 180 incentive winners on a tour of multiple European destinations. The group cruised the Rhine River on Viking River Cruise’s Viking Helvetia.

“We were more interested in the European destinations of The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland than actually cruising,” Hardy said. “In the end, we believed a cruise was the best way for our incentive trip

Featuring its innovative big screen at sea, the Caribbean Princess’ Movies Under the Stars program includes the latest films, sporting events and special programming presented to attendees gathered at the pool area. Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises

winners to see many locations in the course of just one trip. The winners participate in our supplier programs all year in order to qualify for a trip. Sometimes multiple locations are more appealing for greater program participation.”

Hardy liked the fact that her group was one of the first to sail on the brand new 433-foot Viking Helvetia. “At the time of my site inspection, the ship had just come off the shipyard. I also found that chartering a Viking ship was more economical than taking a traditional land trip.”

The exclusivity of the experience added to the success of the trip. “We chartered the ship, so it was only FAB Inc. attendees on board,” Hardy said.  “I liked the idea of the charter, but at the same time, I was a bit concerned that it would be too much ‘togetherness.’ It turned out better than I could have ever even imagined. This gave our group the opportunity to make new friends and bond with old ones. Spending that much time on such a small vessel with nowhere to go between stops really strengthened some of our business relationships. Networking and sharing ideas is so important...”

Hardy was happy with the planning assistance she received from Viking and with the response she received from her attendees, who enjoyed the casualness of the ship. “It was so well received that we are entertaining the idea of another Viking cruise.”

Hardy emphasized the importance of choosing appealing destinations when planning an incentive program or meeting at sea. “A German river cruise is not as common as other trips. Because most of our attendees are very well traveled, I’m always looking for something different. This trip accomplished that for me.”

Here are some key points the experts say planners should consider when choosing a cruise and coordinating a meeting or incentive trip at sea.

Length of cruise. A complimentary cruise itinerary is available for meetings or events of virtually any duration. The trend in meetings at sea is changing from three-day itineraries to slightly longer, although even a five-day cruise is considered short. Traditionally, a cruise line’s newest ships will have their longer itineraries while their existing ships will accommodate the shorter market. Existing ships have usually been renovated but they won’t be like the newest ships with the latest amenities. The upside is that the existing ships often offer affordable price tags.

Itinerary. A cruise is about both time at sea and time in ports, and planners should try to find an itinerary with a nice balance between the two. “Why are you cruising?” asked Wallack. “Particularly in the Caribbean, the ship is the destination. You want time at sea. Unfortunately, many planners don’t understand that. If you go to a luxury resort in Hawaii, are you going to plan every day away?” During a cruise, days at sea are valuable time planners can schedule meetings or rewarding activities such as spa treatments.

Number of attendees. Ships come in all sizes, from intimate vessels to veritable floating cities, so meetings of any size can find a ship to accommodate the number of attendees. It’s important for a planner not to discount a line before doing his or her homework. For instance, Disney may seem like a big line that’s more about pleasure than business, but their fleet does offer impressive business facilities and intimate space for adults, perfect for groups large and small. “Disney is among the few cruise lines with many adult-only areas,” said Wallack. 

Cost. Cruises are available at all price points. Beyond the basics (cost for berths and the potential cost for meeting space, activities and shore excursions), planners need to review the line’s policies, and any associated surcharges, for private events such as dinners and cocktail receptions. In addition, unlike hotels, cruise lines tend to have strict cancellation policies, so it’s wise for planners to understand the penalties in advance. The value per berth is higher than the value of a hotel room because it includes meals and some onboard activities, so planners have strong negotiating power for concessions; negotiable points include rates, amenities, upgrades and onboard credits.

Business facilities. It’s important for planners to know exactly what will be required during their meeting at sea and to check ahead to ensure they’ll have what they need. “Plan everything up front,” said Averill. “Once at sea it may be difficult to obtain items that we may otherwise take for granted when operating a land program.” Cruise lines will often convert any appropriate available space for business use, so planners shouldn’t write off a potential ship because it appears there aren’t adequate business facilities.

A Disney ship dwarfs the port at Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line’s private island in the Bahamas. The Disney Magic and Disney Wonder have numerous theaters and clubs that provide the perfect setting for meetings. The Disney Wonder also features a dedicated conference center. Photo courtesy of Disney Cruise Line

Eco-friendly practices. Cruise lines used to have a reputation as public polluters, but times have changed, and more and more lines are embracing eco practices. It’s not unusual to find that a line has special sensitivity training for employees, onboard recycling and green programs for cruisers, eco-friendly shore excursions, and policies on the proper handling and disposal of toxic materials. Carnival, Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea and Windstar are all CLIA members who have pledged to incorporate environmental policies.

Departure point. Travel is easier and less expensive with a local departure point, and attendees are often more comfortable getting to a place like Miami, Los Angeles or Seattle than some far-away destination that crosses multiple time zones and includes several lay-overs. CLIA reports that the top cruise destinations are the Caribbean/Eastern Mexico and Alaska, which means a local departure point for U.S.-based companies works well for both getting attendees to the cruise and then ensuring attendees are happy with the cruise itself. If possible, choose a departure point that’s close to the office. “We picked a port that was just four or five hours away,” said Belmont.

Attendees aboard Crystal Cruises can stay on top of their games with instruction from a PGA professional. Clubs and balls are provided for practice on a putting green and driving range nets. Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises

Attendee questions. There will certainly be more questions from attendees about a cruise than a meeting in a hotel. People will want to know what to do if they get seasick, whether wireless Internet is available, even if they’ll be able to call home. “Face the animal and address it head-on,” said Wallack.Planners should work with the cruise line to get an idea of typical first-time cruiser concerns and should prepare a document for attendees that answers common questions before they are asked. In addition, planners should talk up the positives: namely all the choice and fun attendees will have. “We’ve done cruises in the past for our incentive trips and they are always well received because it affords travelers a great deal of flexibility and options,” said Davis. “You don’t have to worry about the diversity of people’s likes and dislikes. They can enjoy a dance club until 3 a.m., enjoy the casino or take in a show. It’s their choice.”

Flexibility. Cruise lines are not glorified ferries, and as such, there are certain rules and regulations for passengers getting on and off the ship. Planners should do some research beforehand if they will be having high-level executives or speakers board the ship in one port and disembark mid-cruise. Due to cabotage laws, there are regulations that must be followed, so it’s wise to check before making assumptions.

Bottom line. Planners should remember their sea legs. “I always say, don’t reinvent the wheel,” said Averill. “Don’t plan a cruise meeting like a land program. Let the attendees experience the cruise as they would if they were cruising on their own. Operating a cruise program is relatively easy.”

In addition to personal time — when attendees can enjoy the benefits of cruising on their own terms —planners should also schedule group time away from the conference room, such as a private theme party or banquet, but they should be careful not to over-schedule attendees. “There’s no need for nightly cocktail parties,” said Wallack.

Finally, there’s just one more thing for planners to remember when coordinating a meeting or event at sea. “Don’t over-think it, and go with the flow,” said Wallack.

And that piece of advice is something planners can take both figuratively and literally. Bon voyage!    C&IT