Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 - (Page 31)

good sense. On Silversea Cruises, the cruise fare covers oceanview, all-suite accommodations; gourmet dining; most beverages, including soft drinks, fine wines, champagne and spirits; a stocked in-suite minibar; 24-hour room service; gratuities; onboard entertainment; shuttle transport into town at many ports of call; and, at times, one Silversea Experience ashore per cruise. Cruise fare inclusions vary per line. Purchased in U.S. Dollars: Increasingly, a luxury cruise operated by a cruise line serving primarily North Americans is a terrific value when compared with a landbased vacation overseas.Why? Because you pay for the luxury cruise in U.S. dollars. That’s a big value proposition, particularly if you’re considering a European vacation. Right now, the U.S. dollar isn’t faring well in exchange for euros. Superb Service: The cruise industry as a whole has a very high guestsatisfaction rating. But on a luxury cruise, there are simply more crew members to serve guests. Plus, luxury-ship crew members strive to personalize the guest experience. So, for example, on The Yachts of Seabourn, the entire crew—all of them, not just your cabin stewardess—will Service aboard a luxury cruise is guaranteed to be personalized passion. Luxury lines often invite big names in specialty fields onboard to mingle with guests and give lectures or demonstrations. Gourmet Wine: Dining and Fine call you by name within a few hours of boarding. Themed Cruises for Your Passion: If you’re a golfer, wine enthusiast, culinary aficionado, eco-traveler, cultural buff or a music fan, you’ll find many themed cruises to indulge your special The all-suite Seven Seas Navigator offers luxury cruises to Europe, Africa, Mexico and the Caribbean All luxury lines boast high-quality gourmet dining and fine wines. Crystal Cruises has a relationship with worldclass Master Chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa, whose eclectic cuisine is a blend of classically styled Japanese foods with Peruvian and European influences. He operates a specialty restaurant onboard Crystal Serenity. This year, he also opened two new restaurants, Silk Road and The Sushi Bar, on Crystal Symphony. Crystal also fields an extensive wine cellar, with more than 230 wines and as many as 20,000 bottles. Optional, Customized Services: The luxury lines offer a slew of customized programs, which guests may book to elevate the entire vacation experience. Regent Seven Seas Cruises just rolled out new private jet and luggage transportation services, allowing guests to avoid restrictive airline schedules, airport hassles and baggage delays. A Range of Spacious Accommodations: One characteristic common to most luxury lines is a range of staterooms or suites, most with an ocean view or private veranda. Many upscale suites offer the latest electronics, a separate living room and such perks as free laundry service or private butlers. A Ship for Each Taste: Luxury vessels deliver diversity. Set sail on Cunard’s legendary Queen Mary 2 with all the big-ship amenities or simply enjoy a more intimate, casual cruise onboard Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf or an Antarctica or Tahiti expeHB dition on Silversea’s Prince Albert II. NOVEM B ER 2008 Home-BasedTravelAgent 31

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Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Publisher’s Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Cultural Tourism Luxury Hotels For the Traveler: Luxury For the Agent: Luxury For the Traveler: Latin America For the Agent: Latin America Hawaii For the Traveler: Provence For the Agent: Provence For the Traveler: Florida For the Agent: Florida Home-Based Agent Expo New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - November 2008

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