Oasis of the Seas: It’s all about the cupcakes

Now in her new home at Port Everglades here in Florida, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas continues to draw attention.  Online message boards, bloggers and other sources are buzzing over the ship’s arrival and many of the new features.  While interest has reached a fevered pitch, not everyone is happy about what they see and hear.

Price is one of the first topics that comes up when discussing Oasis and her being-built sister Allure of the Seas, due out next year.  In a very price-conscious economy,  Oasis sells for as much as 30 to 40% more than other ships doing a similar itinerary.  As true as this is, equally true is that the Oasis class ships of Royal Caribbean are truly unlike any other ship in service.  To expect this ship to price along with others who have been in service for 5 to 10 years doing the same itinerary is not appropriate.  If you want a ride on this one, expect to pay more.

Size, rightfully so, is another topic that gets discussed quite a bit.  From environmental groups concerned over pollution potential to cruise purists who long for the olden days of smaller-ship cruising, many are eager to start and perpetuate a debate.  While both these groups and others mean well and are committed to their beliefs, at this point they are vocal over potential issues, not actualproblems.  The first revenue sailing of Oasis, marking the actual start of her cruise history,  has not even come to pass yet.  Yes, this is the biggest ship on planet earth.  Yes, more people will get on and off this ship on turnaround day than any other ship.  But also a resounding YES and kudos to Royal Caribbean for taking all that into consideration and building a ship for everyone.

Those opposed to this ship just don’t get it….or at least most don’t.  Some kind of do.

I read yesterday where someone said the ship was like a hotel on a floating barge.  Another said it should be called Theme Park of the Seas.  Those people kind of do get it.  They are right to a certain extent.  Where they lose it and don’t get it is the cupcakes.

Long ago and far away, cruise ships did not sell cupcakes.  Cruise ships might have made a cake or Baked Alaska might have been paraded around the dining room on formal night, but they did not sell cupcakes.

Oasis does.  Oasis gets it.  Oasis is relevant.

Dividing the ship up into neighborhoods, each with its own unique flavor was simply brilliant.   What if they had built this ship and done nothing different than make more cabins?.  There is no shortage of cruise ships to go from point A to point B.  But the cruise business has evolved from the transatlantic ocean liner that brought my ancestors here long ago to almost being put out of business by the airliner to being reborn by Carnival as a fun, hip thing to do to where they are today; poised to go off in yet another direction I believe led by visionary cruise lines like Royal Caribbean. Even Norwegian Cruise Line with their new Norwegian Epic coming out later which also redefines the cruise experience, maybe not to such an extent as Oasis, but in that direction.

Yes, Oasis of the Seas is all about being relevant.

From opening night this week with pop-singer Rihanna and a live broadcast of Good Morning America the next morning, to trendy gourmet cupcakes, food venues and areas of the ship embracing what is happening right now in the world, this one has it all.

But that is the flashy side of Oasis.  The company behind her, Royal Caribbean International, is  a solid organization that is in tune with it’s customers.  While other cruise lines may nickel and dime guests to death, make applying discounts and special offers difficult and are sticking with the old programs of yesterday, Royal Caribbean for many years has striven to be the one that is easy to do business with.  They commonly refer to what they do as “delivering the “Wow!” and work hard to make that happen.

When a guest steps foot on of their ships, they are totally into making that experience truly a “cruise of a lifetime” as they say.  There is a lot that goes into making and keeping this ship afloat as we have covered in our series of articles leading up to now. Those that get it will appreciate all that has gone into this ship, pay the price, and have a fabulous vacation that they truly can not get anywhere else.

Thinking about sailing on the Oasis?  Contact your travel agent today; right now Royal Caribbean is making it easier to enjoy those extras on Oasis and sister-ship Allure of the Seas with a special offer granting bonus onboard credit of $200 to those who book a December 2009 sailing of Oasis or $100 for a December 2010 through April 2011 sailing of Allure.  That’s not good for group sailings and other restrictions apply

I can get a whole lot of cupcakes for $200

Do be sure to join us right here, live on Oasis of the Seas starting early Thursday morning for the drive from Orlando to Port Everglades then look for reports throughout the day and night all about the ship

Dang good question

So I get this email right?

“Is something going on with cruise prices?  I have been getting some emails about pricing for 4 and 5 day cruises for under $200 a piece.  Are the ships trying to fill up?  If so, this sure does sound like a great time to cruise. What’s the news?”

What to do but respond accurately:

Nothing new really.

A large number of people who might have booked far in advance didn’t and are tending to still cruise, they’re not stopping that…but they are waiting and cautious about committing to a vacation or other big ticket item…or they were I should say.

It appears that the tide is turning on the economy and people are out buying again. That’s just perfect for cruises. Since so many buyers did not buy a long time ago as they usually did, that created a huge surplus of cabins available. Not to let those cabins just sit the cruise lines encouraged the heck out of group cruises.

Well, see the thing about groups is that it makes the cruise lines feel good and feel confident because lots of cabins are “spoken for” meaning there are travel agencies with blocks of rooms to sell. So part A of their plan worked very well. They offered more incentives for groups and got lots of agencies to commit to group space.

The problem was with part B of the plan. Regardless of where the available cabin came from, people still were not buying. They might get in on a cruise but cancel when payments were due, not ready to commit. So while the cruise lines are feeling all warm and fuzzy about having so many cabins committed they really did not have anything special there at all. They just had more cabins back on their hands a bit later, when the travel agencies reached the end of their option period on the cabins and gave them back to the cruise lines. Now they’re having a fire sale rather than have cabins sail empty with nobody to pay the tips, lose money in the casino, have a drink, etc

That’s one reply to your excellent question.

Another would be; boys will be boys and the cruise lines are getting more creative in their marketing efforts, grabbing your attention one way or another. Look at the fine print. I see this every day; big flashy headline price that is a whole lot more by the time they pay.

There’s still no free lunch.

These deals that sound unbelievably good normally are not exactly as good as they seem.

If you are seeing ads from anyone other than the cruise lines themselves, more and more fees are being charged it seems. Lots of non-refundable processing fees, lots of extra, sometimes hefty, cancellation fees that you agree to let them charge when you buy.

I never liked those but have seen some that do make a bit of sense and are starting to crop up some. Those are the small handling fees some agencies are charging for handling short cruises. Often the cruise lines have those so low priced that the agencies are really not getting much at all out of it financially. You really don’t want them operating like that. Your professional travel agent can create such value for you over the years that you want to take care of them.

I realized that was one way to look at it and it reminded me of how very important the business relationship between travel agents and their clients is.  I get it.  I think more and more people who have been burned by their Internet Cruise Brokers, attempts to just “do it online themselves” or even those who deal directly with the cruise line…you would think at least that would be worry-free…and to a good extent it is, except that the cruise line is never going to look for a lower price for you and automatically apply it.    They would have to do that and then some to beat the value a good travel agent affords us.

I have a daughter who recently graduated college with a degree in public relations.  She moved to Chicago where she works with a major public relations firm on the cutting edge of social media.  You don’t have to read these people’s blogs, tweets, Facebooks, or what they doodle on the back of a cocktail napkin very long to see how front and center building relationships is.  Travel agents have known this all along.

A good one is waiting for all of us.

What I think about: Cheapskates

First let’s get things straight on terminology by defining two types of people.  Cheapskates and Value-Oriented Consumers.

Value-Oriented Consumers want to get the most for the money they spend.  These are people who know spending a bit more for something that will last longer is better in the long-run.  Here is an example of what I mean by that.

I have a pair of slippers I bought from LL Bean at least 20 or so years ago.  I don’t wear them  every day but when we lived up North they were great for a firewood run in the Winter.  There are paint drops of the Burgundy wall color that was popular decades ago that won’t go away.  They’re a bit worn but, to me, they’re all the slippers I’ll ever need.  Now here in Florida, I’ll put them on to run the dog out or just have around in the Winter when the temperature gets less than 50.

At the time I bought them, they were a bit more expensive than other slippers I might have bought but these were made well.  I had been ordering from LL Bean for years, starting back when you got a catalog, filled in an order form and sent it in or called them on the phone.  The notion of ordering “online” was not even an option yet.   I remember ordering these slippers and calling in the order only because there was a variety of choices and I wanted to talk to someone about which to choose.  I felt confident relying on their recommendations and placing that order because I knew they took anything back, no questions asked, much like former retail dominator Sears had when I was a child.  My dad always shopped there as did most everybody’s dad I knew because they would always take something back if it did not work out for you.

I think I got my education in what kind of consumer to be at Sears.  Or maybe it was the local hardware store where men were on duty who knew just what you needed for whatever it was you came in there for.  That was just the way business was done.  Consumers built relationships with stores, brands, even particular sales people who stayed put in their jobs in the time of life-long employment.  That’s not to say there were not fly-by-night companies that would try to take advantage of consumers.  There have always been and always will be those sharks out there who are not concerned about building a long-term relationship, earning our business and counting on us to make a living over a lifetime.   Venture Stores come to mind as does any one of a mind-full of other failed business’.

The Value-Oriented Consumer knows what they want and if they don’t they know where to go for expert recommendations, good pricing and they consider that business their source for whatever it is they sell.

We had a florist we used who I had worked for as a boy sweeping floors.  They had done flowers for my wedding, and any other special occasion along the way.  At one point, the salesperson we always talked to there, moved to a different florist, so we moved with him.  There was commitment on both sides.   Sure, that florist dropped the ball once along the way, making a holiday wreath for us that just was not what we had in mind at all, but quickly replaced and made good on the deal.

Are you getting the hang of this concept of “Value” yet?  It involves attempting to have a long-term business relationship with a company that “gets it” .   Gets YOU.

The social media Twitter/Facebook/MySpace craze of today focuses on building relationships as a cornerstone of the movement.   That’s wonderful.  If they do it.  In the long run, consumers will come out way ahead IF they find and use a business that believes in this concept of value also.  Both sides have to “get it”

In the world of today, so much has changed but so much is the same.

We have computers, instant access to online resources that might appear to be a good substitute for a good business relationship with a company but they are not.

Every once in a while I hear a doctor or someone else with (supposedly) a lot of smarts who will say sarcastically, “Oh sure, if it says so on the Internet it must be true!”  and I think “Uh yeah, so what’s your point?”  believing that what I see on the Internet IS true for the most part.   I mean, sure, I’m not stupid, if I see something unbelievable on the Internet I won’t believe it.  Plain and simple.  But some people just really like to believe that if someone has a slick website then they must be telling the truth and what they see before them is fact.

That right there may be the single most destructive thought the age of technology may have brought us.  It plays to the worst side of us, the side that wants to believe whatever we see that supports our point of view.  With billions of web pages, it does not take much looking to find just what we think we want.  That’s if we let ourselves get all caught up in it all and forget the lessons learned, the gains made and the viewpoint that made sticking with a business and developing that long-term relationship over time such a smart strategy

You see, in the olden days that was the only choice.  It was Sears, Montgomery Wards or JC Penney , maybe Macy’s to choose from for most stuff.  Having a job working for Sears for 40 years was a common thing and there were lots of people doing that.   The Information Age, Age of Technology, Computer Age, whichever you want to call it, eventually ruined that.  A by-product?  Maybe

Now, we have to go out of OUR ways as consumers to seek out and stick with business’ who…well…”care” about us

That is the task premiere for a Value-Oriented Consumer.   Much like moving to a new city, Value-Oriented Consumers have to find those people, those business’ that “get it”.

Cheapskates are easy to define as they are so one-dimensional.  They go for the flashy headline advertising to get “the best deal” missing the point altogether.

Cheapskates want so badly to get that $199 cruise that they disregard the facts.   In reality they have to pay port charges, taxes and government fees that often nearly double that price.  Add in a fine-print item like a non-refundable processing fee or cancellation fee that most people don’t find out until later and this is not the stuff that long-term, mutually beneficial business relationships are made of.

Cheapskates go from one source to another with no regard for the future, as though the only thing that matters is the price they pay today.  That short-term thinking is killing business in America, maybe all over the world, and opening the door for those smart enough to be Value-Oriented Consumers to start a “new” movement in how business is done.  A movement that should sound or feel somewhat familiar after reading this because it’s all been done before.  Business is surely “sourcing” stuff to get the best value but up until recently that has meant the best price.

After going for the best price always and getting burned a high percentage of the time, business is learning.   Consumers are learning.

Business is learning to offer what will be mutually beneficial to their customers in the long run, not just focusing on the day-to-day which created the environment that brought us Payday loans, cheaply made goods, poorly excecuted services and where we are right now.  The old business model of putting things out on bids to three different sources and using the cheapest one with price being valued way too high led our country to the brink of disaster and a economic period that will surely be called the Great Recession decades from now with exactly the same heaviness as the “Great Depression” was from a former generation.

All society’s greed did was create a group of Cheapskate consumers not focused on the long-term.  Not focused on building relationships.  Not focused on doing it right, whatever it was they were or still are doing.

But I’m seeing more and more people these days looking for the long-term benefits that brand loyalty can bring.  We were a “Tide” family when I grew up.  That was the laundry detergent we used and there was no changing that.  Tide got lazy though.  Tide got lazy, forgot about our relationship, and opened the door for Cheer to come in and take over by doing what?  Building relationships by providing a superior product with excellent customer service and a desire to be our laundry detergent.   Think about other companies that lost their way and are not around any more.  Think of the consumers that spent their time and money with those companies only to be left alone looking for another source.

Does the airline industry teach us anything here?    How about the mighty American car industry?  How did they let the door open to foreign imports who have taken so much market share from them?

Frequent flyer programs may have made one airline more attractive than another.  More features and better craftsmanship may have made one car company more desirable than another.    The Cheapskates were in the driver’s seat on that one for sure.  Driving business to give them exactly what they thought they wanted, business complied…for the most part.   Some did not.  Coca-Cola never changed its formula and didn’t Kentucky Fried Chicken.   But they practically gave away their products at a price below what that product deserved in order to gain market share.  In order to satisfy the short-term thinking Cheapskates

Cheapskates either just don’t know or are stupid.

Value-Oriented Consumers are smart but might very well have been cheapskates in the past.

Business is headed back to Value-Oriented Consumers who shun the cheapo Internet Cruise Brokers and embrace highly skilled and experienced Travel Agents.  Instead of putting stuff out for bids, companies are working with one supplier to source their needs at a competitive price.   That price might not always be the lowest but the commitment of that business to the consumer more than makes up for it in the long-run.  The focus is back on the long run.  Just now.  Just starting back for many.  Some will “get it”, others won’t at all and they will die the financial and business death of others before them who didn’t “get it”.

The housing bubble burst, Wall Street crashed in a way not seen since that last “Great” bad time,  Obesity (with a big “O”) is fast becoming the number one killer in America, taking over for long-time favorite Cancer and unemployment tops 10% in more areas than it has in decades.   People are starting to reevaluate how they do things and “tightening the belt” is not the answer.  The belt is so tight in some areas that there is no room to go anywhere except a new direction

Because we learn.

Some learn.

Others don’t learn.

Others never will.

Some people will buy a dozen pairs of slippers in their lives while others will buy just one or two.   I am excited that every day I see more and more of my clients or those I come in contact with who do “get it”,  want and demand the very best value and come out miles ahead in the long-run.  That’s exciting to see.  What burns me, what makes me mad and people I have no use for are the Cheapskates that don’t “get it”.  I have served plenty of them, once or maybe twice, before they went on to the next “low-price-at-the-expense-of-all-else” short-term business relationship.

That’s what I think.  What do you think?

Not about cruising: Let’s shake on it

So the other day I’m watching a new episode of the TV show Cops right?   I started recording the new season on FOX setting my TiVo for “New Episodes” only right?   I did this mainly because we have enjoyed the show in the past but syndication of the long-running series has episodes from who-knows-when all over the place.  We like watching shows like this though. MSNBC prison shows are a favorite too.

I’m not sure why but I’ve always liked prison shows.  Escape from Alcatraz, the Birdman of Alcatraz (to go back a while) and all-time favorite Brubaker with Robert Redford rate high.  So Cops has always been a favorite too.  Oh yes, it goes beyond reality too, this interest.  The CSI shows are tops on the series list (well, not the New York one, Lt Dan doesn’t work for me in that one), Criminal Minds, The Closer, etc, are of big interest somehow.  Maybe because I have never been arrested for anything in my life.  Maybe I was Al Capone in a previous life.  I really don’t know why but I know these shows.

I saw one brief scene on Cops though that made me pause the other day.

It wasn’t some buffoon criminal who had attempted to do something stupid (some of these people really need to find a different line of work).   It was not some unbelievable situation someone had gotten themself into that looked so simple sitting at home watching remotely.  It was something I simply take for granted that did not happen.

It was during an incident when a police officer was interviewing people to figure out who was at fault.  After a short exchange with one person of interest it was determined they were not involved  The suspect extended his hand to shake the hand of the police officer saying “Thanks for what you do”.  What came next said so much to me about where we are as a society.

The officer looked at the man’s hand and said “We don’t shake hands”

My traditional background has not been able to shake that thought ever since.  I was brought up to respect the law and those who work to enforce us and protect us from harm.  Long before the tragedy  of 9/11 made it fashionable to approach a member of law enforcement, a firefighter or emergency worker thank them for being keeping us safe,  my dad did that when I was a little boy.

What has made a show of respect and gratitude something that those people need to be concerned about?

At the time, it came across to me like the thought going  through the officer’s mind was “because I am not wearing gloves and I don’t know what disease you might have”.  Later I wondered if it was because of legal reasons they don’t want to touch people for fear of being sued for something.   Maybe it was for their personal safety the officer needed to keep a certain distance.   Regardless of why, It made me wonder.

We speak so much about building relationships but yet this most basic (to me anyway) of relationships between all of us and those who protect us has changed so much.   What does this say of us?

Relationships, Transparency and Honesty

This week the difference between several types of clients really hit home.

As a travel agent specializing in cruise vacations and working with clients all over the world, I get associated with all kinds of people.  I am currently, have been, or will be in contact with a wide and diverse variety of travelers who share one thing in common.  They all want to go on a cruise.  But that is about where the similarity ends.  How they go about it, what they are looking for, and what they will get out of it varies widely.  Over the years, I have been able to categorize people into several stereotypical groups based on their behavior before, during and after our experience together.  Few people fit a category exactly but many share commonalities that are notable.

Bargain Hunters To The Death

This bunch is looking for the rock-bottom low price at all costs.  Nothing is more important than price.  These people commonly use me and/or another travel agent to research what they need then go buy it from an Internet Cruise Broker.  I can tell these people from the first phone call or first email.  Some do convert to another type later on, but all come in the door looking for and firmly believing that the rock-bottom low price is their goal.

They are dead wrong.

Some never budge from this type and over the course of their cruise history, miss out on so much.

If buying a cruise were like buying, say, contact lenses, then 1-800-CruiseBargainBin might be a very good choice.  With contact lenses,  a medical professional examines my eyes and makes a prescription for a certain specific brand and type of lenses, specifying exactly what the variables are to be as far as brand and power.  I accept that recommendation and am now free to shop around for the lowest price.   I could buy my lenses right there at the doctors office.  But I found that for this product, there are on line sources that give me the exact same thing.   The price is less and they get delivered to my door; those are the two variables that are important to me.  Also important to me is that I can see with them in.  If I can’t, I go back to my medical professional who adjusts my prescription.  I don’t have to do it this way.  I have been to Wal-Mart for eye exams too.  It was relatively quick and easy and at the end of the day, I could see good with the lenses I got there.  That worked for many years.  But life changes, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and now an Ophthalmologist is the person I need to see, not an Optometrist.  So Wal-Mart is out but I am getting a higher level of care at about the same price.  Now, the service aspect of it is important to me.  Since, for now, my eyes don’t change much, I’ll still buy those lenses on line.  But I know that if I started seeing differently that the on line buying source would be of no help to me at all.

The point is that buying a cruise is not at all like buying contact lenses, there are many more variables involved, some that change over time and using a travel professional is the way to go.  This type of buyer knows this. They understand what value is.  They know value is more important than price.  They know that in the long-run they end up way ahead using an agent rather than an Internet website.  They probably do shop for standard items with few variables that never change on the Internet like shoes, clothes, parts for things around the house, or other easy to define products.  They wisely check the return policy and do business with companies that deliver quickly and  make returns easy.  They know that the closest similarity in the buying process to a return policy on a cruise is cancelling before final payment so they can get their money back.

You can’t send back a cruise that doesn’t fit well.

That seems like a really easy to understand statement that everyone should know and understand.  But some people get so into buying on line that they forget.  They want that low price so bad that they overlook details.  What happens is that they realize later that this was not the cruise for them.  By the time they do, precious months of seniority on their booking has slipped away, reducing their chances of complementary upgrades and time they could have been using to fine tune plans for what they will actually do on that vacation.  They shortened the window of time they had to be looking on line for that piece of luggage they need to go on sale.  They basically shot themselves in the foot on value.  The saddest part of all?   Unlike the contact lens scenario noted previously, a good travel agent can get you a good price AND provide you with top-tier support throughout the buying cycle.

Where the Internet Cruise Broker has moved on to another potential client seconds after making your sale, that’s where a personal travel agent’s job begins.

Savvy Traveler

The way this traveler does business should be a goal for every one.  They did their research, got with an agent who they trust, considered their recommendations and bought a cruise based on sound research, the recommendation of a professional in the business, and then put that part of the process to rest.  Once that was accomplished, they immediately turned to the thought of Shore Excursions, On board Activities,  Events leading up to the cruise, Planning and all the other activities essential to making their vacation a fabulous experience, custom designed for them and them only.  They seek the advice of their  easy-to-contact agent from time to time, building a long-term business relationship and becoming more that just another “client” but a friend.  They might check prices periodically on the cruise line website for price movement, reporting same to that agent for swift price reductions or cabin upgrades along the way.  They do that as part of a whole program of ongoing activities, not the sole reason to go on line when thinking about their cruise.  These people are booked on the right ship at the right price, one that they can afford.

These are the people you see on board having a great time and not moaning about every little thing that might not be quite right.  These people have commonly cruised  a lot, many having more than one cruise booked at a time.  They know the value of booking as far in advance as possible.  They may also be in a position to go on a cruise at the last minute if a good value becomes available.  This is not necessarily an older group of cruisers but for sure a more organized, thoughtful and caring bunch.  If you are reading this and someone I booked a cruise for more than twice, you are probably in this group.

New Kids On The Block

These are people who have never been on a cruise before.  They have wisely sought the advice of a professional travel agent much like they might seek an attorney for legal matters, a good transmission shop for that type of work or a good contractor to do some work around their home.  They may have surfed the Internet which may have helped them if they stuck to the cruise line websites.  If they went to BobsBargainCruiseBarn.com they probably have a skewed idea of reality.  They may just be thinking about a cruise as one of several other options for a vacation.  They don’t know yet the great value a cruise can be.  They might end up buying from an Internet Cruise Broker believing that the lowest price is what they need.  But they need much more than that.  They need what travel agents call “hand-holding” through the process.  Lots of attention, lots of information, easy access to a personal source of information and more; that’s the basic stuff they need.  If  they buy that bargain price at the broker website they’ll get just that and no more.  They need the “more” and are almost always surprised to find out that the “more” is well worth the time it might take to find a good personal agent.

Sometimes I see these people just once because after their first cruise they are experts.  Now they know what they are doing and they don’t need any help.

Sometimes I see these people again and again.  After the first cruise they too are experts and rightfully so; most cruise lines operate basically the same on the surface.  They all have ships that float, the embarkation process is basically the same and results in you getting on the ship,  cabins are basically the same having beds and a bathroom, the list goes on.  But these people realize that they need to have a professional travel agent in their pocket.  Not for when something goes wrong; that doesn’t really happen all that much.  But for keeping things going right and most commonly better than right.  A travel agent, especially one who specializes in cruises, has their finger on the pulse of what is going on all the time.  They know promotions that could be applied to an individual booking to create a better value.  They know which t’s to cross and which i’s to dot and when.  Because they have a vested interest in you now, they give your booking the personal attention it will not get from a broker.  These people automatically go to the Value Oriented type as soon as they get back from the first cruise and book again.

Value Oriented

This group is price oriented but they get it.  They know that the rock-bottom low price is not always the best price.  If that did not make sense to you, you are not one of these people.  But it would serve you well to at least consider being one of them.  This group keeps the Internet in check and uses it for research.  The web puts a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, just waiting to be explored.  On line booking engines like Travelocity.com or even the Internet Cruise Brokers, can help a motivated dreamer to narrow down a list of hundreds of sailings to some that might work for them.  The Value Oriented personality knows this.  They see clearly that the $199 advertised price does not include port charges, taxes and fees.  They take the time to read the fine print and discover that the Internet Cruise Broker they were going to use charges non-refundable fees and has various booking restrictions.

I am happy to say that I have a lot of clients in this group.  They may have been in another group at one time.  Many were New Kids On The Block at one time while others have booked different ways in the past but realize the value of a travel agent in the process.  That’s an important thing to note, that “realize the value of a travel agent” statement.  To me, it’s simple and I see the value of what I do every day.  To others, that realization may never come or it takes a major disaster to bring the value of a travel agent into focus for them.  They know the travel agent is not the “middle man” taking his cut of the pie, running up the price.   They know they almost always get a better price and do always get better service than any other source including the cruise line itself.  I have a clear picture of this and how it works because originally I thought dealing directly with the cruise line would be the way to go; they DO own the ships after all.

I found out quickly that there was nothing to be gained by booking through the cruise line.  Nothing.  By strict rule, they can not offer a price lower than a travel agent can sell the same thing for.  It may appear that they do if one gets an email, flyer in the mail, or sees a flashy add on their website.  But almost all cruise lines don’t tell the full price, almost always leaving off at least the port charges and taxes.  I hate to say it but they are much like the Internet Cruise Brokers in that way.  Of the times I booked directly with the cruise line for our individual sailings, I never got anything extra, no extra….what is that word?…Oh yes:Value!  No extra value from booking with the cruise line directly.  If you did not know that consider this one paragraph reason enough to have read this.  You could stop right here and have learned a very valuable lesson.

Dreamers and Time Killers

Lots of people in this type are killing time at work.  Maybe there has been a lull in the work load on the job.  Maybe they have other things they should be doing but given Internet access, they use it to dream about a future cruise. These are the people in your office you should be mad at when management takes away your Internet access.   They might surf the Internet to begin with but that can get confusing.  They want to make sense of it all and surfing no longer satisfies that need.  They need a person (me or some creature like me) to interact with in order to fulfill the dream, make it real.  A lot of these same people join group cruises that have a reduced initial deposit.  For $25 they buy bragging rights, a light at the end of the tunnel or simply make the dream more real.  Many of them won’t go on that cruise and cancel when the full deposit becomes due for one “logical” reason or another.  But for those months they had a deposit on a booking, technically they were indeed going on a cruise.  The great thing is that they can cancel that cruise before payment is due, get their money back and all that dream, all that hope, all that relaxing alternative brain-use was free.  Pretty good deal.

Now don’t get me wrong: these are not bad people.  I have some of the most fun in my job interacting with this bunch.  These people also play a big role in my continuing education, a service some people in some jobs have to pay for!  During the course of playing this game in a days time I research lots of cruises to give a viable option package to them to choose from; one that is custom-designed for them with no clicking, searching, interpretation of rules or restrictions or other considerations.  I weed out the sailings that don’t meet their criteria, the ones that truly would not work for them and come up with recommendations that can blossom into a fabulous cruise experience.

For others, I don’t get that chance.  Through their own research, effective or not, they have locked into a particular ship and sailing and are shopping around for the best price.  If given the opportunity (rare) I’ll try to probe deeper and see what the criteria was for deciding on that particular cruise.  The price shopper in them usually won’t allow that; convinced I would probably just want to sell them a more expensive cruise.  I might too; but it would be a better value and a better fit for them.

This group brings me to the reason for writing this today.  As I mentioned previously, this week the difference between several types of clients really hit home.

I do a lot of group cruise business.  For those traveling together who have 5 or more cabins-worth of people going along, that is almost always the way to go.  Even those who have maybe 3 or 4 cabins but a lot of potential group members in family or friends are good candidates for a group cruise.   While the booking process is similar, there are benefits and amenities available to groups for about the same price per person as an individual reservation, if not lower, that make for a better value but more work for us up front.

Last week we went through the process of finding a cruise and getting it set up as a group for a client.   We found their cruise, got them a good price, lots of group amenities, set up a group website for them, and started booking guests into the group.  All pretty normal stuff until I got a request from an on line cruise-bidding company to bid this exact same cruise for this same group leader.

The foundation of a successful relationship with a travel agent is trust and a desire to make that a long-term relationship.  A traveler has nothing to lose and everything to gain from that kind of a relationship.  If I am that traveler and I know that my personal travel agent has my best interests in mind, feel like that agent is working behind the scenes to add value to my booking, I stick with them.  It is the logical thing to do.  It’s what the Savy Traveler and Value Oriented people already know, what the New Kids On The Block or Dreamers and Time Killers may learn and what the Bargain Hunters To The Death will never understand.

Frankly, I was personally offended.

Not offended that they were still checking prices, everyone should do that.  But offended because they had not given me the opportunity to respond to some lower price they had seen somewhere.

Checking prices is something that is a good idea.  We check prices on a regular basis and pass along savings booked guests qualify for when we see them.  But we don’t always see promotions a guest may receive in the mail, via email or just stumble upon on the Internet.

No problem with checking prices.
No problem making lower prices happen when possible.
No problem educating clients on how to look for lower prices.

Big problem on violating the business relationship I thought we had been working on that would benefit that client so very much.

This won’t change anything about our business relationship, but it might keep it from moving forward as quickly and beneficially as it might have had our hearts both been in the right place.  That group leader might come around.  That group leader and others like that group leader, might teach themselves the value of working on that long-term business relationship, one with full transparency and clarity.

Full transparency and clarity; two really good words.   I hope they define most all of my business relationships because I know in the long run that having a clear picture builds the trust necessary to ” have it all”.

I have a guy that I call for landscaping stuff, a guy I call for home remodeling stuff, a place I trust to take my car for service and so on.  Those are the go-to guys I have for those things.  I know and trust them as the source of information on those topics.  I know and trust that if I ask them something they don’t know, they will find out or direct me to a source they trust for the information or service.  This is all good stuff.  When I was a kid, this is how people did business.  Over the course of time we got away from that.  We became a “best price no matter what” society in general, giving birth to Internet Cruise Brokers (their run is coming to an end,  Google “YTB”),  Discount Mortgage Lenders (that didn’t work out really well),  causing airlines to stop paying commissions to travel agents (my,  how good their business is today?),  and other industries who, in my opinion, brought us to the recession/brink of disaster situation we are in/working out of today.

A bright sparkling star on the horizon can be found in the young people of today though.  There is a new generation unfolding that values the building of relationships, transparency and honesty above all else.  My daughter Sydney, a recent college grad currently on an internship in public relations, is all about this.  And it’s not just her.  On Twitter, Face book and other social media forums, this foundation trinity of: Relation Relationships, Transparency and Honesty pervade cyberspace and is beginning, just beginning, to take a hold on what will be the way America if not the world does business in the future.  While those Internet forums may be unfamiliar to many, the message is clear:  We’re going to do this right and you can’t stop us.

This is great stuff.

So, “back to the future”?  Somewhat; if that helps us wrap our heads around it.  But watch out, I think these kids have something here.  What if they can turn back time and bring us to an economy based on Transparency, Building Relationship and Honesty?  How cool would that be?

A new golden age of cruise travel?

I was looking through some cruise brochures yesterday (I do this on Saturday’s while sitting around the pool) and a thought crossed my mind:

“Interesting; the biggest, newest ships have so many more features and options.  Why?”

The two biggest, newest and brightest stars on the horizon are the Norwegian Epic and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas.  These two new ships have more features and more choices for accomodations than anything ever built before.  While very different in and of themselves, both of these ships will offer some common elements that are interesting to think about.  Let’s look at three of them

1. There are no Oceanview staterooms
2. They both offer top-end accomodations presented in a secluded area
3. They are both priced higher than any other ship in their respective fleets

The loss of Oceanview staterooms (cabins with a window) is no big loss to me personally.  We did a Oceanview cabin one time and I thought

“Waste of money, it’s like watching the ocean on TV, might as well get an inside cabin and actually watch the ocean on tv via the ship’s bridge cam” .

But that’s just me.   Others do like Oceanview cabins but the industry trend has been to get away from them.  Many of the new ships out right now have reduced the number of them to where I can’t even hold some for a group cruise.  Looking at older ships though, balconies are the rage and have been for several years.  Older ships going into drydock commonly come out with more balconies than they went in with.  The demand is for balconies over Oceanview so it is no surprise that the newest ships don’t have any.  Still, it does reduce one option a potential guest has to choose from when making a buying decision.  Some won’t care, they didn’t want an Oceanview anyway.  Some will care because they liked the Oceanview.   In my experience those really needing an Oceanview need that point of reference that the window and what is outside of it provides.

For the cruise lines, they get to charge more for that cabin because it has a balcony now.  That’s fair, a balcony offers a better cruise experience.  My time on a balcony is precious.  Being at sea, completely surrounded by the ocean in all directions is so peaceful and offers so much to me that it’s worth it.  I have passed on many sailings when I could not afford a balcony.   I am not one of those people who says “Who cares what cabin I get as long as I am on the ship” .  There are a lot of people that feel that way and truly do not spend much time in their cabin.  I’m glad we have the option of inside cabins for them; that’s a good match for what they want out of their cruise.  I don’t see those going away any time soon but one look at Oasis of the Seas and you can sure see where the focus is; balconies one way or another.  In fact, in addition to the traditional Promenade View inside cabins offering a window view of the Royal Promenade that runs the length of a football field inside the ship, they are offering similar “inside” cabins but with balconies that open inside the ship.

I also thought

“I think the cruise lines “get it”.  I think they realize that the best cruise experience includes a balcony and financial gains aside, a balcony cabin does add to the whole “cruise of a lifetime” experience that I think they have been getting away from recently”

The addition of secluded areas for the top-end accomodations harkens back to the Golden Age of Ocean Liners (think the movie “Titanic”) and a class system that was undeniable.

Modern ships still had that up to this point but in a more indirect way.  One could book passage on a high-end cruise line like Silversea or Regent Seven-Seas where all the staterooms were oppulent and geared toward a higher-income level guest.  Is that a class system at work?  You bet.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing?  I don’t think it is either, it is just differenet marketing to groups of like guests.  That notion smacked me in the face when arriving at Port Canaveral not long ago for a sailing of the Carnival Glory.  We had not sailed on Carnival for a while and it struck me as unique that there were barbecues, pickup trucks and a party atmosphere somewhat like I had experienced when we lived in Kansas City before a Chiefs football game.  I had not seen that on Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or other lines.

Don’t get me wrong.  I am not in any way looking down on Carnival guests in any negative way, just an observation.

If I was to document the scene at Carnival though with the scene at Cunard, for example, I know I would see different groups of people.  Not that Carnval guests don’t cruise on Cunard or vice versa, we do.  But Carnival is all about the “fun” and they have that down pat.  Cunard is a more refined experience.  Those, to me, are some real extremes.  So who are these new ships, Oasis and Epic,  built for?

I think they are built for everyone.  Bargain hunters are not going to find a $199 cruise on either ship any time soon.  A $1000 per person inside cabin is more like it and that in and of itself will turn a lot of people off.  I have even heard comments from other travel agents wondering when the price will come down because they sure can’t sell either ship to their customers priced as they are now.  Clients tell me to let them know when the prices go down and they will take a look.   I don’t know that I will be making that call any time soon.

You see, I think this is a good thing;  feature-heavy ships offering the best possible opportunity for us to fully embrace what cruise travel is all about:

Ulitmate Relaxation

A cruise vacation offers the single-most effective way to get away from real life, relax and get the perspective we need to go forward with life in a productive way.  That is really good for us.   No matter what “relax” means to you, you need to do it.  I am always reminded of the dancing waiters and dining room show they do on many cruise ships when I think of this topic.  How anyone could possibly be thinking about work, bills, commitments or any of the parts of everyday life that bear on us IF they fully embrace this scene has always been beyond me.  On our first cruises, traveling with our children, they would get up and dance around the dining room with the so many other guests, being silly and having a great time.  Some guests don’t like this part and embrace other opportunities to relax.  A spa treatment, a cozy place to read a book, shore excursions, a night at the disco, or any one of a number of other opporunities offer the same “get away from it all” value.

Once away from it all, we can take stock of where we are and where we want to go.  This is the true value of a cruise vacation and one that has left me feeling a little bit different after each sailing.  It’s what makes some guests into cruise addicts as it offers more relaxation, clarity and focus than any other vacation option.  ”Time away” is easy to define;  you’re just not at work or home.  You can get that with camping, a day-trip outside of where you live or other way less expensive options.   To get the clarity and focus towards the future, a cruise vacation does it like no other.  I think Norwegian Cruise line and Royal Caribbean get it and these two new ships are opening a door to the past and the future for all of us.  I think these ships are saying

“We know what you need and are here to deliver it.  Yes, it will cost you more but oh the benefits to you when it’s all over”

So my advice is consistent:  Book as far in advance as possible, plan on it costing more, but do it.  Take a ride on one of these new fabulous ships but don’t step foot on one in the wrong frame of mind.  If you’re looking for a bargain, these are not the ships for you.  If you are looking for a life-altering experience that will allow you the clarity to forcefully impact your life in the future starting the moment you get off the ship,  book one right now.

Again, it is all about “value”.  This just keeps coming up, maybe more now that ever in light of our current world-wide economic concerns.

A traditional way to compare cruises to determine value has always been the  cost per person, per day.  That’s still a good way to calculate monetary value when comparing the exact same sailing on the same ship in the same category cabin with multilpe sources to buy from.  But “monetary value” and what I believe will be the new and more accurate “Total Value” is what we realy need to concentrate on.  Total Value includes price but, more importantly, includes the onboard experience front and center.  Those who “get it” will have no problem understanding this concept.  These will be the people, like me, who have experienced feeling a little different after a cruise.  They come away a different person.  They might not be able to put their finger on exactly what happened to make that a reality but it IS a reality nonetheless.  All these new features, layouts, cabin choices and the overall focus of these new ships offers us the unique opportunity to maximize the clarity and focus we can gain from a cruise vacation experience.

So those are the golden words:

Clarity

Focus

Cruise Vacation Experience

Can you get that from less-expensive sailings on different lines?  You bet!  Coming up on our 40th cruise soon, I know this for a fact.  Each and every one has fostered a new viewpoint, a new starting place and offered the renewal I needed regardless of if I realized that or not.  I grew as a person as a result of each cruise I have been on.  I  have always been a little bit different when I got off the ship than when I got on.  If you are fortunate enough to have experienced this also, you know exactly what I mean.

It is not the food, itinerary, ship, or price that keeps me coming back.  It is not the people I go with or those I meet on board.  It is the clarity and focus I end up with that I can not get anywhere else.  It’s hard to put a price on that but the price of your cruise is a good place to start.  That’s the money part; deal with it.  Get with a travel agent, preferably one that specializes in cruises only but NOT an Internet Cruise Broker, one with a passion for cruising that “gets it” as a starting place.  There are plenty of them out there.  Get to know them either in person or through any one of the many electronic media avenues available to us today.  Start building a long-term relationship with a good travel agent in much the same way you might consider a doctor or other trusted advisor.  The fact is that their involvement in your cruise vacation can make a huge difference in it being the fabulous life-improving experience you can have and a great cruise.  Both are good, life-improving is better.  Why?  Because they can handle all the details of it for you at no cost and most often at a lower cost and/or better value than you can get anywhere else.  That (and this is the important part) leaves you to dream.

Yes: Dream

Dream at night while you sleep, daydream while at work, on the way to the grocery store, sitting around watching TV or hiking on a trail.  The dream you have with you because you booked that cruise which will allow the clarity and focus you will experience is priceless.  The experience itself, done right, will change your life.   Again, if you have done this, you know exactly what I am talking about.  But if you have not, take what you will view as a chance and give it a try.  In the right frame of mind you can maximize the value of what many look at as a simple vacation into a life-changing experience.  No matter how good your life is now, it can be better.  Better may mean that you impact the lives of others in a positive way more than you have in the past.  Better may mean that you got more out of the experience than you might have otherwise.  But “better” is exactly what you make it.  Here you have the opportunity through the clarity and focus obtainable on a cruise vacation experience to see that.

These new ships offer a new dream to be possible.  Good things will come of this.