What’s In This Issue:
- From the Bridge–CLIA President and CEO Terry Dale touts CLIA Institute training.
- Cruising in the News -The International Council of Cruise Lines and Conservation International ink pact to team on ocean protection…Homeland Cruising - and regional homeport activity - continue to grow.
- Maximizing Membership Benefits – Silversea Cruises’ David Morris outlines ultra-luxury market opportunities.
- Learn More to Earn More – CLIA’s ACD Program arrives in Brooklyn.
- Member Spotlight – CLIA Agent Q&A with Laurie Barton , ACC, Destinations Travel Service of Warsaw, Indiana.
- We Thought You Should Know –The Port of Houston prepares for cruises to Cuba.
April 2004
From The Bridge
Greetings!
The American poet Elinor Wiley described spring as “briefer than an apple-blossom’s breath.” She wrote those words many years ago, but they’re still true today.
While spring has arrived (at least according to the calendar), we all know it won’t be too long before the summer vacation season begins. That means springtime is the optimum season for travel professionals to prepare for summer, the busiest, most robust travel period of the year. So as with everything else in life, we must act quickly to avoid missing out on a good thing.
The same approach applies to CLIA’s Institute training program. Slated for May 5 to 9, 2004 at the Downtown Hyatt Regency hotel in Miami, Fla., the CLIA Institute is quite honestly the best opportunity for travel professionals to efficiently and effectively learn to sell cruise vacations and manage a successful travel agency business.
The CLIA Institute is offered in association with the University of Miami. The program offers high-caliber, in-classroom training combined with valuable, hands-on instruction through ship inspections. Agents who successfully complete all CLIA Institute course work offered on May 6 and 7 will earn 50 credits.
If you attend as many as three elective courses at the Institute, you’ll earn another 45 credits. You’ll also participate in hosted ship inspections in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
In all, the CLIA Institute offers attendees the chance to earn over 100 certification credits. Agents can apply these credits to their Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC) elective training or Master Cruise Counsellor (MCC) mandatory training credits. I’m sure anyone who’s eager to improve their cruise-selling skills or who wants to do a better job of running their agency can’t afford to pass on this special spring program.
Don’t miss out on a good thing. Register today for CLIA Institute training. For more information, log onto CLIA’s Web site at www.cruising.org.
Bon Voyage!
Terry L. Dale
President & CEO
CLIA
Conservation International – In an initiative to protect the ocean waters and destinations where cruise ships visit, the cruise line members of the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL) recently launched the Ocean Conservation and Tourism Alliance (OCTA) with the environmental organization Conservation International (www.conservation.org).This joint initiative focuses on protecting top cruise destinations’ biodiversity and promoting industry best practices to minimize cruising's environmental impact.
As a first step in the initiative, a science panel is currently examining cruise ship wastewater practices and technologies and will provide recommendations to keep the world’s oceans healthy for generations of cruise passengers to enjoy. The science panel is chaired by “Her Deepness” Dr. Sylvia Earle, a world-record holder for deepest solo dive, Time Magazine’s first “Hero for the Planet” and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. For more information about OCTA, please visit www.celb.org.
The surge in“Homeland”cruise itineraries i.e., roundtrip departures from North American cities within driving distance of large population centers, is cruising’s hottest trend, affecting not only itinerary planning but municipal port development around the country. Several North American cities are working feverishly to upgrade – and in some cases create –passenger facilities to accommodate the Homeland boom.
San Diego is among the cities benefiting from its own diverse attractions, plus excellent transportation links and proximity to vacation attractions in coastal Mexico, to become an important departure port for Mexican Riviera and Panama Canal cruises. After years as little more than a blip on the cruise map, San Diego’s ship calls are expected to grow from 126 last year to 197 this year, with passengers climbing 93% from 279,000 to 400,000 in the same period.
More growth is expected. One prominent industry consultant predicts the economic impact of San Diego’s cruise business could nearly triple to $379 million by 2017. Still, the city’s cruise infrastructure remains a work in progress, with antiquated facilities that mirror conditions in some other “new” homeport cities. For example, San Diego’s cruise terminal, located on the 1,000 foot-long B Street Pier, was built in 1925 and does not have heating or air-conditioning.
“Right now we can handle the ships that port here, but we don’t have much room for expansion,” Marketing Director Rita Vandergaw told the San Diego Union-Tribune recently. The port will soon examine solutions including a plan for a $70 million facility, including a new terminal.
Some new homeport cities are now reaping the benefits of earlier investments. In Seattle, one of the earliest “homeland” ports, cruise-passenger totals exploded between 1999 and 2003, from 6,000 in to 345,000, according to Port of Seattle spokesman Mick Schultz. Seattle opened its $38 million Bell Street Pier in May 2001. The facility includes a conference center and adjacent office, retail and hotel space.
“We didn’t just build a terminal,” said Schultz. We built a centerpiece for an entire neighborhood.”
Realizing Your Agency’s Luxury Market Potentialby David Morris, Senior Vice President of North American Sales, Silversea Cruises
Cruising’s luxury category consistently produces high levels of guest satisfaction as well as sizeable commission opportunities for agents, and many agencies have clients who fit the luxury-cruise profile. Unfortunately, just as many agencies don’t have a well-planned strategy for success in the luxury cruise market.
Success in cruising’s high-end market is inexorably linked to service and value. Like all consumers, luxury vacationers will seek out the best price. But this group is still far more interested in receiving a high level of service and value than in finding the lowest rate.
Such discriminating guests expect an agent to not only book their vacation, but also- as a matter of course – offer a wide variety of options that will significantly enhance the vacation’s value. Indeed, luxury cruisers will spend significant sums if they feel all of their vacation needs are being addressed.
Agents selling luxury cruises must add land, nights and value – all to create a customized product with lots of room for flourishes. For example, if your clients are planning a sailing through the British Isles, suggest a few extra nights in London, Paris or Brussels with a romantic rail trip that includes a trip through the Channel Tunnel. Clients traveling to the Far East, on the other hand, might leap at the chance to spend a few extra days aboard the historic Orient Express.
You can also opt for simpler strategies that will enhance the value of any cruise. Limousine transfers to and from airports and business-class or first-class air transportation, for example, are recognized perks. Or, arrange a car and driver in an exotic port and provide your client with tickets to cultural attractions, museums or theaters, plus a guidebook to the best restaurants.
The present time couldn’t be better to offer your luxury clients comprehensive, feature-rich cruise vacation packages. After avoiding far-flung international destinations for nearly two years, cruisers are once again setting their sights on distant shores, particularly in Europe.
Furthermore, the poor euro-dollar exchange also means the controlled expense of a European cruise vacation represent a tremendous value for clients when compared with the individual costs for food, lodging and entertainment of a land-based vacation in Europe. At Silversea, our “all-inclusive” policy also means your clients will receive even greater value while aboard.
Groups are also staples of the luxury category. Agents who sell group bookings also qualify for an advantageous rate that can be used to pay for extras that enhance the package’s value. Agents interested in developing group business should:
Form alliances with luxury partners in your hometown or region, including car dealerships, upscale clothing stores, restaurants and spas.
Market food and wine cruises to local upscale restaurants and have a local chef promote the sailing.
Meet with a classical radio station to offer its programmers a free cruise in lieu of promotional considerations if your group is based on classical music appreciation.
Market golf theme cruises to local golf and country clubs.
Promote directly to consumers through functions that encourage face-to-face contact, including cruise nights sponsored by the line.
Luxury cruises are the perfect platform for add-ons of all types. Contact your cruise-line representative to learn more about how you can create customized, luxury-market cruise vacation packages.
CLIA’s ACD Program is a Hit at Brooklyn’s Kingsborough Community College
Brooklyn's Marty Markowitz and Terry Dale CLIA is always seeking new and innovative ways to support cruise sellers, and this year has launched several programs designed to enhance the value and profitability of its member agencies while also training and educating the cruise-selling travel agents of the future. Several CLIA initiatives, including the online training and I.D. card programs, have been extremely popular with travel agents.
Perhaps the most successful of CLIA’s recent training initiatives, however, is the Associate Cruise Degree (ACD) program, which provides CLIA classroom instruction to students enrolled in learning centers approved by CLIA. The program is available to universities, colleges and proprietary schools in the U.S., Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
CLIA’s ACD program recently traveled to Kingsborough Community College (KCC) in Brooklyn, N.Y., where local dignitaries joined Terry L. Dale, CLIA’s president, in celebrating the program’s launch at the 72-acre campus on Brooklyn’s southern shore. KCC’s ACD program is being co-sponsored by the school’s department of Tourism and Hospitality, which is led by Dr. Stuart Schulman.
CLIA’s ACD program is an outright hit at KCC. The program has already registered 50 students since its launch in March, and dozens of students have been placed on waiting lists due to strong demand for the course. Meanwhile, the program’s success in Brooklyn has generated so much attention that several other schools have contacted CLIA to inquire about hosting ACD programs.
The KCC educators are big fans of the ACD program. “With this, we can train [people] for jobs with decent salaries in which they can obtain immediate employment after graduation,” said Malamet. “Kingsborough, like many community colleges throughout the nation, is meeting the demands for job re-training due to an uncertain economy.”
CLIA’s ACD curriculum consists of five classroom programs, each worth 15 credits over a one-week period. The programs are “Cruise Vacations – An Introduction,” “Power Selling Techniques,” “Cruising – Knowing the World You Sell,” “Principles of Professional Selling” and “Psychology of Selling.” Students who attend all of the seminars earn an additional five credits, giving the program a value of 80 credits.
Practicing travel agents can also earn credits toward certification in CLIA’s Associate Cruise Counsellor (ACC), Master Cruise Counsellor (MCC) and Elite Cruise Counsellor (ECC) programs by attending ACD courses. As part of the program, CLIA invites local agents to attend ACD seminars in each area where they’re offered. Agents who attend not only earn ACC, MCC and ECC credits, but can also network with potential future employees.
“Our industry always benefits from well-trained travel sellers,” said Dale. “Most of our ships are going out at 95% to 99% full and every month, new ships are being built and launched. We need help to develop the best and the brightest people and to keep them.”
The KCC campus borders the same shoreline that could one day be the site of Brooklyn’s first cruise-ship facility. New York City’s Economic Development Corp. is negotiationing with several cruise lines to build a Brooklyn cruise terminal capable of accommodating the largest cruise ships. KCC’s ACD program will prepare Brooklynites for travel agency and cruise-industry jobs that the project will create, said Markowitz .
“We have a chance with the cruise industry to use the waterfront to create new jobs for many Brooklynites,” said Markowitz. “Soon with a little luck, Atlantic Avenue will be the site of a new cruise terminal. Brooklynites will be able to throw their luggage on a ship and before they know it arrive in the Caribbean or England.”
Besides the jobs a new cruise terminal would bring to his constituents, the sight of cruise ships moored along Brooklyn’s shores would warm Markowitz’ heart for another reason: he’s an avid cruise fan. “I am the typical person who takes a cruise, not some suntanned, suave, movie-star lookalike,” he joked.
Agent Associate Program Extends Valuable CLIA Training to Independent AgentsThe ever-expanding universe of “independent” travel retailers – agents who work as individual, “outside” or as independent contractors for one or more groups – have long found it difficult to obtain the training, services and benefits they need from established industry organizations.
CLIA recognizes the value of independent agents. In fact, CLIA is offering a complete program of services and benefits designed specifically to bring the individual agents of CLIA-member agencies into the loop. CLIA’s 2004 Travel Agent Associate Program will provide independent and outside travel agents with e-mail news, promotional announcements and updates from CLIA, its member lines and its industry partners.
Agents who enroll in the program will also be listed in CLIA’s Cruise Expert Locator service (found at (www.cruising.org), which directs prospects to local CLIA-member travel agencies through zip-code searches. Consumers who use the Cruise Expert Locator receive listings that feature the Associate’s contact information and reference the CLIA-member agency with which the individual agent is affiliated.
Agent Associates are not issued a CLIA identification number under the new program, as ID numbers remain reserved for CLIA’s travel agency membership category. However CLIA-member agency owners and managers whose affiliated agents enroll in the Agent Associate program will receive direct notification from CLIA.
To qualify for the Associate program, agents must be affiliated with a CLIA-member agency in good standing. For an annual fee of $99, agents receive:
Recognition by CLIA and its member cruise lines.
A kit featuring a CLIA Agent Associate certificate; a coupon for a free CLIA online training program; a coupon for a free CLIA training seminar; CLIA’s “Selling Cruises as a Home-Based Agent” training video; 10 “Cruising Q&A” brochures with a coupon for another 50; access to the member area of CLIA’s Web site; and CLIA’s 2004 Cruise Manual, reference guides, marketing tools, CD-Rom, stickers, and training and promotional tools catalog.
Ongoing CLIA and cruise-industry communications concerning programs, training opportunities, news and announcements and promotional messages.
Local cruise prospect referral via CLIA’s Cruise Expert Locator.
Agent Associate enrollment will be accepted pending host agency CLIA membership renewal. The Agent Associate “dues year” is a 12-month period from March 2004 through March 14, 2005. Enrollment applications will be available at the Travel Agent Center on CLIA’s Web site or via CLIA’s Fax by Phone service at 1-800-372-CLIA (2542).
Laurie Barton, ACC, Destinations Travel Service, Warsaw, Ind.Throughout the year, CLIA’s E-Newsletter will speak with frontline cruise sellers to ask about the challenges in their markets and programs that have helped them sell cruises. Today’s guest agent is Laurie Barton of Destinations Travel Service, a storefront agency in downtown Warsaw.
Q:There has been a lot of positive news from cruise industry executives and analysts recently about the strong “Wave” period results. What have you seen in your marketplace?
LB: “We do have quite a few more people coming in, although not as many as I’d like to see. I’d really like to do more group business. But overall, we’re doing great. Things got scary after Sept. 11, but now we’re doing exceptionally well.”
Q:What kinds of challenges do you face in your marketplace?
LB: “We have to educate folks quite a bit; we do a lot of qualifying of customers. Our community is small and not familiar with cruising. I start a lot of new clients on shorter cruises to get their feet wet and they usually come back for longer voyages. We’ve done some joint promotions with our local theater that have worked, and luckily there aren’t too many other travel agencies in Warsaw.”
Q:Are you worried by competition from Internet-based travel agencies?
LB: “Internet discounts drive me crazy, but you’ve got to get over it. The Internet has actually educated folks about travel and in that way has helped us. You have to sell yourself and your expertise. I have to think that the majority of intelligent people will find your knowledge is worth paying for.”
Q: Cruising from regional homeports are one of the industry’s hottest trends. Have you been able to take advantage?
LB: “It’s a big trend, but it hasn’t been a factor in our market [Indiana]. Our clients are still going to fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale.”
Q: How has becoming a CLIA ACC helped you sell cruises successfully?
LB: “Each time I go to a CLIA class I learn something. I earned my ACC two years ago and I’m currently going for my MCC. I’ve particularly enjoyed the geography courses. I just want to know as much as I can about ships and cruising, and I wouldn’t have known half as much as I do without CLIA training. I wouldn’t keep coming back if I wasn’t getting something out of it.”
Q: What has been, for you, the most satisfying aspect of selling cruise vacations?
LB: One of the things I love about the cruise business is that it changes every day. Things change so fast that it’s hard to keep track! It’s a constant challenge, that’s why I love it.”
Officials at the Port of Houston in Texas are hoping to get a head start on the future: the state’s port authority chairman recently said port officials want Houston to be the top departure point for Americans sailing to Cuba when U.S. restrictions on travel to the island end.“I suspect that when everything opens up, a lot of cruise lines will want to come here,” said James Edmonds, the port commission’s chairman. Perhaps anticipating some competition from Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades, currently the country’s top cruise departure ports, Edmonds predicted, “It will be a great race.”
What’s less certain is when travel restrictions to Cuba will be lifted. Most trade and travel to Cuba are prohibited under decades-old U.S. laws aimed at toppling Cuban leader Fidel Castro. U.S. Congress members have unsuccessfully sought to have the ban lifted in recent years, and President Bush’s administration has recently tightened restrictions.
But Edmonds isn’t deterred. While awaiting a change in U.S. policy, he has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuban officials aimed at increasing the use of the Houston port for shipments of American farm goods to the island, which are not prohibited under the law.
