Diary of a Cruise Franchise

Help Us Support Entertainment & Sports: Here We Build

2011-04-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Help Us Support Entertainment & Sports: Here We Build

Travel Agents, Use Me (Don't Abuse Me)

2011-03-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

Once in awhile you have to step back and start at square one. The longer you are part of an industry, the more you forget about the basic concepts that you once had to learn.

For instance: I helped a nice young woman with a cruise vacation recently. I found the cruise, booked her on it, gave her a lot of information about being a first-time cruiser, then I was taken aback after everything was done when she asked "And how much is your fee?" When I informed her that my service is free to her - that I work off of a commission from the Cruise Line or Land Vendor - her eyes got big and said "Wow! I was dreading your fee."

What is interesting to me about this conversation is that she works for a large insurance broker which is very similar in that they also get paid by commission from the insurance companies. In the travel industry as in the insurance industry, you get the same direct prices for your purchase but you get the added benefit of personalized service and the ability to compare different products and not just one.

Her follow up question was "Why would I not use you for travel if you don't cost me anything?"

I just smiled and said "Exactly!"

Back to Basics: Why Use A Travel Agent?

1. We are your advocate

2. We offer you more and better choices

3. We give you personalized service

4. We generally don't charge you a fee

5. We are your one point of contact

6. We have the experience to ask the right questions

1. As your advocate, we are interested in providing you with the best possible service and we will take care of any issues that may come up. We will know details that you may not think of when you book your vacation. We spend hours upon hours per year in training and taking refresher courses so we know all of the latest changes that could affect your vacation experience. We get to know your likes and dislikes and your preferences. We strive to take the worry out of booking your vacations.

2. Travel agents have access to resources that the vendor won't tell you about. For instance, if you visit a cruise line or land vendor website, you will get some great information that is presented to you in the best possible light. You will only get information about that particular product. You will be pressured into buying that product. If you use a travel agent, you will get the information you need to make an informed decision and alternative choices that may be better suited to your desires. We know about our products and are willing to do the research to make sure you are informed about the details.

3. We give the personal service you deserve. We are your one point of contact and so you know who to talk to before, during and after your vacation. Even if you know exactly the vacation you want, by using a travel agent, you will get choices that you may not even know are available. Things like better travel protection insurance or alternative trips and excursions that won't be offered to you by the vendor directly.

4. We are paid by commission from the vendor directly. The vendor is not allowed to give you a better price than we can get for you and we are free to look for competitive alternatives without sacrifice. Some agents will charge a service fee for handling air fares. We are in business to make a living and airlines do not pay commission. Individual agents will set their own policy on this, but I do not charge for air if it is associated with a vacation package. It is important to make sure the air schedule matches your cruise departure and arrival and mistakes can easily be made and can cost you big penalties if you need to make a change. Use an agent and have a second set of eyes looking for potential pitfalls in your air plan. Travel agents also have access to air consolidators that may save you thousands of dollars versus the published airline rates. Would you pay $20 to save $1,000? Be sure to discuss whether a service fee is charged by your agent and if there is, you may still be getting a great deal that you may not otherwise have access to.

5. We are your one point of contact. You can call us about all aspects of your trip. You don't get a call center manned by an hourly employee working from a script. You get a knowledgeable professional who can answer your questions or work as a liaison to get the information you need. If I don't know the answer immediately, I will do the research to get you the accurate answer to help you make an informed decision.

6. We can translate your questions and examine the peripheral issues around your questions that can really affect your trip. You may have found a great rate on a room on a ship or a resort, but maybe you don't know that you are right next to a noisy elevator or directly under the loudest nightclub. Maybe you have mobility issues and you'd like to be near the elevator or have easy access to the dining room. We can see the big picture and guide you to the most perfect accommodations available.

Wrap Up

Use us, but don't abuse us. I've been communicating with other travel agents who have noticed a disturbing trend as of late. Customers are calling with question after question about a cruise line, cabins, what to expect on cruises, and many many other questions by phone and email. The agent does the research and gets back to the customer every time and spending hours on service. Then the client goes and books online at a travel mega-site or directly with the vendor. Whether they realize it or not, the agent gets nothing for all of their work. The customer thinks they are working the system and often they end up getting a worse deal than the agent would have been able to get if given the opportunity to look at the offer and see the fine print.

It is true that a particular agency (including mine) may have a special group deal that gets you a bonus bottle of wine or a small onboard credit, but give your agent a chance to complete your booking. Remember, knowledge is power and haste makes waste. Don't waste your time or your agent's by using their services and then making a hasty decision to book direct with the vendor or mega-site. The reps at the vendor's call center or the website are designed to put pressure on you with wording that may seem appealing and urgent, but that is their job. Let your agent work for you and you will be rewarded with the best possible vacation value.

Cruises: Why You Need a Cruise Specialist

2010-08-26T03:42:00.000-07:00

I've been asked this question a couple of times: Why should I use you as my cruise travel agent?

Fair question. In this internet driven world, people have the ability to go directly to the cruise lines and book their own cruises or they can go to one of the big travel sites and look up almost any cruise and book it. So why would you need a cruise specialist?

There are many great answers to the question. I'll list them here, but it is up to you to decide which is most important to you.

1. Expert Knowledge with Personalized Service

Most folks can probably name 5 or 6 cruise lines off the top of their head. The fact is that there are dozens of cruise lines, hundreds of ships and thousands of itineraries to choose every year. From short 2 or 3 day getaways to 6 month world cruises. From budget friendly contemporary cruise lines to all-inclusive luxury brands, private yachts and specialized sailings there is a seemingly unlimited variety of options out there. Why limit yourself to just one brand? When you invest in your vacation, why not get out of it what you really want. As your personal independent cruise specialist, we can help you navigate your way to the perfect cruise vacation.

2. Great Rates & Better Service

When you work with your CruiseOne specialist, you have access to one of the largest cruise networks in the country. No matter where you live, we can work with anyone in the country to book just about any cruise anywhere on any ship. I'm located in Northern California, but our clients come from everywhere in this country. Not only do we get direct cruise-line pricing live from the cruise lines, but we have a great relationship as a premier partner to many of the leading lines. When you choose to work with me, I will personally handle your vacation. Especially important for first time cruisers, I will ask the questions that you may not know to think of and follow up on any issue that may come up. We also offer CruiseOne's exclusive price and satisfaction guarantee. You are assured of getting more choices and options that will not be available directly from the cruise line. From travel protection coverage to shore excursions, pre and post-cruise hotel stays and researching your air transportation options, you can be sure that we will work personally with you to get the best vacation you've ever had.

3. To web or not to web?

If you want to research cruises and see what is available online, we offer an industry leading cutting edge cruise database that constantly being enhanced. Top travel sites actually use our database system. So feel free to point and click your way to the vacation of your dreams. Once you choose your cruise, however, you don't deal with an anonymous call center employee. You get our personal service and attention to detail to make sure your needs are met. What if you're not a web surfer? No problem! Just give us a call and we will handle your request from start to finish. When you choose us as your personal cruise specialist, we get to know you and your needs and will work hard to fulfill them.

Every cruise line and even every cruise ship has a personality and a focus all its own. Whether you'd like a classic traditional cruise experience or a newer style freeform adventure, you can count on us to give you the best options to suit your style.

One last note - if you're planning a romantic couples cruise, family vacation, family reunion, corporate event, a group of friends or even a full-ship charter, use your CruiseOne specialist to make sure you get the best service and amenities and take care of your special requests with excellent prices, but more importantly - excellent service.

Patrick Thompson

CruiseOne

(877)622-7784

pthompson@cruiseone.com

How to Choose a Cruise

2010-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know there are two dozen cruise lines, hundreds of ships and thousands of itineraries available each year for a cruise vacation? From 1-day cruises to nowhere to 6-month world cruises, there is something just right for you. With so many choices, how do you know which one to choose?

Let's take a look at some common and perhaps not so common ways to approach your cruise vacation and how to navigate your way to the perfect cruise.

Criteria:

Price - Itinerary - Destination - Onboard Experience - Staying Flexible

Price

I understand that this is a bottom-line world. Budgeting for your vacation is certainly an important step - but basing your entire choice on trying to find the cheapest cruise available could eliminate some excellent choices and short change your experience. Cruises are always a tremendous value because of their all-inclusive nature. A side by side comparison of nearly any cruise vacation versus a similar land vacation reveals the true value in a real dollars per day way that is pretty convincing.

Shorter is cheaper. One to five day cruises are obviously less expensive than longer cruises. Many first time cruisers will choose a shorter itinerary not just because of price, but to see if they like cruising at all. Concerns about possible motion sickness and being confined to a ship at sea are the primary concerns. However, the vast majority of first time cruisers become second time cruisers. It may be in your best interest as a budget conscious shopper to expand your criteria a bit. If you can drive to a port that takes 7-day cruises, you should consider eliminating the air fare to fly to a port that offers the shorter cruises. If you are flexible in your destination choice, you could get more days on board for less money and save the hassle and expense of flying.

Example: If you live in Baltimore, you can get a Bahamas cruise right from your home town and not have to fly to Florida. New York City, Galveston, New Orleans, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Port Canaveral, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle... and many other cruise ports are available that might be a drive port for you. Most ports offer special parking rates for cruise passengers and you can eliminate the air fare.

Stay Flexible: The price of most cruises fluctuate through the season. The difference in cost, even for a short cruise, could save you hundreds of dollars. If you have the ability to be flexible about when you take your cruse vacation, you could save significant dollars. Cruises have a high season and the cost goes up at that time. Generally it looks like a bell curve. Lower prices as the season starts, higher prices in the middle and then lower again toward the end. This is based on demand. This does not mean that the higher priced cruises are better. In fact, the opposite can be true. We like the 10-day round trip cruise from San Francisco to Alaska. The cruises start in late May and run through the end of August. The prices increase in July - but savvy cruisers know that July is the rainiest season in Alaska. If you want lower rates and better weather, you'll take an early to mid-June cruise or a late August cruise. You'll save money and get a better experience.

Itinerary

Aside from what time you go, the itinerary of the cruise is important. Do you want to be in port every day or do you like at-sea days? Is there enough time in each port to do what you want to do or is it going to be a struggle? These are important questions to ponder when looking at your cruise options. Let's consider the 7 Day Hawaii cruise I recently took. This cruise actually offers two overnight stays in port. One in Maui and one in Kauai. Instead of getting just 6 to 8 hours in port, you now have nearly a full day. This certainly opens up a lot of options and gives you a chance to plan and experience more in those ports. Many European cruises offer overnight stays or even two night stays in places like St. Petersburg Russia or Venice Italy. These types of stays give you a chance to experience much more of the rhythm of the local venue, night life and a less harried visit.

Personally, my wife and I like at-sea days. Cruising on the open ocean is the relaxing part of the cruise for us. We like to read out on our balcony or poolside. We enjoy the extra activities that the ship offers on those days and depending on the line, that is when you can experience a more formal night type of evening if you choose to. In contrast to the 7 day Hawaii cruise we took, we'd also be interested in the longer 14 day sailings that sail to Hawaii and then return back home. There are many at sea days going to the islands, less days in Hawaii and then more at sea days returning home. Our airfare would be greatly reduced (or eliminated) and we'd actually get a better cost per day based on that fact alone.

Destination

Destination is critical to some cruisers and almost a non-factor for others. If you've always wanted to visit Great Britain then you'll want to look at some cruises that are round trip from London and visit Ireland, Scotland and England. If your lifelong dream is to see the great Pyramids, then you're going to look at Holy Land cruises. If choosing a cruise by destination, you really want to open up your options and perhaps consider some lines that specialize in giving you that true experience rather than the main touristy ports.

For example, major cruise lines offer Mexico trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallarta. These ports have been built for tourists to enjoy the flavor of Mexico, but geared toward the traveler who wants the typical experiences that they've heard about. Whale watching, parasailing, dolphin encounters and city tours that show you the things that we've all seen on television. Depending on your personality and desires you might want to consider lesser known trips that offer a more in-depth look at the "real" Mexican culture with flexible itineraries that take you up the Baja coast from La Paz and the Sea of Cortes to experience a more authentic cultural experience - without sacrificing the service and quality you'd expect from a cruise vacation.

Tours with expedition ships to South America, Antarctica, Alaska and many other ports offer a unique opportunity to choose your experience as you go. These types of trips modify your itinerary to take advantage of the ever-changing opportunities that present themselves on nature's schedule and not on a pre-determined route.

On the other hand, cruise ships are marvels of modern-day engineering. They are floating five-star hotels and the ship itself can legitimately be considered a destination. Cruises to nowhere or short cruises to a not-so-exotic port can be heavenly. You are at sea getting served great food and enjoying the ocean. It is about the on board experience and the destination can be a secondary consideration. If you want to experience cruising and you don't know where to go, perhaps it doesn't really matter. Let your travel professional match you to a cruise line that will give you the level of service you need for an enjoyable vacation regardless of where you go.

The On Board Experience

All cruises include your cabin, meals & entertainment on board. Most ships have several included dining options from the main dining rooms to quick service grills to buffet style options. Also included is daily cabin steward services and free entertainment options from trivia games and contests to karaoke to production shows and movie theaters and countless other options ranging from ice-skating to water parks & pools to bowling and much more. Since you will be spending most of your time on board the ship, it is important to choose a cruise line and ship that fits your expectations and your personality.

Each cruise line has their own personality. Some are geared toward exemplary service at every level. Some are geared toward allowing the independent traveler to make up their own choices with a level of service that we'll call "less intrusive". This is where your travel professional and your cruise specialist become invaluable. When you search an internet site for cruises, you will see where and when the cruise sails and how much it costs, but you get very little in the way of cruise line personality. Not only do cruise lines differ in philosophy, but even ships within the line can vary greatly in regards to service and the customer experience.

Some cruise lines offer large mega-ships with the latest in innovative new activities. Some cruise lines offer a classic smaller ship experience with a focus on high-level service and more room per passenger and a private yacht feel. Some cruise lines offer both! Some cruise lines are very family oriented to give adults and children the best level of experience, even offering the opportunity for kids to sail absolutely free. Others are built from stem to stern for experienced travelers looking for a romantic getaway and a more luxury upscale experience.

The old adage "you get what you pay for" comes into play with cruises as well. Often the higher cost gives you some very exclusive benefits and a level of service that is hard to describe without using subjective terms such as luxurious, seamless, anticipatory, extravagant, sumptuous, unforgettable... you get the idea. Not only are these terms more idealistic than quantifiable, but until you have experienced them first hand, they remain elusive to describe.

Staying Flexible

If you can approach your cruise vacation with a wide-open mind and let your travel professional ask the right questions and develop your options, you may end up with the vacation of a lifetime that you never anticipated. When people ask me why they should use my services (or any travel agent) when they could just book it themselves at the cruise line or an online travel site, my reply is always customer service. What does this really mean? Not only does it mean we will take care of the details and make sure we ask the questions that you may not think to ask of the cruise line, but it also means we want you to have the very best experience you can. Travel is a commission based business, but every travel agent I know is far more interested in customer satisfaction than they are in getting the biggest commission. We want to establish an ongoing relationship with you and whether you want a budget friendly getaway or a grand adventure, it is our expertise about all of your options that makes the real difference. Believe me when I say, we want you to be a satisfied customer much more than a one time big commission. Since we can look at all cruise lines and cruises and are not limited to only the one on the the cruise line site you may visit, we can put you together with the right vacation experience. Why leave it to chance? There is a reason that the use of travel agents is actually increasing in this day and age of the internet do-it-yourself era.

To wrap it all up, how do you choose a cruise? Contact a travel professional with a realistic budget and an open mind. Give us the opportunity to ask the questions that allow us to get to know your wants and desires. Stay open to the possibility that the cruise you were thinking about when contacting us may - or may not - be the ideal choice for you. As cliche as it sounds, the memories made during a vacation are priceless and you deserve the opportunity to experience the vacation of your dreams.

Patrick Thompson

Independent Cruise Specialist

CruiseOne - NorCalCruises.com

NCL Pride of America Cruise - Hawaii 2010

2010-05-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Unique Ship - Unique Itinerary. Is it for you?

Eileen and I recently took a 7 day Hawaiian cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Pride of America followed by a one night stay at the Hilton Waikiki Village in Honolulu. It was a semi-working vacation as I was part of a group of about 60 travel agents invited to take part in NCL's phd@sea program. This gave us access to CLIA training, NCL presentations and the ability to communicate directly with the ship's Captain and Staff. As travel professionals who needed a vacation - and having personally never been to Hawaii before, we jumped at the chance to take this cruise.

A Little Ship History

This ship was originally being built for a company called United States Lines in a ship-yard in Mississippi to be deployed as an American Built, American Flagged vessell. Unfortunately, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2001 before the ship was completed. NCL purchased the ship and moved it to the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Germany where she was made longer and larger. Originally scheduled to be deployed in 2004, a major storm hit the shipyard and the ship was partially sunk in her berth. She was finished and delivered in 2005 and able to be registered as an American ship by special exemption by the U.S. Government even though she ended up being mostly foreign built. She has served in Hawaii for NCL ever since. She is the only ship sailing Hawaii (and the only major cruise line ship in general) that has an American registry. She has a staff that is always at least 75% American personnel.

Her Itinerary
Our cruise was slightly different than the standard itinerary in that instead of Arriving in Maui and overnighting there, we had an at-sea day prior to our Maui visit. We were able to cruise the Molokai coast (Father Damien's Leper Colony site) along the way. Otherwise our itinerary was the same as the standard cruise.
Day 1 Honolulu
Day 2 Cruising Molokai Coast
Day 3 Maui
Day 4 Hilo
Day 5 Kona
Day 6 Kauai (overnight)
Day 7 Kauai
Day 8 Honolulu

Interesting Events - Situation "Oscar"
On the second day of the cruise, our at sea day, Eileen and I were in one of the ship stores when an announcement came over the PA system. "Situation Oscar, Situation Oscar" calling teams to respond. We found out that "Oscar" is the code for a man Overboard. It turns out that a member of the staff had gone overboard and the ship went into immediate action to retrieve him. He was back on board in fifteen minutes. A passenger & professional photographer named Brett Aubrey was able to document the rescue. You can see more of the story and Mr. Aubrey's pictures by clicking here. The circumstances of how he went into the water are not clear, but the response by the staff was top notch and it appears the crewman will be ok.

Ship Review
From the outside, the ship is painted with stars, stripes and an eagle to celebrate it's American lineage. She doesn't have the sleek lines of some ships we've been on built by the Fincantieri ship yards in Italy. The Pride of America reminds me of a smaller version of the new Norwegian Epic with it's large boxy superstructure. Honestly, many feel she's pretty ugly, and I'd tend to agree, but she makes up for it with her Americana meets Hawaii motif and decor inside. The references to American History (John Adam's Coffee Bar, Jefferson's Bistro, The Capitol Atrium) are upscale, understated and elegant. The cabin, while small, was efficiently laid out and the balconies are very private.

The stairwells each have a large mural at the landing, each with an image of a well known American/Hawaiian landmark. Fall colors in New England, The Golden Gate Bridge, Hula Dancers, etc. The elevators were usually easy to get without a wait and generally the layout of the ship worked pretty well - with a couple of exceptions.

My first pet peeve is on deck 5. If you are going to the Skyline Dining room (the main dining room for the ship) you are forced to go through the hallway on the starboard side of the ship that serves as the photo gallery where you can see & purchase the pictures taken while on board or at port. There is no option on the port side of the ship. Naturally, people tend to congregate there to look for their picture among the thousands that are taken and it makes for a congested bottleneck, especially at prime dining times. You can avoid this somewhat by going up to deck 6 and taking the promenade along the outside of the ship. Which brings me to my second point of contention. It seems unavoidable that you are forced to go outside to get down deck six. Not a major catastrophe in Hawaii to go outside, but it can be windy and just seems off that you can't make it down the ship without exiting and entering. These aren't deal breakers, just stuff that bugs me.

The public spaces on this ship are generally well laid out and easy to get to. The Hollywood Theater is very nice with great sight lines and no columns to get in your way. The Mardi Gras Cabaret Lounge is one deck below it and has a very nice layout and vibe. The various lounges are located in multiple spots on decks 5, 6 and up top on 11. 12 & 13.

A note about smoking: If you are a smoker, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that you are allowed to smoke in your cabin (or balcony, if you have one). The bad news is that the two public smoking areas are not convenient. Either the forward area of deck 13 on the port side which is standing room only and often extremely windy or at the Waikiki bar on the back of the ship, also on Deck 13. It is covered, there are tables, high tops and the bar where you can sit.. Generally pleasant, there are times when in port where the wind whips through there. I saw some chairs being knocked over by the wind and being blown around. I think there should be at least one indoor lounge with a cigar bar and/or smoking area as seen on many other ships. There is a cigar lounge - but smoking is no longer allowed there.. huh?

Service
With a couple of exceptions, we felt the service on board was very good. The restaurant staff was attentive and efficient. Our cabin steward was pleasant and our cabin was nicely maintained. Everyone on board seemed friendly and knowledgeable and willing to help whenever you needed them. It was a pleasant change to not have to train your ear to a new foreign accent when talking to a staff member. The problems with service that have been posted on the net from cruises in the past have been resolved for the most part and we were satisfied - with the following two exceptions:

1. We were unable to book shore excursions online at NCL due to a known issue with their website. We boarded the ship in the 12:00pm hour and since our cabin wouldn't be ready until at least 2:00pm we decided to visit the shore excursion desk. We were the 4th passengers in line and it took an extraordinarily long time for us to talk to a shore excursion representative. When we arrived there were three people working the desk, but one of them disappeared. The two remaining staff were friendly and knowledgeable.. perhaps too friendly. When you have a line of passengers waiting, I believe you should take care of their needs, answer their questions and then move on to help the next passenger, but having an extended conversation with them for an additional 10 minutes about a myriad of subjects not related to their excursions is annoying and unacceptable for the people waiting for service. Until NCL fixes their website, I recommend calling them directly on the phone to book your excursions directly.

2. After our shore-excursion experience, we went to the John Adams coffee bar for an adult beverage. We waited for service for at least 15 minutes while the lone server talked with a table of gentleman who had already been served. The drinks there were good, but took way too long to get to us. Also, on two separate occasions when we went to Pink's Champagne Bar on deck 6, we had what can only be deemed as very poor service. Without going into great detail, we were there to see a singer performing on the piano. It took 3 songs for the waitress to come to us, 3 more before we were served and another 3 before we got our cruise card back. We ordered some bar snack (nut mixture) and never did receive it. On another occasion we were the only people there. When we arrived the two servers were chatting behind the bar. We waited. My wife got the attention of one of the servers who promptly went back to chatting with her server friend. We left for another venue. Not surprisingly, it was the same waitress who we experienced on our first trip to the John Adams bar. Perhaps a little retraining regarding customer service is in order. On a positive note, another visit to Pink's gave us one of the most friendly and helpful staff we'd seen. This waiter was full of knowledge and professionalism. He was giving us lots of advice on shore excursions and places to visit - but when someone needed service he promptly excused himself and returned to us later. That's what I expect.

Freestyle Dining?
Having taken NCL training and seeing their message about Frestyle Cruising being what
ever you want, whenever you want, with whomever you want - I had an certain expectations. As mentioned, we generally had good service in the restaurants and the food quality was mostly good with a couple of notable exceptions, we felt that the dining setup did not meet our expectations. Here's what Freestyle Dining gets you (excluding specialty restaurants):

Breakfast
Aloha Cafe Continental Breakfast 5:30am - 10:00am
Aloha Cafe (buffet) - 6:00am - 10:00am
Skyline Restaurant - 7:00am - 9:30am
Cadillac Diner - 7:00am - 11:00AM

Lunch
Cadillac Diner - 11:00am - 5:00pm
Skyline Restaurant - Noon - 2:00pm
Aloha Cafe - Noon - 3:00pm
Aloha Cafe Lanai (sandwiches) - 3:00pm - 5:00pm

Dinner
Skyline Restaurant - 5:30pm - 9:00pm
Liberty Restaurant - 6:00pm - 9:30pm
Aloha Cafe - 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Cadillac Diner - 5:00pm - 2:00am

If you are truly a Freestyle person who doesn't like schedules, you will need to memorize them or carry around your Freestyle Daily newsletter with you. The ship has dining boards which are electronic screens around the ship that show the status of the dining rooms. Unfortunately, they do not post the hours on these boards. I'm told that the company who created this system has gone out of business now, so that's why the boards don't have the hours. This will be addressed when the ship goes into dry-dock in December 2011.

American Ship - What's the Difference?
Here are some interesting facts I learned from the ship staff that explain some of the differences you see on the Pride of America versus other ships in the rest of the NCL Fleet as well as other cruise lines:

The staff is are all unionized by three separate unions and contracts. Working under the constraints of American Union contracts presents a unique challenge in the industry. Staffing hours are more limited than foreign flagged vessels, personnel adjustments take longer to achieve, and overtime rules limit some of the flexibility found on other ships and lines. Personnel wise, it costs 3 times more to operate this ship than foreign flagged vessels. (If you are a Union Member, you can get some nice discounts from NCL!)
Buy American! If you support the buy-American concept, this ship is for you. Registered with Honolulu as her home port, one 7 day sailing of the Pride of America provides 33 times the revenue to Hawaii than other ships that visit there. Payroll taxes, corporate profits, port charges, supply purchases, maintenance costs and a host of other factors all contribute to this.
Easy Communication. The ease at which you can communicate with the staff on board is a refreshing change from other lines where it can sometimes be a struggle to train your ear to the foreign accents you encounter.
No Casino. Nightlife is not the focus of this itinerary. The ports of call are the selling point as this is a destination cruise. The ship never leaves American waters and since gambling is not permitted in Hawaii, this ship has no casino. Night life is available in certain lounges & discos, but it is pretty apparent that this is not the ship's focus.
Great Cell Service - we found full bars using AT&T in every port and often while at sea too. Verizon users also had excellent service. With a blackberry or iPhone you can practically run your business without a laptop - which is good news because the ship only provides wireless service near the internet computer center on deck 6. The ship board cell service found on other ships is not available - so to communicate while in the few places where you have no service (at sea) would have to be via computer or using ship-to-shore telephone.

Best Kept Secrets

Here are a few things that may not be readily apparent, but worth knowing.

Where is the "Do Not Disturb" door hanger? My wife wanted to take a nap and was struggling to find the Do Not Disturb sign. It turns out, there isn't one. A semi-hidden feature of this ship is that the little box where your cabin number is displayed and where your documents are put also serves as the message center to your cabin. In the picture at the right, you can see a little oblong window with a red background. This displays the status of your cabin. There is a thumbwheel underneath the room number that changes this message from Welcome to Do Not Disturb to Make Up Cabin to Turn Down Service. This is what your cabin steward will go by when you need service - or don't want to be disturbed.
Dining Passport - if you are a fan of the alternative specialty restaurants like the Steak House, the French Bistro, Teppanyaki, Sushi, Italian, etc.. there is a program for you. Specialty dining restaurants have a surcharge from $10 to $25 per person. You can buy a package for $60 (if I remember correctly) that allows you to dine in 4 of these restaurants during your cruise. This could save you a little bit of scratch and satisfy your culinary desires. It could be $80.. I can't exactly remember.. sorry
After taking a galley tour, I was extremely impressed with the sanitation standards employed by this ship. Each type of meat has it's own freezer and storage area. All items have their own cutting boards (fish on one color, chicken on another, veggies on a different one) and these rules are strictly adhered to. Special requests are gladly met. Whether you are strictly vegetarian or if you need Kosher or other faith based or even cultural based food needs, they can accommodate you. Food allergies? Just let them know. It is best to inform them of your needs prior to your cruise so they can inform the staff and prepare for your visit. They cannot know what you do not tell them.

Highlights

There were a couple of standout moments for us.

Cruising the backside of Kauai was spectacular and we were dining in the Italian Restaurant at the time. Private, quiet with good food and a beautiful view.
While visiting the Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor, a group of Navy personnel from the Hospital Ship Mercy were there and performed their re-enlistment ceremony aboard the Arizona to while we were there. Very Special.
Luau Kalamaku in Kauai was an excellent show
Having our own balcony was terrific, the only way to travel
The beach in Kauai in front of the Marriott is spectacular

Overall Opinion

NCL will freely admit that this cruise is not for everyone. If you are a traditional cruiser who enjoys a formal dining experience and a schedule of events that you can rely on and a traditional level of classic service, you may have to adjust your expectations on this cruise. This cruise is definitely about the ports of call more than the onboard experience - though the onboard experience is pleasant, it is not as activity based as other cruises, especially at night. Be sure to book your shore excursions or port arrangements prior to your cruise. Whether through the cruise line or independently through quality operators, you will be glad you planned ahead.

Overall, considering all factors, I would give this cruise a good 7+ star rating out of 10.

If you'd like to see pictures and video from our trip: Please Click Here

If you'd like to explore this cruise for yourself: Please Visit Our Website

P.S. We extended our cruise visit by one night with a stay at the Hilton Waikiki Village in Honolulu. What a phenomenal resort! We would highly recommend it.

Patrick & Eileen Thompson are independent travel agents with CruiseOne in Rocklin, CA
serving the entire United States.
you can contact them at (877)622-7784 or email pthompson@cruiseone.com

2010 Update - When It Rains, It Pours

2010-03-13T04:42:00.001-08:00

Wow, I can't believe that it has been so long since my last blog post.

I guess it is time for an update - so here are some random musings from 2010 so far.

After a slow start in 2009 with 2 bookings and one sailing complete, the magic January 1, 2010 date seemed to open up the floodgates for cruise activity. With fifteen bookings in the works so far and more to come, this cruise business is really showing some potential.

When 2010 began, I picked up a temp job in order to give us a steady source of income while the cruise business is still building. As soon as I picked up this job, the requests for cruise quotes and information picked up in dramatic fashion. This makes my evenings and weekends the primary time for taking care of CruiseOne, but I enjoy the challenge and I've worked with some very interesting people. I now have a better handle on how to answer the question "Why should I use you instead of going directly with the cruise line?"

The answer has always been Personalized Customer Service. It is about giving you information, time and advice. Here are a few examples:

One very interesting client I have now is a Florida resident who is a retired Panama Canal pilot. A pilot in this case is a ship captain who is an expert in local waters. Pilots come on board the ship and navigate the local waterways which can be tricky for the ship's captain who may not know the hazards to avoid. As a Panama Canal pilot, this gentleman got to know many of the cruise ship captains, so when he books a cruise he likes to know the name of the Captain and send him a note before the cruise. I now also know that he likes 6 luggage tags. Details, details, details. This gentleman has now booked two different cruises with me and making sure he gets what he wants is my top priority.

Another challenging booking involves a group of local ladies who all want to celebrate their 30th birthdays by taking a cruise. These are first-time cruisers for the most part and this gives me the opportunity to expose them to cruising, explain the ins & outs of how it all works and most of all gives them a one stop location for answering all of their questions and giving them time to work out the details. This group started as a group of 6, then 7, then 5.. and now six again. They've wanted ocean view, balcony and inside cabin quotes - and they want connecting cabins that can accommodate at least 3 people each. Working with me has given them time to finalize their group without committing to any particular cabins until they were ready. I was also able to arrange for a nice birthday surprise for them during the cruise.. shhh, don't tell them.

There is still a lot to learn! CruiseOne has added (and still adding) some very nice improvements to our services. Things like the ability to add pre-cruise or post-cruise hotels right from our own system at very competitive rates, a new focus on land resorts like Sandals, Disney, Apple Vacations, Vax Vacations and many more improvements.

Thanks for reading and i will try to not wait so long for my next post.

Honeymoon Bridal Registry - Free Honeymoon, Free Wedding?

2009-11-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

So you've found our soulmate. You've decided to get married and now you've got a million decisions to make. Do you need a wedding coordinator? Where will you get the flowers, the cake, the photographer, the video and where will you hold your wedding? Where will you get married? Do you want a local wedding or a destination wedding? What about the reception, the entertainment, the food and the facility? These are just a few of the questions you'll need to answer. Then there's the cost. How much do you have and how much will you need? Are you paying for this yourself or will the bride's father be helping out per tradition?

Whew! Once you've figured all of this out, you will want to think about your honeymooon. Will you even get a honeymoon or is that out of the question? What will you choose for your bridal registry? Macy's, Target, Sears or some other retailer - and just how many sets of plates, sheets and toasters do you need?

These days, many folks are getting married a little older or perhaps they have co-habitated with their betrothed already and the furniture, appliances and bedding are already in their possession.

Let's take a step back and look at this again.

What if you could take a great honeymoon cruise and have it already paid for by your wedding date? Furthermore, how would you like your wedding to be paid for as well?

Introducing our Honeymoon Bridal Registry.

By registering with our bridal registry, you can choose the honeymoon of your dreams, let your friends and family pay for it and avoid renting a storage shed to keep all of your wedding gifts until you have a home.

Your guests can contribute in $25 increments, they get immediate confirmation of their gift and shortly before your wedding, you will receive a beautifully bound volume with all of your contributors names. Now that is a lot easier than having to write down all of the gifts and trying to match the tags that fell off of the presents.

Did you also know that you have excellent low cost options for having your wedding on the shore, on the ship or at a port of call during your voyage?

Let's look for a minute at Princess' wedding option. Princess pioneered the wedding at sea by the ship's captain and they've improved on the idea by building wedding chapels on board with webcams available for all to see and they provide a wedding coordinator, flowers, pictures and the reception - taking all the stress away and doing it for hundreds of dollars instead of thousands. There are upgrade options for video and other traditional wedding services as well.

You can have your wedding or reception on the ship before you leave, so your family and friends can attend - then you can depart on your honeymoon cruise. This allows you to have the most people in attendance. If you're really close to your guests, they can take the cruise with you and attend the services while at sea - or you can have your service in select ports of call during the cruise. The options all depend on the cruise line and the itinerary. As mentioned before, even if you choose to have your wedding at sea, performed by the ship's Captain, your friends and family can still view the ceremony via Princess' chapel cam.

Consider a 14 day Hawaiian cruise. Get married before you leave, at sea or in one of the ports in Hawaii and you are already enjoying your honeymoon whenever the ceremony takes place.

Cruises are such a great inclusive vacation and for less than the cost of a traditional wedding, you can have the wedding, the reception, the honeymoon, the memories and all of the goodies. Have your cake and eat it too!

If you're getting married in 2010, you will want to book and plan your honeymoon/wedding cruise at least 6 months in advance, so don't delay! This is also a great way to renew your vows for a silver, gold or diamond anniversary as well.

Happy Sailing

CruiseOne National Conference

2009-10-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

We just returned on Sunday from the CruiseOne & Cruises Inc. national conference cruise aboard the Carnival Pride. The itinerary was round trip from Baltimore, MD to Port Canaveral, FL and on to Nassau, the Bahamas and Freeport, Grand Bahama Island.

The "Mission Success: 2009" Conference included many presentations, classes, cocktail parties and lots of interaction with the main players in the cruise and travel industry.

We were able to spend a few hours at Disneyworld during our Port Canaveral stop where Eileen and I met up with our friends Evie and Jill, whom we met during our training in Ft. Lauderdale, FL to enjoy the park as well as many meals on board during the cruise.

Nassau and Freeport have beautiful water, but the temperature and humidity were very high. We visited the straw market and parts of downtown Nassau, including the Hard Rock Cafe and when we arrived in Freeport, we were treated to a tour of the city and Our Lucaya resort.

Slideshow Pictures and Video of our trip are available at my website: http://www.thompent.com/cruise/bahamas2009

It was announced that next year's conference will be aboard the beautiful new Norwegian Epic. That'll be a ship to see!

Working on a Group

2009-09-17T07:23:00.001-07:00

I try to be an observer. Look, listen, learn.

Recently my father and his lovely wife took a class reunion cruise for her high school reunion. They had an inside cabin for a short Mexican itinerary from Los Angeles. I was interested to hear their thoughts about the cruise, because it is the type of cruise that many first-time cruisers try. My dad and his wife are not first-timers so getting the thoughts of experienced travelers is even better.

Just like everything else in life, the first thing you hear needs to be tempered with the rest of the comments that come out in the conversation. I heard it was fun. I heard it was a good time.. then we got to the meat of the matter.

Positives:

"Loved our group and made our own good time"

"Enjoyed the Karaoke competitions"

"Enjoyed hanging out in the cigar lounge with the group"

Negatives:

"Won't ever get an inside cabin again"

"A thousand kids on board running up and down the halls"

"Food wasn't very good. Portions were tiny"

"Lots of last minute passengers who got a much better rate than we did"

I've notched all of these things in my head. I must admit, I probably could have guessed all of these points because I've known my dad all my life. I know his style and his preferences and if I'd been in the business back when they booked this cruise, I'd have tried to find a better match for them. As seniors and experienced travelers, they desire the finer things in life. Retired folks differ from those still in the workforce in significant ways. Working people are just happy not to have to go to work. Any time away is welcomed, and any cruise is going to give them the break that they are after. Retired folks have the time already, so they are looking for a better experience with a higher level of service and a unique opportunity that differs from what they've done in the past.

The answer: Luxury Cruising

I wrote about Luxury Cruising in a recent post and ever since I learned about these luxury lines, I knew I wanted to put together a fantastic cruise vacation opportunity for my family & friends who live in a nearby upscale retirement community. I've been hearing that these experienced travelers are wary of going to Mexico right now because of news reports they've heard about trouble down there. I figured I could use my personal knowledge of Alaska and a unique itinerary from Regent Seven Seas cruise lines to build a fantastic trip that would satisfy all of the needs of this group.

I went to work with the line to reserve some space. I was also able to secure of amenities for the group that would be the icing on the cake. Now I've got some advertising in their community magazine and I'll be holding a cruise night presentation to introduce them to a vacation of the lifetime. I'm building a presentation for them and getting all of my facts straight and getting my ducks in a row. I think I've found exactly what they are looking for - even if they don't know it yet!

Luxury cruising isn't so much for budget driven travelers. It is an extreme bump in service quality, food quality, accommodation size and refinement and the opportunity to help them feel like a King or Queen for-a-day (or a couple of weeks). I'm confident that once they experience this type of travel, they will be reticent to return to the contemporary style cruise lines. Smaller more intimate ships, more interesting ports of call, super inclusive amenities like free air fare, beverages and stocked mini bar, unlimited shore excursions, gratuities, specialty restaurants - all included. This level of service is worth more than the increased cost. But wait...

It turns out that cruise lines love groups and by the time I did a side by side comparison on this cruise with a very similar one on another line - we were actually saving money! I double checked the figures, ran my findings by a few other agents and we all agreed. I couldn't be happier to find out that the cruise I want to send this group on is not only superior in every way, but ends up costing less due to special discounted pricing for 2010 and the group amenities that I was able to obtain.

My presentation is scheduled for the end of October and I just can't wait to share this with the experienced group of travelers that I'll be talking to. I'll let you know how it goes.

A Taste of Success

2009-09-17T06:57:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to report that we've booked our first official customers for an excellent cruise vacation. We are on our way.

I got a phone call from a very nice lady who was looking for a Canada/New England cruise for September 2010. She wanted a round trip from New York City and she knew she wanted a balcony cabin. I was very happy to do the research for her to find the perfect cruise.

There are many things to consider when researching a vacation. Matching the personality of the vacationer to a cruise line is an important piece of the puzzle. Obviously, you need to keep the budget in mind, but when someone is investing in their vacation, you need to make sure that the ship, accommodations and the activities provided on board are a good fit to what the client seeks.

Some cruise lines are built for party animals, some are geared toward full family and children's activities and others are more subdued with an upscale feel. I could sense that this client was looking for a romantic getaway with her husband. Still wanting to be able to take advantage of the night clubs and that type of energy, she also wanted a ship where they could relax and enjoy a more refined experience.

When it comes down to it, you are limited by the time you have available for a vacation and, of course, the actual cruises that are available, so after finding out her wish list I started the research. She wants to fly to New York after work on Friday, stay in a New York hotel on Saturday and take a Sunday departure for 7 days. Upon returning, she wants to stay another two or three days in New York before heading home. Armed with this information, I was thrilled to find the perfect ship with the perfect itinerary. I also found an alternative cruise that satisfied about 90% of their wishes and we met at a local coffee ship so I could share my findings.

I have to say, I love meeting great new people and this couple was no exception. Friendly, inquisitive and very interested in hearing about my finds, they ended up choosing the cruise that I believed was the perfect choice. I provided them with the pricing and itineraries as well as some ship reviews and after about an hour of sharing our experiences and pleasant chat, they left - armed with the information.

I got a call from her the next day and she said she was ready to book. They had looked online at the ship deck plans and chose a few cabins they thought would be perfect. My system didn't show those cabins as available, but this is where the personal service of a professional agent comes into play. I called the cruise line directly and found out that the cabins they wanted were available and I immediately held them and got back to the client. She was thrilled and we booked them into their first choice! I love it.

So our first clients are now ready to go. I'm looking forward to helping them finish the details of their trip, finding the perfect air fare and their New York hotels as we continue the process. It's a bit like being a detective, except that we aren't looking for clues to a crime, but the ultimate vacation experience.

You Deserve a Better Vacation - Luxury Cruising

2009-09-03T07:07:00.001-07:00

I truly believe that just about any cruise on any line is a superior vacation than most land based resorts. The cost per person per day is an excellent value when you look at all you get and what you'd pay for it on land. All cruises give you:

• Your sleeping accomodations (often ocean view or even a balcony)
• Excellent dining choices from fine dining to buffets or casual dining options
• Entertainment every night from big stage shows to comedy shows to magic or night club style
• Unpack once and enjoy all of the ports on the itinerary

You just can't beat it! It is a very inclusive style of vacation with built-in value.

However, when cruisers are asked about what they think could be improved about cruising, there are a few things that come to mind.

• Adult beverages are not included
• Airfare is additional
• Shore excursions are expensive
• Tipping is expensive/confusing

To those folks who find these things problematic, I have two words for you: Luxury Cruising

There are some excellent luxury lines out there and today I'm going to introduce you to Regent Seven Seas Cruises.

This excellent cruise line covers the world with three smaller ships that give a superior cruise experience for those looking for a higher level of service and a more refined and relaxed cruise vacation. Right now is the best time ever to experience luxury cruising, because of the tremendous value and more inclusive nature of their cruises, including:

• Outstanding pricing with 2 for 1 fares on ALL voyages (and an additional $1K to $2k off if you book before September 30, 2009)
• Free air fare from 22 U.S. gateway cities and a free upgrade to Business Class on a Category C suite or higher. (This also gets you your own butler service on board)
• Free unlimited shore excursion on all voyages. (note: this doesn't mean every shore excursion is free, but they offer many of the most popular ones that you can choose from. Premium shore excursions are greatly reduced)
• All gratuities are included.
• No additional charge for Government Fees and Taxes.
• Complimentary beverages, including fine wines and premium spirits and an all open-seating dining policy.
• Newly refurbished fleet with new alternative dining venues (like the Prime 7 restaurant) included.
• More personal space. All suites are a minimum of 301 sq. ft with walk-in closets, full tub bathrooms and 98% balconies. Two ships only have balcony suites or higher!

Lets just look at one cruise - May 26 2010 on the Seven Seas Navigator. It is a 14 night voyage to Alaska from San Francisco to Vancouver. This cruise has a published fare of $13,195 per person - but right now you can get this all-inclusive cruise for $5,595 per person. That fare is an ocean view suite of 301 sq. ft.

Now, just for comparison, a leading cruise line has a 14 day Alaskan voyage on a similar sized ship. Their "larger" Ocean View cabin is only 173 square feet and their pricing for this category is $3,299. If you add airfare (could be $500 per person) and you each have a couple of drinks with lunch, dinner, nightcap you can easily pay $5 per drink including tip. This doesn't even have to be all alcoholic - but bottled water or virgin cocktails too. (5 drinks per day per person would easily be $350 per person for the cruise). How about shore excursions? This itinerary has 6 ports of call. Perhaps you do a couple in one port and none in another. Let's call it $100 per person per port. That's another $600 per person. Don't forget about tipping. Normally $10 per person per day, this ads up to another $140 per person. Let's add it all up. $3,299 + 500 + 350 + 600 + 140 = $4889. This gets you a smaller cabin and a less inclusive experience. In fact, if you can get on the Regent Ship as part of a group, you can also get things like a $500 per cabin spa or onboard credit or even a hotel stay before your cruise. The comparison gets even more telling as you move higher into the balcony suite categories. I believe I've been rather conservative with my estimates as well.. but if the feeling of not concerning yourself with the minutia of getting out your cruise card and signing for every visit to the bar, the value is amazing. I think it is worth the extra $35 per person per day.

With passenger capacities from 490 to 700 guests, you get lots of personal space on board and not just in your cabin. Walking the decks and public areas gives you the feeling like this is your own personal yacht. You truly get to be king (or queen) for the day, every day, during your voyage.

I forgot to mention that kids can sail from $399 to $699 and this includes the unlimited shore excursions!!

Personally, I love the fact that they are including your adult beverages. This eliminates the need to remember who bought wine at dinner last night or who's turn it is to buy a round after the show tonight. You are free to just connect with your cruisemates without feeling nickle and dimed every time you want to visit the lounge.

What you won't find on a Regent ship are rock climbing walls, surfing pools and two story screens where you can play Nintendo Wii.

What you will find are most of the amenities that you'd expect from a modern cruise ship. Things like multiple fine dining restaurants with chefs trained by Le Cordon Bleu of Paris, cigar lounge, night clubs with DJs, Casino, mutli-tiered show lounge. There are production shows and smaller music ensembles crating concert-quality music to enjoy throughout the ship.

Where do they go?
They have a ton of fantastic itineraries. From 5 to 11 night sailins int he Caribbean to an excellent Panama Canal cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco. Alaska sailings, Asia, Mediterranian and Holy Land, Most of Europe, Australia, Africa.. you name it. These smaller ships can go to ports where the huge contemporary lines don't fit and all the while you get to experience the refined luxury that is only available from a luxury cruise line.

You deserve a better vacation! Check out these terrific sailings and treat yourself to the best that cruising has to offer. There has been no better time to give yourself the ultimate vacation experience.

visit http://www.norcalcruises.com or contact us at (877)622-7784

News Release: Princess Commodore Certified

2009-08-21T16:10:00.001-07:00

Local Travel Agent Becomes Cruise Expert by Earning Prestigious Top Rank inPrincess Cruises Academy

ROCKLIN, CA AUGUST 21, 2009 – A Rocklin travel agent has achieved prestigious Commodore status in Princess Cruises’ Academy training program, certifying him as an expert cruise professional. As a Commodore, Patrick Thompson of CruiseOne, Inc. joins an exclusive group of travel agents who are now recognized by Princess at the Academy's highest level for their unique qualifications and knowledge as a cruise planning professional. Patrick Thompson earned this distinction after completing the minimum 25 courses necessary to graduate from the program.

“We at Princess are very proud of Patrick’s dedication, as he put in extra effort to offer clients exceptional knowledge regarding our cruise vacation product as well as our worldwide destinations,” said Jan Swartz, Senior Vice President of Customer Service and Sales at Princess. “Travel agents who reach this top level in our Academy program have completed hours of course work to become a cruising expert, which will prove invaluable to providing clients with a great vacation.”

Princess Academy is the cruise industry’s most comprehensive online training program available to travel agents in the U.S. and Canada. Agents who complete the extensive coursework become experts on a wide range of topics, offering travelers full knowledge of important details about a Princess vacation such as the different passenger amenities on the line’s 17 ships, the company’s worldwide destinations and the many special programs available onboard.

“I’m excited to be a Princess Commodore and expand my expertise about this excellent brand. The knowledge I’ve gained make me a more valuable resource for my clients, and enables me to recommend the very best vacation that matches all of their needs,” said Patrick.

To become a Commodore, travel agents must fulfill 25 required and elective classes, representing approximately 15 hours of total course work covering worldwide destinations, onboard programs, and customer service skills. As they complete courses, agents receive their “stripes” through four levels: First Officer, Staff Captain, Captain and finally Commodore. Agents can continue to take elective courses to expand their knowledge and keep their Commodore status current.
# # #
Sea the Sites with CruiseOne Patrick & Eileen Thompson. Alaska experts!
Visit us at norcalcruises.com or phone (916)435-5061 or toll free (877)622-7784

For further information contact:
Patrick & Eileen Thompson
CruiseOne, Rocklin CA
(916)435-5061 • toll free (877)622-7784
pat@norcalcruises.com

Knowledge is Power - Certification Update

2009-08-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Over the past week I've been in training mode. Learning as much as I can about the cruise products available. Last week I gained my Expert Plus certification from Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Just today, I'm proud to announce that I have achieved Commodore Status with Princess Cruise Lines. Giving me the highest level available to agents. This one is extra special to me, not only because I really enjoy Princess, but I worked very hard to be able to even enroll in this program. 25 courses, 25 exams and a 1 hour final exam. Passed 'em all! Yes!

Press Release - Freestyle Certification

2009-08-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

Contact: Patrick J Thompson

(877)622-7784

(877)626-2306

pat@norcalcruises.com

PATRICK THOMPSON EARNS TOP HONORS AT NCL UNIVERSITY

Award-winning cruise line graduates its first class of

Freestyle Certified agents

Rocklin, CA August 12, 2009

Norwegian Cruise Line is proud to announce that Patrick Thompson is among the first to graduate from its new online travel agent university, NCL University. This progressive, state-of-the art online school is geared to deliver an enhanced level of knowledge and insight into Freestyle Cruising - NCL's popular style of cruising, as well as NCL destinations, NCL ship programs and operations, and many other behind-the-scenes elements not available anywhere else. Each graduate is required, within one year, to earn a minimum number of credits through a choice of accredited courses and electives. The rigorous curriculum includes testing at every level in order to move forward.

Norwegian Cruise Line's online university opened its virtual doors in 2008 and is one of the most innovative and successful programs available to travel agents today. With thousands of registered students and growing, NCL U plans to expand its training from the interactive experience of its online program to a continuing educational experience that includes a Ph.D. @ Sea program aboard its ships.

At NCL, we highly recommend the use of a travel professional when booking an NCL cruise, says Andy Stuart, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Passenger Services. "With NCL U, we are investing in our travel partners' product knowledge, marketing and sales skills so our guests will know they are relying on an expert who knows our product inside and out."

By earning NCL U's Freestyle Certification, Patrick Thompson is considered among the most qualified and expert representatives for NCL's cruise product. To reach Patrick, please contact at (877)622-7784 pat@norcalcruises.com.

Progress.. Moving Foreward

2009-08-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time on Norwegian Cruise Lines website taking their NCL-U training. I made it through and finishe up yesterday morning. I am now Freestyle Certfied! I've earned a few goodies including a hooded sweatshirt and a "pen in perfect balance". It felt pretty good. So good, in fact, that I called my local Business Development Manager (my local NCL rep) and got a surprise! Her name was Monique and as we were talking, I realized that she was the woman with whom we had booked our very first cruise in 1999! She used to own a travel agency in town and just by happenstance she lives in my own city and is now an NCL rep. It's a small world. I've already signed up for a ship visitation on the Norwegian Pearl in San Francisco in September with her and a group of agents. I am looking forward to see what this ship is like - with it's bowling alley and over a dozen restaurants plus 10 lounges and getting to take a look at the garden villas and various suites.

Progress is also being made for my marketing efforts. I signed up for our one of our direct mail pieces and figured out how the the software worked. That will go out in early September. Yes!

As a musician in my spare time, I have some quality recording equipment that I can use to not only record music, but also put together commercials. I have found an excellent (and inexpensive) bit of sofware called MixCraft that makes this task pretty painless. Love this program. Anyhow, I recorded a radio ad and made some banners to go along with it to use in a digital radio campaign with a local light jazz radio station. KSSJ in Sacramento. These ads will only be heard and seen when folks are listening to the station on their computers. I figure folks who are able to listen at work are .. well... working and therefore making income and needing vacations. We'll try it for a month to see how it works.

It also looks like NCL will co-op with me and pay for part or all of a radio campaign that features their product. They have a few 11 day round trip sailings from San Francisco to the Mexican Riviera.. perhaps a campaign aimed at last minute vacationers who want to end their summer with a bang. I'll be working on that.

Advertising

2009-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

I had a great meeting with a local radio station sales representative yesterday. I didn't know what to expect or how much advertising would cost. For a start-up operation like ours, it is a significant entry in the budget ledger!

Certainly an educational experience with so many different possibilities. Not just making radio commercials, but sponsoring different events or show segments, charity work, digital and internet radio options and so much more. I'm going to have to evaluate the best way to start.

With print media, the costs are pretty high - even for a small local paper. The time frames are a bit more stringent as well. It seems that radio can give you some flexibility with content and perhaps is a bit more dynamic. If I want to promote a particular product or last minute sailing, it looks like having an ongoing radio campaign might be the right choice.

We'll definitely be giving this some thought as we move forward trying to establish ourselves in the market.

Getting Started

2009-08-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

So here I am with my new Cruise Travel Business ready to take calls and make customer vacation dreams come true.

Business License - check

Fictitious name statement application and published - check

Bank accounts set up - check

Website up and running - check

What do I need to do? I need to let potential customers know that we exist.

This week I've been contacting local yellow page directories, newspapers and radio stations. I set up this blog and even purchased a mailing list.

My yellow page ad won't start until next March.. that's a long time.

My web link with the yellow pages starts in October.. better, but still months away

I'll be running an ad in the travel section of the local paper.. still nearly a month away

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with a local radio station - that should make something happen sooner.

I handed out a few flyers with some cruise deals and my business card attached.. we'll see how that goes.

It seems to take so long to get the advertising going.

I've added my friends and family to my email list and did a little facebooking. So far, I've gotten phone calls from merchant processors and other business-to-business folks who want to sell me things, but so far no customer calls. They'll come, but I'm eager to get started.

In the meantime, I'm boning up on the software and trying to get my connections and information squared away with the cruise lines. I work on some of the more intricate details of our proprietary software and support system in my downtime, but for now I am just plugging along until we can get our name out there.

Maybe it is time to sponsor a hole-in-one contest? Hmmm..

How I became a Cruise Travel Agent part 2

2009-08-05T10:13:00.001-07:00

So after our first cruise to Alaska, my wife and I knew we were hooked. There are so many things about cruising that make it a great family vacation. In addition to kids programs offered by the ships and the inclusive nature of the vacation, it is a worry-free experience. Food, entertainment, sleeping accomodations, fun activities - all included. The endless soft drink cup and other amenities (including shopping) make for a trip that can be as affordable as any land vacation.

Don't get me wrong, we still love Disneyland and visiting other places - but we can't think of a better budget planning vacation that a cruise.

We'd cruise again to Alaska with friends and couple of more times with just my wife and I. We'd also toss in a short Mexican weekend trip just to mix things up. We'd definitely found our favorite mode of transportation. My wife and I are both ocean lovers and fortunately we don't have motion sickness, so again and again when we start thinking about vacations, we think about cruising.

Like most folks, I had a regular day job. In actuality, I had a side business doing website hosting and programming in addition to working my day job in the telecom field for nearly 20 years.

When the economy took a turn for the worse we fell victim to a bad mortgage, went through a foreclosure and I couldn't work for the company I was at anymore. Trying to find a new job in this economy was a challenge. Despite years of knowledge in my field, the jobs just weren't there. I took a good hard look at things and after a couple of false starts as a temp, I decided that my career had to take a new direction.

While my side business was bringing in some income to help meet expenses, I began investigating other businesses. Franchises, home based opportunities, get rich quick schemes.. they are all out there. I was leaning toward something in travel. I investigated varous travel agent schools and host agency programs when I came across the CruiseOne opportunity. It looked interesting so I brought it up to my wife, Eileen.

Now, Eileen had alwyas wanted to be a travel agent. It was just something in the back of her mind that seemed fun and exciting. She thought it sounded pretty good, so I began to do some research and make a few due dilligence calls. I contacted several CruiseOne agents from around the country and asked them how they are doing, how they liked CruiseOne, what kind of support they got, whether they'd do it again, etc. I liked the answers that I was getting.

The cost of the franchise was reasonable enough, and it was one of the few that had some kind of health care plan associated with it (a real bonus). So I contacted CruiseOne and began the process of buying the franchise.

I had never been in direct sales before - and a cruise travel business is exactly that. You're selling cruises. Man, there is a lot to learn. From working with proprietary new software and getting familiar with how the business works to developing marketing plans and just getting squared away with things like stationery and business cards all comes into play.

Through all of this, though, I had a philosophy that I think is key for anyone:
If you're going to sell something, you better love it and believe in it.
We certainly loved cruising and our personal experiences would be very beneficial in helping our customers. We would start by focusing on Alaskan voyages where we could give some real insight to ports of call and shore excursions, etc.

Murphy's law would come into play at this point. Having gone through a foreclosure in 2007/2008 we had moved into a rental home. This was where I was setting up business. Lo and behold we got the phone call we never wanted. The owner of the home we were renting had been laid off and was going to return to California - so we had 60 days to find a new place and move.

I can tell you, setting up for a new business while trying to move at the same time certainly presents its challenges. We made a decision to find a larger home and move in together with my daughter and son-in-law. This limited our choices and we spent hours, days and weekends searching for the right home. I very much wanted to stay in my same city so I could keep the telephone numbers and services that I had already established. In the end, this would not be.

The home we found was in a neighboring community in the same county, but I'd have to get all new phone and utilities with different companies - and reestablish all of my business related licenses and activities at the same time as finding time to go to Ft. Lauderdale Florida for a six days of intensive training for the new cruise franchise just a week before our big move.

Needless to say, we worked through it all and made the move and I'm now sitting here in my new office typing this blog and getting things ready to make our new franchise a success.

This catches us up to the moment. Now we can move on with the continuing adventures of being a cruise travel agent. Stay tuned.

How I became a Cruise Travel Agent

2009-08-05T08:13:00.001-07:00

Ahoy,

My name is Patrick Thompson and I recently became a cruise travel specialist by purchasing a franchise with CruiseOne.

This journey has taken awhile and it has only just begun - but I thought I'd share a little bit about me and my journey to this place.

Where to begin? Let's start in 1999 when we took our first cruise.

My wife Eileen and I wanted to take a cruise with our two kids. Our daughter Katie was 11 years old and our son Kevin was 7. We started looking at cruise itineraries and we settled on Alaska. Not only were we excited about seeing our 49th state, but after seeing episodes of The Love Boat on TV we wanted to give Princess a try. Fortunately the port of San Francisco is only about two hours away from us, so this turned out to be a perfect fit.

Our first voyage would be in mid-June on The Sky Princess which was one of the last true steam driven ships sailing from American ports. We didn't know this at the time, but despite showing its age, it remains one of our favorite ships.

We arrived at the port of San Francisco. Being novices we parked at the garage and drug our luggage about three blocks to the port. Since this was a 10 day round trip, we had quite a bit of luggage in addition to video cameras, purses and laptop computer. We later found out that we could have dropped our luggage first and then parked - which of course we did from then on out.

Unfortunately, our first order of business was to fill out the trip documentation that had somehow been lost by Princess. It only took about 20 minutes to complete the documents, then we were checked in and onboard the ship.

Upon departure from the port, we had tug boat escorts and fire boats sprouting water around us to signal our departure. The ships naturist was commentating as we cruised under the Golden Gate bridge and our first cruise adventure was underway.

The buffet was open and we indulged in some lunchtime fare and headed for our cabin. We were budget minded on this trip and having never sailed before we had an inside cabin. It was set up with two twin beds, one on either side of the cabin and then two flip-down bunk beds were over those. So the kids each had a bunk bed and my wife and I had a twin. It made for pretty tight quarters. By the time the ladders were in place and our luggage was stowed, it was clear that we'd mostly be using the cabin for sleeping and bathroom facilities and spending most of our time in the various public rooms and decks. The inside cabin was comfortable enough, but the lack of a window made it impossible to know what time of day it was. Your clock is your best friend!

This itinerary, as it turns out, has been our favorite so far. We hit the Canadian ports of Victoria and Vancouver first, then up to Alaska.

In Vancouver, we explored Stanley Park. We took a horse driven carriage around the park, checked out the totem poles and visited their modest aquarium. My daughter is a big Orca fan and it was a little sad to see the small facilities that accomodated their Orca whale. We saw the show, toured the inside facilities and made our way back to the ship.

Next was Victoria. We discovered that there aren't many places of interest within walking distance to the port of Victoria, so getting some kind of transportation is a must. We took a "limo" which was just a chauffeured Cadillac Coupe de Ville to Butchart Gardens. The driver gave us some sight seeing information along the way until we reached the gardens. I must say, this place is fantastic! Even if you are not an avid gardener or have no interest in horticulture, the sheer size of the place and all of the unique and inteteresting venues make it a "must see" attraction.

Now, anyone who knew my son at the time won't be surprised to find out that his active and rambunctious nature would get him into trouble. Sure enough, near the end of our tour, we were looking at a small water based garden when.. oops! He fell in the water. A trip to the gift shop for a new shirt and back to the cruise ship.

Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan as well as cruising the magnificent Hubbard Glacier were on our agenda.

In Juneau, we hadn't pre-booked any shore excursions. First we wanted to do a whale-watching excursion. By happenstance, we chose "Orca Enterprises" which were located right off the pier. We signed up and paid our fees - then were escorted by their private shuttle bus to Auke bay where we boarded their whale watching jet boat and headed out to see whales.

Captain Larry is the best. He's the guy that all of the other whale watching boats follow because he has the knowledge, skill and resources to find the whales. On this trip, we saw humpbacks - but no Orca. Stellar Sea Lions were also on the agenda. During this trip, my son made a connection with Sheila, Captain Larry's daughter who was about the same age. They had disappeared at one point. We found them in the bathroom together.. hmmm. That's something we still laugh and tease Kevin about.

Just by pure coincidence, the Sky Princess' naturist just happened to be on the same whale watching exursion as we were. It was great to have is narration and keen whale spotting skills on board with us. We were able to ask him questions and get facts about the whales and the area that we otherwise would have missed. You could tell that he'd found his calling and was so excited about his career.

One of the great surprises on this whale watching tour is something that we always remember fondly. Captain Larry pulled up to a forested island and stopped the boat. He brought out a packet of fish and a syringe and stepped to the back deck of the boat. He injected some air into the fish, through a couple of them into the water and made a whistling noise. Next thing you know, bald eagles were circling the boat and then descending into the water. This was a great opportunity for video. We hadn't expected to see so many eagles! Once we returned to the marina we also noticed a pine tree with no less than 16 bald eagles perched in the tree. Spectacular memories.

While in Juneau, we decided to take the Mount Roberts Tramway up the side of the mountain to see what we could see. It's a bit pricey, but we figured it was a once in a lifetime chance so we took it. Seeing the ships from the top of Mount Roberts really gives you perspective on how high you are. Huge ships look like matchbox toys floating in the port. We then made an ill-fated decision. We decided to try eating at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. Even though food was free on board the ship, we wanted to give it a shot. We sat down in the nearly deserted restaurant (clue #1 missed) and ordered some tea and sodas. Twenty minutes later, with the waitresses schmoozing with the bartender and still no drinks on our table, we decided to leave and get dinner on board the ship. Terrible service up there. I guess they figure they'd never see us again, so why bother. Little did they know that we'd be back at least three more times (and counting).. but c'est la vie. Lesson learned.

We did not schedule any shore excursions for the other ports of call of Skagway or Ketchikan. In hindsight, we should have taken the kids to see the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. My wife and I finally saw it on our third cruise to Alaska and enjoyed it immensely. Those lumberjacks are talented and in great physical condition and the whole atmosphere of the show is a hoot! It is an inexpensive, easy to walk to event that happens multiple times throughout the day. Definitely take in that show.

Hubbard Glacier was a sight to behold. It is located in Yukatat Bay/Disenchantment Bay. We arrived early and got up on deck to see. It was a little bit eerie to see and hear the ship cruising through the ice of the bay which scraped the sides and thoughts of The Titanic enter your mind. Fortunately the ice is small and the ship easily maneuvers through it. Glacier cruising is definitely a highlight of an Alaskan voyage. This day alone is worth getting a balcony cabin for this trip. At nearly 6 miles wide, Hubbard Glacier is huge with lots of active calving of the glacier. (Big chunks of ice falling off into the water). Cruise ships (or any ship) can't get too close because calving doesn't just occur above the water line, but also below which sends huge chunks of ice up from under the water that could be dangerous to any ship that is above it. The captain slowly moved the ship through the bay making sure to spin her around so all passengers could get a fantastic view. We all enjoyed it immensely, while also seeing seals and eagles during this part of the trip. My son, of course, was not all that interested and read Harry Potter the whole time.

The trip home included a couple of sea days (and formal night). This was a great time to reflect on what we'd seen and relax for our final leg of the trip. We'd had traditional early dining at a table for four and since my wife's birthday happened during this part of the trip, the head waiter Jose had arranged for a celebration including a birthday cake and a beautiful rendition of Happy Birthday sung in an operatic style. This was also the Baked Alaska night where all of the waiters parade through the darkened dining room holding their flaming ice cream creations.

Disembarkation in San Francisco was a little lengthy, but not difficult. Learning from our initial mistakes, I went to get the car and brought it to the terminal where we loaded up and headed home.

This was our first Alaskan cruise, but would not be our last.

If you'd care to see pictures and video from our cruises, including this trip please Visit our Family Forum - click here