Meeting Planner Careers

As any meeting planner can attest, scheduling a meeting for a business or organization is no easy task. Many factors have to be taken into consideration, and one of the greatest hindrances to meeting planning is often scheduling conflicts. For this reason, many meeting planners might shy away from planning an incentive cruise because they feel it would be too difficult to schedule. On the contrary, group cruise planning can sometimes be much easier than planning land venue meetings. If a business or organization is in need of meeting planning assistance, meeting planners may want to consider a cruise event as an ideal travel incentive.

Group cruise planning is quite simple because everything is included. Accommodations, meeting spaces, dining, entertainment, and leisure activities are all available in one place. Furthermore, a ship charter can be scheduled for anywhere from 3 to 14 days. Cruise events can be scheduled to take place during the week, which means that no work days are lost. Corporations can choose how many days they wish to reserve their ship charter, and make the necessary scheduling arrangements around these days. Cruise ships are equipped with the latest technologies; therefore, participants will not have to worry about missing important emails or phone calls.

If you are outsourcing your group cruise planning, you will almost certainly be assigned a liaison that will handle your needs. This person is part coordinator, part salesperson, but all human being. That list bit is important, because it means that they can be influenced if you are interested. Influencing a group cruise planner could result in getting discounts, insider information, or exclusive access to areas that are difficult to secure without advanced notice.

How do you become friends with a group cruise planner? Well, the answer depends greatly on the situation, but anyone that handles group planning or manages the outsourcing should already have some decent ideas on how to build rapport with their contact. For those that are coming up a little short, here are some ideas:

Corporate gifts – If the corporation has a ton of spare coffee mugs or T-shirts, bring a few along on the first visit and insist that the person show up to one of your functions. Be willing to give them credit for all their help, and they will be certain to go the extra mile.

Give them a reputation – Sometimes giving people a reputation before building a working relationship is a great idea. For example, tell them that you are aware of the reputation their company has for making arrangements that are above and beyond the call of duty.

Talk to their manager – Take a few minutes to call back and talk to a supervisor, even if the initial conversation did not go as well as planned. Sometimes a reminder that job satisfaction is at stake creates a better environment in which rapport can be built.

If you are looking for an interesting career that will literally take you places, then you should consider being a cruise event planner. A cruise event planner may work for a cruise company, a travel organization, a concierge service that handles event planning, a hotel or a company that owns at least one chain of hotels and/or cruise ships, a large corporation, or even be self-employed. Here is what the job entails:

The ability to multitask on a large scale – Every little detail needs to be perfect for each and every event, and that is a lot of details to handle! Don’t worry though, after a few months perfection will all become routine.

An eye for detail – Being able to spot a very small problem before it becomes something a customer notices is a valuable asset to any cruise event planner.

A creative mind – Parties and events always need a touch of creativity.

A willingness to socialize and work hard – Working hard and playing hard are part of the job description. You just need to know when and where to draw the line.

A bank account – You are going to be earning a salary that salary.com, indeed.com, and other sites suggest start at nearly $43,000 a year!

Learn how you can easily plan successful cruise events at Seasite.com, your one stop for planning meetings at sea, and any type of group cruise. With just one electronic RFP you can source a group cruise across all cruise line brands. Why not take a look now and see all of the tools and resources available to cruise event planners.

If you just got out of a meeting with the boss who just happens to want the company’s first cruise event planned, then you might be a little panicked. All that time making friends with the powers that be at the local hotels and conference halls cannot prepare you for this. Don’t worry!

Here are some simple steps to planning the perfect cruise event:

Start by trying to get a good handle on how many people will be attending.

Will any (or all) of the participants need you to schedule additional travel?

Are there special needs that any of these people have that need to be addressed? Examples include dietary needs, special access requirements, and even placement on the ship.

Determine a suitable meeting schedule and create a few backup schedules that may or may not happen depending upon conditions and attendees.

Try to think of unique events that can be used to help people unwind and relax while on the cruise. Some of these ideas can be translated into really unique meeting ideas.

Go to Seasite.com to plan a group cruise.  They will take the workload off of you with unparalleled group cruise planning tools and resources.  One electronic RFP will get you the quotes you need.

At this point there should be a lot less work on your plate! Congratulations, this cruise event is going to be a success!

There are several types of ships from which a meeting planner can choose when group cruise planning for a company or organization. While all types of cruise ships offers great accommodations, dining, and entertainment, some ships are better equipped to handle meetings as sea. Companies that are considering a ship charter may want to choose a premium ship for their incentive cruise. There are numerous benefits to cruising on a premium ship. When event planning, a meeting planner should highly recommend that organizations choose a premium ship for their incentive cruise.

A premium ship charter will have dedicated spaces in which the organization can hold their meetings and presentations. These room are spacious, inviting, and equipped with the latest conference technology. Best of all, these rooms are always complimentary. Not only do the meeting rooms offer attendees plenty of space, but the staterooms are also larger on premium ships. A premium ship's stateroom are comparable to fine hotel accommodations. In the stateroom and throughout the ship, attendees can stay connected with Wi-Fi hot spots. Cell phones may also be used while attending meetings at sea when using a premium ship. Furthermore, premium ships also have unique on board venues, exceptional entertainment, and the best in award-winning dining.

Many people are striving to “live green” in every possible way and that can include wedding and honeymoon plans. It can be a dilemma for a couple who don’t want to give up their dreams of a romantic honeymoon cruise. They want the dream but not at the expense of the planet. The good news is that several cruise lines are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint and working to keep the oceans clean.

The Celebrity Solstice Cruise ship has 216 solar panels that power the elevators and 7,000 LED lights. It isn’t enough to power the ship, but certainly is a step toward the right direction. The vessel is aerodynamic, making her more fuel efficient, and has a water filtration system that purifies water before it is dumped into the ocean. Tin, aluminum, and glass are recycled as well. A Caribbean cruise on the Celebrity Solstice is a good choice for green couples.

The first cruise line to earn a Green Star notation environmental award was the Italian line, Costa. Costa works with the World Wildlife Fund to protect marine habitats, decrease energy use, and educates staff and guests on environmental issues. Each of their 15 vessels is designed to be a floating palace complete with beautiful woodwork, art displays of all kinds, and marble adornment throughout the ship.

To book a group for a cruise wedding, Seasite.com offers group cruise planning.

Planning a meeting or all-inclusive trip for a small group of employees can be a challenge. Downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean losing the little luxuries that team members will remember and appreciate for years to come. A great solution for groups of 35-50 is one of Norwegian Cruise Lines Jewel-Class trips.

Team members will have access to a floating villa, literally a sanctuary within the ship that can only be accessed through private keycards. The Courtyard sanctuary features a private pool, whirlpools, gym, sauna, and of course, a sundeck. Guests on the jewel class ships can stay at one of two Garden Villas. Each villa has three bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, a private sundeck and terrace, and a spacious living area.

The luxurious surroundings allows guest to work more efficiently and look forward to off hours when they can take advantage of all the treasures the Norwegian Jewel Class ships have to offer. A high-end yacht experience on the open seas is wonderful motivation for teams suffering from stress and burnout. It can also increase a company’s retention rate. After all, the team who plays together, stays together.

When it’s time to plan the next meeting or corporate getaway, think gem, jade, jewel, and pearl; Norwegian Cruise Lines Jewels of the Ocean.  You can plan your group incentive cruise online at www.Seasite.com.  It has never been easier to plan a group cruise event!

You may be wondering why you would want the assistance of a cruise advisor when planning your next cruise event. If you are a meeting or event planner you should not need any help planning an event on a cruise ship – right? While you may be an excellent meeting planner well-versed in planning events in a variety of venues, it never hurts to make your job easier by using systems put in place specifically to assist you in planning group cruises.

Using group cruise planning tools and cruise advisors, like those available through Seasite.com, can make your planning process much simpler and more convenient. Employing these useful tools can also assist you in finding the right ship for your event and help you enjoy significant cost savings. For example, one of the handy search options available on Seasite.com allows you to peruse meeting space grids to determine which ship will best meet your needs, and their E-RFP allows you to easily send your RFP to multiple cruise lines, with the added benefit of them following up on the RFPs for you.

When you can receive this kind of personalized attention and assistance without paying any more than you would have when buying direct, there is absolutely no reason to not take advantage of these great services and tools – and plenty of reasons why you should.

Whether you are considering your first cruise event or have used cruise ships as meeting and event venues several times, there are a few things about cruises that you might not know. Aside from offering all-inclusive packages with great prices, there are many other benefits that make group cruises particularly enticing.

Here are three benefits that make group cruises rather appealing:

1. Planning your next meeting or event on a cruise ship can save you up to 40% when compared to using a hotel venue. Meeting rooms, audio/visual equipment, onboard activities and entertainment, room service and meals are all included in your upfront price and you will avoid paying for many event necessities, such as lighting, floral arrangements, linens and labor. Add the benefit of no state or city taxes and it is easy to see how you can experience serious cost savings by opting for a cruise.
2. More than 80% of people have never been on a cruise, which will make your cruise event much more exciting and appealing to the majority of your attendees who have likely never experienced the luxury and relaxation of cruising.
3. Cruise ships offer numerous onboard activities and nightly entertainment, which means plenty of options for your participants and no entertainment planning tasks for you.

If a cruise ship venue sounds right for your next event, make planning even easier by using the convenient group cruise planning tool at Seasite.com.

Cruises are a great option for corporate events, meetings and, of course, vacations, but many people – including wedding planners – often assume that cruise ship weddings are too expensive to fit most couples’ budgets. On the contrary, cruise ship weddings can actually save a couple and their family a considerable amount of money, in some cases slashing the costs nearly in half when compared to a land-based resort wedding and a separate honeymoon.

When couples opt for a cruise wedding, their friends and family will have a great time before and after the wedding without the couple having to worry about entertaining or housing out of town guests. They will also benefit from having a ready-made venue that is well-versed in onboard weddings, as well as the benefit of one, predetermined price, which will assist them significantly when determining their budget and preparing for their big day. If a wedding planner is part of the mix, they will find that planning cruise ship weddings is a simple process when they take advantage of the ship crew’s existing knowledge and resources.

The planning process can also be made simpler and more convenient by using the group cruise planning tool available at Seasite.com, a useful tool that wedding, meeting, event and incentive travel planners swear by.