Cruises close to home offer small groups an affordable and entertaining meeting option
By Marc Boisclair
Most planners think of cruises as something well beyond the reach of their attendees’ time, travel and budgetary limits. And it’s certainly true that a week-long sail around Australia, South America or the Mediterranean will involve some big bucks. But there are a surprising number of group cruise options closer to home that are worthy of consideration – both for their uniqueness as a meeting destination and as a memorable pre/post experience for attendees and their families.
In many cases these trips include food, meeting and function space, and even shore excursions as part of the package deal. And depending on the itinerary, attendees could find themselves departing from ports with relatively easy and affordable air access. One simply needs to explore the cruise universe to discover the many options available.
A ‘Self-Contained Resort’
“Cruising is very convenient because you basically have a self-contained floating resort, all right there and on your own,” says Vance Gulliksen, Public Relations Manager for Carnival Cruise Lines. “It’s also a very affordable experience because the bulk of the costs are included right in the cruise price itself.”
Indeed, while there’s a convenience and economy associated with having food and guestrooms built in, it doesn’t necessarily mean that attendees are tethered to the ship and its catering services. “On land, at a hotel meeting, you’re paying based on consumption,” says Ron Gulaskey, Celebrity Cruise Line’s Director of Corporate Sales and Charters. “On a ship you have a variety of options for dining. You can still be with your group, but you’re not forced to sit with them. You can eat somewhere on shore, of course. But a lot of people come back at lunchtime just to save on out -of-pocket expenses.”
Work and function space can also be negotiated into a cruise package. “Our newer ships all have dedicated meeting space, and we’re refurbishing our existing ships to add conference centers,” says Carnival’s Gulliksen. Also, Carnival and other major lines can usually reserve a ship’s public rooms and lounges (given sufficient advance notice) for events accommodating up to several hundred people, depending on the vessel. “A lot of times people will hold an event on board, and those public spaces can double for meeting or function space if they’re not already being used,” says Gulliksen. “We also have group coordinators on every ship and all the A/V equipment you would need, just like any other land-based venue, as well as on-board training opportunities with Carnival University.”
Entertainment can also be built in as part of the big picture. “We have a lot of charter trips for church groups, and the entertainment will mingle with the guests on board as well,” says Celebrity’s Gulaskey. And with cruises that are business meetings, there’s the opportunity to write off a significant part of the expense – perhaps as much as $2,000, which is pretty substantial for most SMERF groups.
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Made in the USA
Working the business angle is certainly a major factor in swaying any planner to opt for a cruise meeting. But for attendees, the hook is the cruise itself. Cities such as New York, Miami, Charleston and San Diego, top-flight meeting destinations in their own right, suddenly become part of a multi-port itinerary that attendees might never get to visit otherwise. Moreover, with food costs and gas prices soaring, a cruise-related meeting provides an alluring alternative for attendees in search of a unique “staycation,” allowing them to bring along their families yet remain close to home. That, along with the chance to visit exciting U.S. destinations, can help planners boost attendance.
“The fraternal and alumni groups are used to the Celebrity brand, and the cruise becomes an incentive of sorts,” says Gulaskey. “When the trip is announced it gets talked up on blogs and e-mails, and attendees usually bring along a lot family. That helps fill up the ship, and they develop a real comradery with the crew.” Celebrity’s North America itineraries also tend to draw group business, especially on its East Coast and Canada cruises, which run from New York up along the Rhode Island and Maine coasts and into the Canadian Maritime provinces. “We get a lot of Midwesterners who do that cruise,” says Gulaskey. “They want to see the fall foliage and get a sample of New England. But if you drive you might just see one port or one state, and the trip would take forever.”
Carnival also traverses the U.S. Coastline with cruises that include several Florida ports, plus Norfolk and Charleston on the East Coast, Mobile and New Orleans on the Gulf, and Long Beach and San Diego in California. Majestic America Line takes the cruise concept to another level via its riverboat itineraries on the Mississippi River and in the Pacific Northwest. “We get a lot of college alumni and religious groups who may have come individually on one our public cruises and decided to bring their group along,” says Vanessa Bloy, Majestic America’s Director of Public Relations.
Among the Seattle-based operator’s more popular excursions are leisurely trips along the Columbia and Snake rivers out of Portland, OR, accommodating up to 200 people with a package deal that includes rooms, food and shore excursions that take in the art, history, culture and ecology of Lewis and Clark country. Majestic America’s Heartland cruises along the Mississippi, Cumberland and Ohio rivers also run deep in history, from Mark Twain to the Civil War. “We have a group sales manager and will work with any group on special menus or shore excursions and incorporate that into the cruise pricing itself,” adds Bloy.
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Closer to Nature
More intimate and outdoorsy still are Abercrombie & Kent’s American West rafting trips, which can accommodate up to 20 for adventurous-albeit-comfortable trips (Class II-III rapids) along Utah’s Green River and through Majestic Canyon Country. “It’s a trip that appeals to all generations in families, with history and ecology playing a large role,” says Claudia Worth, A&K’s Manager of Special Interest Groups. The food is fresh; the scenery and wildlife spectacular; and the sleeping tents roomy and comfortable.
“It’s often a bonding experience for the attendees as well, who go on eco-hikes, visit deserted homesteads (e.g., Butch Cassidy’s famed Rock Creek Ranch) and dine along the river bank by candlelight,” says Worth.
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For More Information on Group Cruise Options…
Celebrity Cruises
(800) 437-4111
http://www.celebritycruises.com
Carnival Cruise Lines
(866) 721-3225
http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/travel_group.aspx
Majestic America Line
(800) 358-8854
http://www.majesticamericaline.com
Abercrombie & Kent
(800) 554-7016
http://www.abercrombiekent.com
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