Incentive - December 2008 - (Page 34) CRUISES TRAVEL By Harriet Edleson $AVING Without Sacrificing W ith the dollar still well contract is signed, there are no rate below par with the euro increases, except fuel surcharges.” and the British pound, Landry & Kling has planned a range planning a European incentive chalof customized incentive trips using lenges even the most experienced high-end cruise lines such as Crystal, incentive buyers. Especially in a Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, Silweak economy, in which corporate versea, SeaDream and Windstar. The buyers must know the bottom line all-inclusive cost can range from $484 well in advance. One of the simplest to $651 per person per day. Trips ways to ensure you have no arranged on more mass-market cruise exchange rate surprises is to arrange ships generally cost less. Since incentive to pay in dollars. And one of the trips tend to be booked a year or more easiest ways to do that, in Europe, is in advance, you can lock in the price to book a cruise. for 2011, says Kling. A higher-priced Cruises, by their nature, are option is SeaDream, a 55-cabin, 344-foot all-inclusive or nearly so, yacht that can be chartered for four- to and are paid for in U.S. seven-night incentives from SeaDream dollars. Yacht Club Luxury Cruises. TransacThis year Dayle tions for the North American market Russell, senior manare in U.S. dollars. ager, special events “There’s not even a cash register on Silversea’s Silver Cloud ship offers all the luxury of a for Ricoh Corp., board,” says Miami-based Bruce SetEuropean hotel stay, with all-inclusive payment options based in West Caldloff, one of its owners. Expect to pay well, N.J., got around $600 per day, all paid in dollars, from $500 to $900 per person per day plus the thorny exchange rate plus air and shore excursions. The air, with the variable being fuel, which question by bringing her 60 seven-night itinerary includes Lisbon, could make pricing as much as 15 percent SeaDream Yacht Club offers a five-star experience Portugal; Malaga and Valencia, qualifiers and their higher. Be prepared to spend $600,000 to at prices that might impress planners guests on a six-night Spain; charter the yacht for a week, plus air. African adventure split between Cape Town and Gibraltar. “Our industry [document Other lines that focus on the incentive and safari lodges, rather than using a more systems like copiers and printers] is very market include Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, traditional European destination. competitive. You’ve got to have a good trip.” Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Yet, planning for 2009, Russell found a Corporate incentive planners would do Line and Cunard Line. I way to return to Europe in October. The well to consider these options when developSend comments to feedback@incentivemag.com challenge was how to “do it cost-effectively,” ing incentive trips through 2011. Want to read about other ways to save on she says. The solution was to charter Wind“You can go to Europe and be paying in your next incentive trip? Visit star’s Wind Spirit, a motorized sailing ship U.S. dollars,” says Jo Kling, a partner with INCENTIVEMAG.COM/ that carries 148 passengers in 74 cabins. She Landry & Kling Cruise Event Services, TRAVELSAVINGS estimates the price per person to be $500 to based in Coral Gables, Fla. “Once a Incentive 34 | | December 2008 | incentivemag.com http://www.INCENTIVEMAG.COM/travelsavings http://www.INCENTIVEMAG.COM/travelsavings http://www.incentivemag.com
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