Corporate Travel Destinations

Companies have offered incentive cruise travel to employees and even partners for years now, but the tightening of budgets has caused some companies to drop their incentive cruise travel plans and other perks. As the economy starts to recover, this could prove to be a critical mistake that might end up in a massive exodus of workers from companies that do not offer incentive cruise travel to those that do.

Here’s the problem: the workers that have not been offered sufficient incentives seem to be ready to leave their jobs at the soonest possible convenience. This means that they are usually feeling under appreciated in the sense that matters most to them: the pocketbook. There are plenty of options to get around this, but paying every worker what they are worth is the most expensive choice. Offering inclusive cruise travel with or without additional duties such as meeting with clients or partners can easily offer a tangible incentive for the whole office.

Incentive cruise travel and be a single or periodic replacement for offering proper financial compensation for dozens of employees during financially lean times. When the bottom line improves, by all means start paying more to keep talent. Until then, consider using incentive cruise travel to keep employees loyal and working hard instead of hardly looking while browsing Monster.com in their spare time.

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.

When it comes time to plan a large corporate retreat, savvy meeting planners and/or event planners need to consider at least four different factors.

Distance & Travel – how far will the destination be from all parties? Remember that organizations with far-flung offices will need to find ways to transport the relevant from those offices to the destination in question. This can become an expensive venture rather quickly, but planners can mitigate this by planning ahead.

Scheduling & Jet Lag – Corporate travel is always a combination of work and play. Whether it is a cruise meeting, incentive travel, or a retreat, event planners should always try to strike a balance between work and play. Remember that jet lag may be a factor to contend with, so start off slow with events and meetings if possible.

Allergies & Location – Planning an outdoor event or a team-building getaway in the woods might sound great until Susan in accounting turns out to be allergic to the grass and Bob from sales cannot stop itching for some reason. Remember to consider allergies before planning any corporate event. If guests are being brought into the event, be sure to inquire as to their health needs.

Food & Drink – Many corporations prefer to self-cater, but it does not really matter who does the catering if those who have certain dietary needs are not being met. With vegetarian and vegan lifestyles becoming more popular, and a handful of religions taboos on foods, it pays to spend a good deal of time on food.

It’s been some months since we found out our economy is not only breakable, but quite cracked. This has placed an enormous burden on the backs of meeting and even planners who have been entrusted with creating reasonably priced but effective incentive programs. Well, here’s one solution: the cruise.

While many of us know someone who has taken a cruise, most of us have never set foot on deck. This could change, however, when the truth is revealed that cruises are often much more affordable than many vacations one could choose, and booking groups for incentive travel can save thousands and thousands of dollars for professional planners. Continue reading »