Corporate Travel Destinations

There are many different companies offering cruise meetings and cruise events, which means that consumers actually have a choice. This might not be immediately obvious as many people still consider cruise meetings to be an alternative meeting format. Despite this common misconception, there are a few things that one needs to consider when evaluating different cruise lines: What is their focus? Some cruise lines handle cruise meetings but have a focus on specific aspects or target audiences.

• Where do the cruises go? Not all cruise liners travel to all parts of the world. If certain locations are important then there is going to be a limitation placed on the available cruise lines to meet business needs. Fewer choices tends to drive price up.
• Do they charter? Some cruise lines offer chartering of small, medium, and even full-sized cruise liners for the right amount of money. Chartering cruise liners can actually be surprisingly affordable for businesses with the means, especially compared to the alternatives.
• What are the meeting facilities like? Most cruise liners have meeting facilities, though space is always at a premium aboard a vessel at sea. This means that larger meetings need to be held in dining halls, theaters, and other rooms. Sometimes this can be the perfect invitation for unique meeting formats, so be willing to be flexibile.

Who says corporate travel is all about jets, hotels, and airports? The world is a place where many modes of transportation and even different meeting venue styles vie for corporate business. Here are some lesser known corporate travel alternatives:

• Trains – Trains are an older form of transportation, but modern bullet trains are amazingly swift. These trains can be found throughout Europe, Asia, and are even becoming a popular alternative in the United States.
• Boats – Boats come in many shapes and sizes, but many boats are designed to at least appear to be culturally and/or historically significant. Traveling up a river in a modern-day steamboat is safe, quiet, and even offers corporate travelers a way to relax while getting a little business done en route.
• Ships – Some boats are big enough to be called ships. While the distinction between the two can be a little blurry at times, most corporate travel on ships tends to take place on cruise ships. Cruise events and cruise meetings are also understandably popular.

No matter which style of alternative corporate travel is selected, remember that the choice can be used to portray the company in a certain light to employees, the public, partners, suppliers, and virtually anyone else. How people in a company travel and work says a lot about that company, and where that company holds its meetings and events can be equally important.

Cruise events are all the rage, but not all companies are aware of signs that indicate that they might need to be considering a cruise event. Here are some signs that your company needs to consider cruise events:

• The competition is doing it – The fact is that all companies are viewed in relation to their peers. If one company starts to offer cruise events, they gain ground on the competition in a critical way. If your company is one of only a handful not offering cruise events, then the company may have a serious image problem in the making.
• The company has reached a plateau – Companies that have no competition, or no competition using cruise events, may still reach plateaus. These parabolas can be broken with cruise events that are well selected and executed.
• A recent PR problem still looms – Sometimes forgetting the past with a party or two is all it takes to set new wheels in motion, and there is no better way to start a PR blitz than with meetings and events held at sea.
• The company is breaking into a new market – Sometimes breaking down the walls requires a lot of momentum. Get that momentum started with a noteworthy cruise event.

There are many metaphorical closed doors in the business world. Worse, there are doors that are sealed tight. There are ways to open those doors, even those that seem sealed shut. One such way is to consider sending invitations to a cruise event. After all, requests for meetings and invitations to conferences can be ignored by many but few will turn down an invitation to travel on a cruise ship. In fact, most people would consider an invitation to travel aboard a cruise ship to be an honor. Here are a few points to consider:

• Most cruise ships are all inclusive – This means that a single price covers almost every a guest could want. Whether you are inviting all-star employees in an attempt to build morale, stubborn clients, potential clients, or intransigent suppliers, everyone invited to cruise events/meetings will feel like they are highly valued.
• Almost nobody can resist the opportunity to take a cruise – This is one of the main reasons why cruise events and meetings have such high attendance rates. Simply put, a hotel is possible for most people to resist.
• Special events can extended the irresistible nature of a cruise – most meeting and/or event planners are more than happy to schedule special events for members of a large group. Those that could resist a cruise might not be able to resist a cruise plus a little something extra.

One of the best benefits of having cruise events is that, well, they are cruise events! This means that everyone gets to have a great time and escape their daily grind, unless they happen to work on a cruise ship. Since the chances of that rare occurrence seem remote at best, the simple fact of the matter is that anyone attending cruise events is likely to be inspired. In fact, even those that are not invited along for the cruise event are likely to be inspired. Consider the following:

Partners and suppliers that meet key goals and are offered a limited number of cabins on cruise events are likely to value the business relationship in terms that are measured in more than just dollars and cents. This can be very valuable as globalization continues to cause long-term market readjustments that can allow for fierce competition from new adversaries overnight.

Employees can be inspired by the opportunity to travel on the company dime, especially when it involves cruise events and rubbing elbows with the top brass. The stories they tell when they get back are likely to prove inspirational in their own right.

Executives and top talent are likely to consider cruise events to be perks, even if a little work or a few meetings are involved.

When an organization is looking to make their cruise event really special, a meeting planner may want to consider a group ship charter. There are many types of ship charters from which a meeting planner may choose, and some come with higher-class amenities than others. Exquisite ship charters can offer deluxe sailing for incentive cruises and meetings at sea. There are many advantages that a premium ship charter can offer. For example, the services offered on a premium ship charter can save an organization a significant amount of money compared to services priced separately at land venues such as hotels and resorts.

Deluxe ship charters offer services such as a personal butler in each suite. Cruise event attendees will be stunned by and appreciative of such personalized care. Not only do these deluxe ship charters come with a personal butler and top-rated personalized services, but the majority of these suites also have private verandas. These superior accommodations will leave attendees breathless. Furthermore, meetings at sea can be held in meeting spaces with necessary audio/visual equipment. After meetings and before retiring for the night, attendees can dine in their choice of one of many gourmet restaurants. For the best in cruise events and meetings at sea, deluxe ship charters should be considered.

The first step in planning a group cruise is to determine either the time of year that the cruise needs to take place, or the preferred destination. This is because some destinations are available – and a viable option – throughout the year, while others are not. Therefore, if you want a group cruise to Alaska, but were hoping for a winter departure, you may want to rethink either the timing or the location.

Here are the most popular cruise destinations and the months that group cruises to these destinations should be planned:

• Alaska – April through September
• Bahamas – January through December
• Baltic/Scandinavia – January through December
• Bermuda – April through October
• Caribbean – January through December
• Costa Rica – January through May
• Dubai – January through December
• Hawaii – January through December
• Mediterranean/Greek Isles/Riviera – January through December
• Mexican Riviera – January through December
• Pacific Northwest – March through June or September through November
• Rivers of Europe – March through December
• Rivers of North America – January through December
• South Africa – September through April
• South America – November through March
• Tahiti – January through December

If you would like to learn more about the best time to cruise to different destinations or to take advantage of group cruise planning tools that make cruise sourcing and planning simple and convenient, visit Seasite.com, where you will find helpful information, ideas for planning cruise events and group cruise planning tips and tools.

When selecting your next corporate travel destination, there will be many unique, beautiful locations tempting you with their distinct offerings. Whether you are planning incentive travel packages or seeking out a location for a corporate meeting, Guatemala should be high on your list of possibilities. To be convinced that this is the right option for your company, all you need to do is simply imagine the luxury and comfort of arriving in the beautiful, bountiful country of Guatemala after a journey on a well-appointed cruise ship equipped with everything your company needs for both work and play during travel.

Guatemala is accessible by both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and has well-established commercial ports to accommodate the arrival of your guests. On the Atlantic Coast, ships are accommodated in the Santo Tomas de Castilla Port, which is located in Amatique Bay, while ships arriving on the Pacific Coast are welcomed at the Puerto Quetzal.

Once ashore, there is no end to the possibilities for exciting shore excursions, unique shopping experiences, world-class golf and visiting some of the many important historical sites that have survived to tell the tale of Guatemala’s rich history. World-famous coffee plantations, lush rainforests, Mayan monuments, smoking volcanoes, cultural festivals, markets filled with handmade crafts and breathtaking natural beauty are all waiting to be explored by visitors to this culturally-rich, unique country.

The cruise meeting planner at Seasite.com offers incentive planners a one-stop resource for sourcing incentive cruise events, no matter what destination your group desires.

Alaska is one of those dream destinations.  Imagine seeing the aurora borealis, or magnificent glaciers.  During the summer it is the land of the midnight sun, while in the winter months, there is little or no sunlight in many areas of Alaska – making summer the more popular time for visitors, although those wishing to see the aurora borealis will have to brave the winter months.

Why not think about hosting your next corporate meeting event in Alaska?  There is something for everyone.  Outdoors men will be in heaven!  Fishing, hunting, hiking, and many more activities are available.  Want to hunt for gold?  You can do that too.  Or why not book a group cruise through the inside passage to see glaciers and whales? 

The sky's the limit, and Alaska cruise events are always popular, especially for those attendees with families.  So give it some thought for your next corporate meeting event.  Cruise events are generally much more economical than land based events, since cruises are all inclusive.  So you can stay within your budget and plan a meeting event that your attendees will be talking about for the next year.