Corporate Travel Destinations

Many companies and large corporations use cruise meetings effectively, but they closely guard some of their secrets. Here are three easy ways to get far more mileage out of a cruise:

1. Start by signing up for a corporate credit card with the cruise company if they have one. Most corporate credit cards in this class are surprisingly reasonable when it comes to fees and terms, and almost all of them yield useful travel-related rewards.
2. Plan ahead. Remember that a ship at sea is difficult and expensive to resupply so plan for banquets and other special events ahead of time and give the chef in charge of catering ample warning before leaving port. It may take a week or more to get good deals on vegetables or meats.
3. Note that it never hurts to ask, even when it comes to using public spaces. Want to host a meeting on the aft shuffleboard lobby? Ask! Want to book the spinning room or yoga center for a pre- or post-meeting event? Go for it! Want to host a meeting in the spinning room? That can almost certainly be arranged too if you ask in advance.

The sky really is the limit on a cruise ship when it comes to accommodating customers, especially corporate and business clients. Be sure to make requests in advance and you can be surprised how accommodating cruise liners and their staffs can be.

While smaller meetings and events on cruise ships are all well and good, there is another option that is actually even better for those who truly have a need: chartering and/or buy-outs.  Ship charters are surprisingly affordable, as it gives the cruise company a chance to earn their overhead without spending as much on marketing, but there is so much more to consider:

• Some meetings need to be secretive by nature, and buy-outs/chartering ensures that none of the other passengers might be eavesdropping. On the other hand, companies that host cruise meetings where others can see them might not only seem more open and honest, but they may seem more attractive to investors.
• A buy-out of all cabins on an existing cruise ensures complete access to all facilities at all hours. In short, you are calling just about all of the shots save for the course. Even then, the captain of the ship might be amenable to arranging longer stays in Port A and skipping Port B.
• Complete concierge services is also typically available on charters. This should be no surprise since the concierge usually serves the guests. Since all the guests are your invitees, all you have to do is kick back and relax and let someone else sort out their problems.
• There are big and small charter cruise ships available. Do not worry if all you have are a hundred or so participants as there are smaller cruise ships that are ideal for the task at hand. Even a smaller cruise ship is still an enormous floating meeting and entertainment facility.

While organizing an meeting at sea for your next corporate travel destination, you may choose to take into consideration the prospect of including a stop on a private island as part of your tour. Some cruise lines now offer ports of call to private islands, usually in the Caribbean, as a portion of their cruise itinerary. Despite the fact that the cost of food, beverages, water sports equipment and other items will generally always cost more on a private island than they would at a conventional stop for an onshore excursion while in port, there are many good advantages to selecting cruise lines that include destinations at private islands.

Private islands may at times be populated with other vacationers, but they are not full with con artists or pickpockets, as are some public beaches, which delivers a more enjoyable setting for your attendees. Security is always there to safeguard that visitors will have no qualms about being mugged or having their belongings taken if they turn their backs, and your attendees can rest assured that the beaches will be impeccably clean and always pristine. Banana boat rides, scuba diving, snorkeling, massage and spa services, beverage bars and cafes are common features on private islands, making them an excellent pick for day-long beach entertainment, and possibly even organized events, depending on what type of agreement you can negotiate with the cruise company.

A cruise meeting is one of the most excellent ideas if you really want to motivate employees. Your meeting attendees will never forget the delight of stopping at several alluring destinations and just unpacking one time. Additionally to increasing attendance, incentives like an all inclusive incentive cruise will be much easier on the incentive travel budget, too.

Cruise meetings can save up to 40 percent over a land-based hotel venue, and extend fabulous onboard facilities and dining choices. Also, cruise ships are now being designed with meetings in mind, e.G. Dedicated meeting facilities, cutting-edge technology, flexible public spaces and roomy theaters that can often accommodate as many as 1,600 people. With most cruise lines, conference space and A/V equipment are complimentary, and the dedicated meeting facilities extend groups more privacy and technology.

Venues like a cruise ship's fabulous show lounges, comedy clubs, and culinary centers can stimulate creative thinking and team building. And there is no shortage of fun activities and challenging sports facilities for your incentive group to take part in between meetings, offering tons of motivational appeal (and bragging rights) for event participants of every age.

An all inclusive incentive cruise can save you up to 40% compared to hotel venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.

While organizing an meeting at sea for your next corporate travel destination, you may choose to take into consideration the prospect of including a stop on a private island as part of your tour. Some cruise lines now offer ports of call to private islands, usually in the Caribbean, as a portion of their cruise itinerary. Despite the fact that the cost of food, beverages, water sports equipment and other items will generally always cost more on a private island than they would at a conventional stop for an onshore excursion while in port, there are many good advantages to selecting cruise lines that include destinations at private islands.

Private islands may at times be populated with other vacationers, but they are not full with con artists or pickpockets, as are some public beaches, which delivers a more enjoyable setting for your attendees. Security is always there to safeguard that visitors will have no qualms about being mugged or having their belongings taken if they turn their backs, and your attendees can rest assured that the beaches will be impeccably clean and always pristine. Banana boat rides, scuba diving, snorkeling, massage and spa services, beverage bars and cafes are common features on private islands, making them an excellent pick for day-long beach entertainment, and possibly even organized events, depending on what type of agreement you can negotiate with the cruise company.

A cruise meeting is one of the most excellent ideas if you really want to motivate employees. Your meeting attendees will never forget the delight of stopping at several alluring destinations and just unpacking one time. Additionally to increasing attendance, incentives like an all inclusive incentive cruise will be much easier on the incentive travel budget, too.

Cruise meetings can save up to 40 percent over a land-based hotel venue, and extend fabulous onboard facilities and dining choices. Also, cruise ships are now being designed with meetings in mind, e.G. Dedicated meeting facilities, cutting-edge technology, flexible public spaces and roomy theaters that can often accommodate as many as 1,600 people. With most cruise lines, conference space and A/V equipment are complimentary, and the dedicated meeting facilities extend groups more privacy and technology.

Venues like a cruise ship's fabulous show lounges, comedy clubs, and culinary centers can stimulate creative thinking and team building. And there is no shortage of fun activities and challenging sports facilities for your incentive group to take part in between meetings, offering tons of motivational appeal (and bragging rights) for event participants of every age.

An all inclusive incentive cruise can save you up to 40% compared to hotel venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.