A compendium of great ideas for individuals and groups:
1. Community Appreciation fares are sometimes extended by a cruise line that offers them to teachers, firefighters, police officers, hospital volunteers…the offers vary. Also, the military including coast guard, national guard and reservists. It’s an excellent opportunity for teachers who are the ones most likely to be able to take advantage of the longer cruises during summer vacation. Five star dining is included in the price, of course,
2. 501c Fundraising…why did that catch my eye? Well, I accidentally volunteered and became Chairman of a fundraising auction benefitting a local school for a couple years. I came to understand just how much work it is and how vital these funds are. No one ever said you can’t have fun doing it though! There are a few different ways of doing it…but the bottom line is you are raising money for your 501c without having to do too much—we get it done for you.
3. Here’s a hint for those who have a business…say your partner in life has a real estate business and is trying to figure out how to get listings in this busy market. We can certainly help out with that idea…an incentive cruise voucher which allows you to offer this voucher to a person who enlists your service, buys your product, whatever you are trying to market. It is low cost with a lot of different options so you can tailor it to fit your budget. You are advertising anyway…here is something that is appealing to that client and can cost less than your advertising!
4. You like the idea of cruising for free…how can you do it? This is where getting a group together comes in…no, it doesn’t have to be a second job. I’ll give you a few ideas in the following paragraphs. So, you think you have a group and you call me-- we discuss a few details so we know the best method of pursuing this. No magic formula here, the travel industry changes every minute, so we look at what is available. There are amenities offered on some group sailings, more on some than others and this is due to whether a certain sailing is selling or needs a boost. So I do the research and make sure we get the most for the money, we set up a cruise night, and get ready to get going!
5. Okay, but where can you get a group? Just about anywhere. Say you love cooking…you have been attending a cooking class at the local night school. One night you come in, you say "hey! You know what? We could go on a cruise where they have the Culinary Arts Center. It’s set up like the ones you see on TV, and Chef Boyardee (just kidding) is going to be there. We’ll get to see him, have a wine tasting thrown in, plus we could swim with the dolphins. Anybody else want to go?"
6. Or, your church has been talking about the path St. Paul took. Hmmm…what about promoting a group for that and have it benefit the local food pantry or the church’s social service?
7. Or maybe instead of traveling on a floating resort, you’d rather see nature, up close and personal….how about Costa Rica on a small ship with a shallow draft which allows you to go just about anywhere…though you have a set itinerary, the captain will definitely stop for the awesome experience of whales “bubbling”, swimming in ever tighter circles to force the plankton into bubbles at the surface, an awesome sight.
8. I prefer to golf, you say. Okay, have we got some world class courses for you. Let’s face it, you probably can’t golf every course you’d like to in this world, but imagine being able to play Robert Trent Jones’ masterpiece at The Prince Course with a USGA rating of 75.3 and a 145 slope and 5 tees at each hole so you can set your own challenge. And you go back to the cruise ship for a fabulous dinner and maybe a massage in the spa since you had quite a workout today…and next you’ll saunter out to the Kauai Lagoons Golf Club Kiele Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and proud recipient of Golf Magazine’s Gold Medal Award. This vacation is hard work! But it’s worth it for you’ll have some substantial bragging rights. Or, you could promote a group and you could have your own tournament! Winner take all, but losers still had the trip of a lifetime…
9. Isn’t it about time you experienced the Mediterranean? Let’s weigh these statements: “I saw a Discovery Channel special about Kusadasi.” Or “Guess what I saw in Kusadasi?”
10. In this fast paced instant world you’ve lost some of the closeness with your family, be it the immediate one or the extended one. Wouldn’t it be amazing if for one week we could sit down at dinner each night and be served just about whatever we want to eat, don’t have to do the dishes, and we just talk about our day, our dreams. We do stuff together which after all is one of the reasons we had a family to begin with! It’s a new venue to talk and do, you are propelled out of the same old same old routine. Hey Lenee! We always have a family reunion but we’ve never gone on a cruise…do you have something that might work? Oh, yes I do. In fact I have several somethings.
11. You have a hobby…let’s say it is scrapbooking. And you are actually quite good, thank you very much, and you now teach night classes in how to tie dye rag paper which you have designed. So, we put together a group cruise and you would actually give a one hour seminar on sea days and give your students a little kit which they paid for along with their registration and cruise fare. You have enough students so you have earned a free berth. You give the seminars in a conference room aboard ship and perhaps you have gained some new students as well. Can you do that? Is that a possibility? Yup.
12. Or, your barbershop quartet doesn’t want to wait until the annual competition, and you know some other groups who would gladly engage in a little friendly sing-off. And wouldn’t it be cool if you could do so on stage? Can we do that? Yes.
13. And your son has a garage band and he is turning 21 next year. The band has a following and they’re hopeful about getting a recording contract, but meanwhile as a birthday present you’d like to provide the opportunity to your son to be on a stage in public while celebrating this momentous occasion. You know 21 is big, but you’d really like to be a part of it. Would it be possible to arrange for the band to go and perhaps invite their fans but have them pay for themselves? Absolutely possible.
14. And then there’s you…you say, well, I wrote a book about ecological systems and I have quite a following myself in the scientific community…enough so that I write a blog and get fan mail. It might be interesting to meet some of my correspondents, and I would sure like to go to the Galapagos especially if it was free. Is there a cruise there? Is that doable? Yes it is. And you say, good, because I’m thinking next year we could do the Antarctic. Yes, we could.
15. Hmmm, you say, the ocean sounds great but I would really like to see all the rivers in this world…do you have a river cruise for me? Sure…this year would you prefer the Yangtze River cruise, the Danube, or wine country in California?
16. You think well, I’m not the resort, pool, spa type…my interest runs to gardening and I’ll actually be making some sort of travel plans with my horticulture club. I bet you don’t have anything that would pique my interest Mmmm, how about this: Amsterdam, Volendam, Edam, Enkhuizen, Arnhem, Antwerp, Ghent, Zierikzee-Dordrecht, Keukenhog, and returning to Amsterdam. It’s Tulip Time! Special highlights are the folkloric dances, lectures, theme dinners, local festivities and onboard music performances. All your meals are included as is your daily sightseeing and a host of other goodies!
17. I’m not sure, you say, that my friends could go for a week…what about a 3 or 4 day cruise? Can I still do a group? Yes, you most certainly can! You still get entertainment, food, room service at no extra charge, exercise and fitness and activities that you would if you went for a week! It gives you the opportunity to sample the good life! We’re more than happy to set that up!
18. What about a honeymoon, or a wedding and a honeymoon on a cruise? Give us a call!
19. Class reunions? Sure!! How many people? A bunch? No problem, we can book your cruise, air, transfers, an overnight stay if you need one, special diet requests, handicapped stateroom, shore trips just let us know.
20. Well, you say, this year we were thinking about going to Puerto Vallarta, or Park City, Utah, or Peking, China, we’re not sure which yet but we want to fly, stay in a hotel, and see the sights….yes, we can put together a group for you there too! We’ll be happy to sift through the small print so you wind up with what you want. And yes, we can book you if there’s just 2 of you.
21. What about resorts like Sandals? Yes, we handle those too. We’ll tell you about the fabulous extras that are included and what you can look forward to. Did you know you can stay at one of the resorts and play at the others for no extra charge? Do you know about free scuba diving???
22. You say, I know I can get a group together and I like to travel a lot but what if I don’t know exactly when or where? Well, we can give you some great ideas based on your interests and let you know the good deals coming up. We get daily specials from the cruise lines, tour operators, etc.
23. You can give a gift certificate toward a cruise…or next time someone asks you “what do you want for your birthday?” you can have them give us a call and we’ll set them up with a certificate toward your next cruise.
24. You can plan that trip for next year and benefit from the great pricing. You can make a deposit now with final payment due about 75 days before you sail. (And you can still cancel before final payment with no penalties if you change your mind).
25. Once you have gone on a cruise, the loyalty programs offer special fares and incentives on certain sailings. Some past passenger programs are even valid on another cruise line! Whatever great deal you’re offered, we’ll sweeten it because you’re our past passenger too!
26. If you are a union member whose union is affiliated with the AFL-CIO. let us tell you about the Union Plus Benefit. We can book you with rates that are from 5-30% off sailings of NCL cruises. The beauty of this is it can be combined with other promotions. Cruise Planners, for example, is a member of the President’s Club so we get special promotions and when you put the two together, you have extra money left over for souvenirs for the family. How about cruising 7 days in the Hawaiian Islands visiting Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai with three times as much port time as any other ship sailing in Hawaii. Yes, it is possible due to Hawaiian legislation to protect jobs...call us and get ready to experience the spirit of Aloha!
27. What if I want to just go with my buddy—would you book that? Yes, of course, we look forward to it!!
