Hee Hee Hee.. .Have You Sold Any Cruises Lately?!!!

Have You Sold Any Cruises Lately?

I am out and about in the community in a lot of social, business, and church settings, and for the past two weeks, since the Carnival Triumph unfortunate situation, there is always someone wanting to know how my cruise business is doing. . .asking that question with a sly smile on their face.  I know they’re thinking that cruise sales are in the tank. . .but in reality, they are not!!  Thank goodness!!

I think most folks understand that this wasn’t an accident that Carnival designed on purpose to get all this negative publicity. It was just that, a true, unexpected accident, and Carnival did all they could do as a result of the incident to keep everyone safe; maybe not everyone was well-fed or well-bunked as expected, but the bottom line is that no one lost their life.

A lot of folks do not understand this, but cruising continues to be one of the safest and most regulated travel experiences available.  According to Cruise Market Watch, nearly 21 million passengers are expected to enjoy safe cruise experiences around the world this year.  You might not know, but any country to which ships sail has the right to board vessels, at any time, unannounced, for inspection.  Each and every crewmember is required to receive training in emergency procedures, safety, security, and first aid, and to participate in an abandon ship drill and fire drill once every month. In early February, 2012, after the Costa Cruise tragedy in Italy, the Cruise Lines International Association announced a new emergency safety drill policy regarding “muster drills”, requiring every passenger to be involved in these drills prior to the ships departure.

The clients we had who were inconvenienced because of the Triumph’s stay in dry dock have all either chosen to cruise back on the Triumph when she returns to service, or they have chosen to upgrade to a 7-night cruise on the Carnival Magic.  Those who chose to continue on the Triumph received a 25% discount; those who went on the Magic received a 15% discount.  I had one family who upgraded to a 5-night trip on the Triumph instead of a 4-nighter, and chose to go from inside to all balcony rooms, and then received a refund of around $200 after it was all said and done.  Heck of a deal!!

As travel agents, we join with the cruise lines and other tour operators in having our number one priority our clients’ safety and well-being.  We both cannot exist without repeat customers, so we want everything that is planned to go off without a hitch.  With all travel plans though, there are no guarantees, so we just have to be available to help whenever something goes wrong.

The professional and experienced travel agents at The Travel Factory have your best travel interests at heart, so let us enjoy helping you manufacture the vacation of your dreams. . whether it’s a cruise, an exotic island vacation, or a tour of Europe.  Reach us at 4150 Southwest Dr., 698-1421, or on the web at www.thetravelfactoryabilene.com.