As promised in my last BLOG, coming to you from the Cruise360 event, April 2015, here you go:
Educational classes abound at Cruise360 every year to help build your own Travel Agency business and continue working on accreditation classes through CLIA. Having attained both the “Accredited Cruise Counselor – ACC” and “Master Cruise Counselor – MCC” titles and utilizing various techniques in selling and organizing groups, I’m presently working on the “Elite Cruise Counselor – ECC” certification. What better way to stay tuned in and turned on to cruise happenings.
There were around 1300+ travel professionals who attended the Cruise360 event this year at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. As always it was a time of sharing, a time of learning, a time of laughter and fun while gaining knowledge in the cruise arena. Everyone wore a name tag with a bar code that was scanned each time you entered a classroom, enabling you to add points for the accreditations mentioned above. At least 6 one-week cruises (one given by each of the following lines: Carnival, Costa, Cunard, Holland America, Princess and
Seabourn) were given away in one of the sessions where I personally won a GoPro Camera! Missed the free cruise just barely – but maybe next year!
Entertainment such as you would see on a cruise ship made the Trade Show fun! It is totally amazing what all is being put in place on ships in the way of entertainment plus, plus, plus!
Here you will see a schedule of events. Obviously it is “power packed” from beginning to end. For all you travel professionals out there interested in cruising, this meeting will definitely add a LOT to your qualifications in meetings and ship inspections that happen within one week’s time. It’s definitely a good investment in your future selling cruises. Three of us shared a hotel room, cutting costs considerably and definitely makes the week more interesting and FUN. Who knew 3 women could get off to an 8:00 am meeting on time? Electrical power strips do wonders!!!
One of the highlights of the event is always getting to do Ship Inspections on various cruise lines. This year I am going to acquaint you with one of the brand new Princess Cruise Lines ships – the Royal Princess and her sister ship – the Regal Princess.
What’s not to like about pulling up at a cruise port, being escorted on a cruise ship as VIPs, having time to check out and photograph various categories of cabins on the ship, having time to visit the spa & children’s programs & various bars and swimming pools, then being served lunch in the dining room to check out the food?
Now you know why I “cruise to live and live to cruise”! You know how some folks will get to say Norway and say “Don’t you just feel like you BELONG here?” That’s exactly what happens when I climb on-board a ship.
Both the Royal and Regal have “sea walks” that jut out over the ocean so you can walk around while watching the ocean waves below, life boats safely attached alongside the ship, decks below where people are enjoying their balconies, etc etc etc. I tried taking a “selfie” video (not so good), but a crew member did come along and demonstrate jumping up and down on the plexi-glass walkway. It seems all the crew are having fun on the Princess ships. And even if they are not having so much fun on a long workday they are still pleasant and FUN, taking good care of cruisers such as myself.
The “Piazza” on the Princess line is always spectacular —- a place to lounge, to enjoy entertainment, to meet friends, to relax with a specialty coffee, a mixed drink or glass of wine, a piece of sushi or to meet friends prior to going onshore or meeting up for dinner. Shops are open during cruising and most are commonly busy with excited shoppers finding bargains.
On Princess ships the “party package” isn’t the first thing you see when you board, but definitely available if you want to partake. Children’s programs are readily available and linked to 3 different age groups called “Pelicans” “Shockwaves” and “Remix”.
So what do you think folks? Ready to cruise on a Balcony like this?
Ready to attend CLIA’s Cruise360 event and have some FUN like these photos show? How about next year in Vancouver, Canada?
Contact me today at: CLMPeace01@gmail.com or 970-396-8253 for more information as to how YOU and I can become business partners! We are definitely SURGING into the future, and GETTING PAID TO CRUISE is half the Fun!
Happy Cruising Everyone!