Perhaps your idea of “the wonderful life” is a job in the cruise industry – a world of exotic sailings to choose from, and (best of all) the chance to pay little for them. But there’s another way. Gather a group of friends, family, colleagues, or even people you’ve never met before (but with whom you share a common lifestyle, interest, or passion) and you can cruise for free. I think a 100% discount trumps a 50% discount any day of the week!
Arranging a group cruise is a terrific way to see if you’d really enjoy working in travel. And you won’t have to fork over any money, worry about booking staterooms, or mail out documents.
The most important person in the equation is an experienced group cruise consultant. He or she will help guide you through the process (which cruise line, cruise ship, itinerary, and departure date to select). The first step, however, is deciding what shape your group will take. Here’s where you’ll discover that any list of potential groups is likely to be as long as your arm, because any assemblage of people with something in common qualifies – your friends and family, church members, golf buddies, fellow gym rats, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, literature fans, computer geeks, hikers, lawyers, photography buffs ... the examples are endless.
Cruise ships offer passengers unique opportunities to put fresh spins on traditionally popular celebrations – weddings and anniversaries, birthdays and ”sweet sixteen” parties, bar mitzvahs, or high school/college reunions – and a group cruise is also an ideal vehicle for fundraising or conducting professional workshops. An added bonus is that meeting space and audio-visual equipment are available at no extra charge should your group ever need them.
Once you’ve decided upon your group, it’s time to work with your consultant to pick a cruise line and an itinerary that suits your group’s demographics. For example: Will your group want to get dressed up, or does it prefer a more casual style? Have your fellow passengers cruised before? If so, what have their experiences been? With this information in hand, your group cruise consultant will be able to recommend suitable ships and sailings.
As soon as your vessel and voyage have been determined, your consultant will get the ball rolling with the cruise line. An experienced consultant will know the best staterooms to book, and he or she will be familiar with the best locations aboard your ship (a group will typically need to reserve a minimum of eight staterooms, but that number can grow quickly). Your consultant should also be able to secure a complimentary cocktail party for your group, and arrange for nice touches like having champagne and chocolate delivered to staterooms. And if your group needs something special, like tee times at an island’s golf course or “breakout” rooms for shipboard functions/seminars, your consultant can handle that as well.
Your job will be “marketing” the cruise to friends, family, and people who share your interests. And thanks to the Internet, it’s easy to target others that do. Your consultant will help you to create special brochures that can be distributed to potential passengers. He or she can also give you a crash course on newspaper advertising, radio advertising, etc.The more time you have, the easier it is to market. And more people
by Anne Campbell
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