Dive into the Life of an Aqua Captain on Allure of the Seas
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Here is a blog article written by a gentleman I have never met. His blog however, is a familiar story from countless customers who have used our services. I appreciate the opportunity to share this story, as it is a common one. The challenge for real travel professionals is, that stories like this (there are many) do not get much attention, however, they are countless.
The internet IS a travel agents friend, we use it daily. We have been using technology for over 30 years to help people plan their vacations. (GDS) Travel consultants are the consumers last line of objectivity. Please reread this…..Travel agents are the consumers last line of objectivity. What do I mean? Well, take cruising for an example. The average uninformed websurfer thinks “going direct” to a cruise line will get them the best deal – bypass the agent. I ask them, did the cruise line offer the special savings that are only available to the travel industry? Or did they tell you that another cruise line had a better offer on the same date? Or that a different cruise line was a better fit for their vacation? A real travel agents will fit you with both the best vacation along with the best value. Long live the travel agent!
Reality Check
A few weeks ago I spent two hours slashing through a jungle of search results on several travel sites as I tried in vain to find the lowest cost flight for a vacation trip. A travel agent did it faster — and saved me about $150.
I gave it my best shot. I tried Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia, as well as travel search engine aggregators IgoUgo and Trip.com. I came away totally frustrated, my screen littered with dozens of results windows. Then my wife took over. She spent less than an hour at it before throwing up her hands and calling a travel agent. About 45 minutes later we had three tickets to Baton Rouge for $50 less per ticket than the best deal we could find online — and that’s after accounting for the agent’s $25 per ticket fee.
“Usually a human can outwit a search engine,” my travel agent says. She knows what days are better for departures and returns on which airlines and the quirks of each airline’s pricing. A classic maneuver: If you leave on a Tuesday or Wednesday and stay over a Saturday you get better rates on some airlines. There are other tricks too — the stuff she knows that probably can’t be quantified and integrated into those search algorithms.
A travel agent can’t always beat the search engines, she readily admits. Southwest for example, may have special fares available on the Web only. But, she says, “I’m not above going to their Web site to check.”
So what happened in my situation? While search engines are good at very simple bookings, they’re not good at all with more complicated ones.
The search engines can find a hotel for you in Manhattan for May 6th or a reasonably priced flight from JFK to Reagan International departing on May 6 and returning on May 7.
You’ll get a better deal if you can be flexible. But if you’re willing to flex a bit on your arrival or departure airports or your travel dates — or all of the above — you’ll end up doing lots of separate queries. A good travel agent can save you a lot of time and aggravation here. That’s counterintuitive — you’d think that online search engines would be ideally suited to handling multi-variable problems like this. They take a stab at it in some cases. But they’re not really designed to do that well.
Getting to the bottom line
Online travel sites used to be the way to go — no one wanted to use a travel agent. Things were simpler then. Today it’s all different. I find that I waste too much precious time finding the best flight and identifying the best bottom-lineprice.
All of the hidden fees and surcharges complicate matters – and each travel site deals with them differently.
Different search engines have access to different blocks of seats at different prices. To get the best price you have to shop around.
Price the same ticket on three different search engines and you’re likely to get three different prices — and perhaps a fourth if you go to the airline’s own Web site. Fees and surcharges vary, and may be added into your price on the initial search results screen — or you may have to select specific flights and burrow down a screen or two before the bottom-line price is revealed. In my situation, those fees added anywhere between $40 and $50 to the final price. In some cases I had to repeat that drill-down step to see the final price for each flight option.
Then there’s the whole luggage fiasco. A $250 ticket on Southwest is cheaper than a $200 ticket on Delta if you’re checking two bags. Southwest doesn’t charge for bags; Delta charges $25 for the first and $35 for the second. This factored into our travel agent’s thinking when she booked us on Southwest. With the online search engines, figuring that out is your problem.
Of course, none of this factors in the wide variations in surcharges you’ll be hit with for a pillow, blanket, advance seat assignment, food, snacks, headphones, Wi-Fi and all of the other garbage airlines try to sell you while you choke on stale air in that cramped little seat.
In our case, here’s what the customer wanted, as described to the travel agent:
“We need three tickets to Baton Rouge for a 10-day vacation starting on or about [date]. We can be flexible on the dates by a week or so, as long as the trip doesn’t exceed our 7 vacation day budget (7 weekdays max). We can depart from any of three airports: Hartford, Boston or Manchester, NH. We’re okay flying into either Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Find us the cheapest flight — taking into account taxes, fees, your agency fee and any applicable baggage surcharges.”
Then the Pièce de résistance:
“Oh, and one more thing. Two of us are going for ten days. But we need a third ticket with the same departure date but returning one month later. We’d like everyone to be together on the flight out.”
Can a search engine do any of that? Not without doing many, many different queries. Time is money. The $75 we gave the travel agent was money well spent.
Happy travels.
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| Just Cruises & Vacations is now officially, Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Just Cruises – Detroit! We are honored to be one of the first agencies to be able to take advantage of the opportunity to offer our clients more value in addition to better customer service.About our new website: This is your one-stop-shop for access to thousands of the hottest cruise itineraries at the best prices. Finding your dream vacation has never been easier with our refined Cruise Search technology, which also enables you to complete online bookings! What’s more? We’ve got virtual ship tours, cruise reviews and a variety of “All About Cruising” articles that are sure to peak your interest! Sign up for our FREE Cruise Newsletters: PLUS, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a FREE Caribbean cruise for two! These are just a few of the exciting changes that have taken place with this new partnership and we’re anticipating many more great things to come! We look forward to helping you plan your dream vacation! Sincerely, Matt Cervone President Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Just Cruises |
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I believe I am correct on this topic.
Vacations are a NECESSITY.
With the pace and stress in our society today, they are a necessity. I understand the cost may have become a luxury in your budget, but nonetheless, you need a vacation. You need time “off” to unplug. Yes, I said it “unplug” for a while. Stop and smell the roses. Enjoy your family, friends, meet new people, read a book, take photos of nature, maybe even have a meaningful conversation – without a phone beeping or buzzing! Almost all business coaches, speakers, personal developement specialists conclude that taking time off actually is needed for increased performance.
Many reports indicate that is is actually healthy. What is wrong with “disconnecting” from your routine to have fun? Don’t feel guilty, you deserve it. It is not just part of life, a good resting vacation should become a focal point in your life. It’s not a bad goal to have in 2010.
As you start inserting dates in your new 2010 calender, be bold, take the time to block the time out – now. Then take the time with your loved one or traveling companion and figure out where you are going to go and what you may wan to do or see. It doesn’t matter if it is an upstate getaway to a friends cabin, exploring Europe or Alaska on a cruise, a beach chair on an island, having someone serving you poolside (nice), walking a beach at sunset. Just start visualizing yourself somewhere, give yourself a goal, and do what you need to do so you can look back at the end of 2010 with vivid memories and the feeling that ” I am glad I did it!”
We are fortunate to interact with people taking great vacations. I hear many of them say…”We were looking at our pictures from our last trip, and decided it has been too long. We need to go again.” Are you ready to getaway?”
I wish you the best vacation ever this coming year.
Sincerely, Matt Cervone
Chief Escape Officer
P.S. Of course, our Escape Artists can help make the planning process fun and affordable. Just click the Get To Know Us Tab on top
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Here is a personal review from one of our very own “escape artists” Deborah R. who recently sailed on the famous Oasis of the Seas.
Oasis of the Seas
Pre Inaugural Sailing
November 19, 2009
I have never been more excited about a ship debut. Sure, they are all exciting but I have never heard the hype like I have heard about the upcoming Oasis of the Seas. I thought it would never live up. I was very wrong!
As we were approaching the terminal I could see the ship towering over everything. I thought I would never get onboard, the traffic will be congested & the lines will be horrible. Again, I was wrong! The terminal was huge but well organized. You check in by your deck number and they have numerous windows open for each deck. We had a trainee that had a little difficulty (my credit card was never hooked up to my Sea Pass card). Each check in counter has a camera and your picture is taken right there & added to your card rather than going to a different spot. Even with all of that, we were still onboard within 10 minutes after walking into the terminal. Ya gotta love that. Also, your welcome aboard picture is also taken in the terminal before heading to the ship.
You enter the ship through one of two doors on deck 5 directly into the middle of the Promenade. It’s an amazing site & much more exciting than entering into the lobby or a stairwell.
We went directly to our cabin to dump the luggage. We had a D2 on deck 14, cabin #578. It is roughly the same size as any other balcony cabin. It seemed a little short on closet space. The flat screen TV is nice & large and it has a wireless keyboard for those that want to sign up for the internet package. The bathroom is the same with the little round shower stall (hubby calls it a transporter). Oh yeah, the shower stall has a bar in the lower corner for us ladies to prop the legs on for shaving. Another added feature in the bathroom is a very dim light that can be used as a night light. That’s a big deal. No more bumped shins in the middle of the night.
We ate at the Windjammer Buffet – out of habit – and it was the same old average buffet. I totally forgot about the Solarium. They have a buffet for breakfast and lunch that is healthier food. It is a much smaller buffet but next time, I plan to utilize it as often as possible.
We started at the top & worked our way down. The Viking Crown Lounge looks much more comfortable & not chopped up. Great décor & the bar faces the window. The view looks down to the Sports Pool on the starboard side, Central Park in the middle, and the H20 Zone on the port side
They had a Crown Loft Suite & the Royal Crown Loft Suite open for viewing. WOW! I know I’ll never sail in the Royal Suite but I have high hopes for a Crown. Great concept and 545 sq ft. Especially the bed on the 2nd level with the drop down flat screen & amazing view. One could get used to that! And two bathrooms!! The balcony could be a little larger but hey, ya can’t have it all.
The Solarium was my favorite spot. It is two levels and much larger than any other ship & very quiet on both levels. Adults only. Yahoo! Finally, a nice, large place for us big people to enjoy (I just hope that RCI enforces that rule). There were even little cabanas for two. I can see them being in big demand. We’ll have to get up very early to get one of those. There were a few pools, and a few whirlpools including the cantilevered whirlpools at both entrances of the Solarium. The Solarium Bar is on the 2nd level.
The whole pool deck is very nice. There are numerous pools & bars and the deck chairs are plenty. The H20 Zone looks very fun & I’ll say it again, I wish they had stuff like that for us when I was young. The zone is smaller than on the Freedom Class ships but will still keep the kiddies entertained (& hopefully out of the adult areas) they even have small deck chairs for them. Very cute.
The Sports Zone promises to keep everyone busy for hours and hours. It still has the golf course called the Oasis Dunes & a full size basketball court but now there are two Flowriders. Hopefully that will help with the long lines. The Zip Line is back there too. I expected it to be much longer but that’s probably a good thing. That’s the only way I am going to get on it. I figure I can do anything for 4 or 5 seconds. The 20 minute ride in Labadee is definitely out for me.
Next, down to Central Park. Very nice and at certain times of the day, very` quiet. Those that have the Central Park Balcony cabins will find this very peaceful. Believe it or not, there are even crickets amongst the foliage so sitting on your balcony in the early morning or in the evening should be a very pleasant experience.
Central Park also has most of the Alternative Dining Options: Chops Grille, 150 Central Park & Giovanni’s Table. The Park Café & Vintages are also in Central Park as well as the Coach store. We went inside 150 Central Pak and it was beautiful. The décor was elegant & for a lack of a better description, the chairs look like they hug you. You’ll have to see them to know what I mean. The Coach store is the only retail store on this deck & I think that was a mistake. It is separated from the rest of the retail shops and obviously it is a high priced store. They didn’t have a whole lot of inventory and there weren’t any great deals to be found in this store.
The Boardwalk is a hopping place. The energy is high around the Carousel, Johnny Rockets, the Donut Shop, The Seafood Shack, The Candy Store. Just walking through the entrance makes you feel good. All of the sounds & colors are stimulating & children as well as adults are going to enjoy this neighborhood. The cabins over looking this area will have lots to see but don’t expect any peace and quiet. At the far end are the two Rockwalls that are begging to be conquered. I’ve climbed one before on the Liberty of the Seas. It’s definitely not as easy as it looks but I am ready to attempt the climb on the Oasis.
The Aquatheater is quite impressive. During the off times, the pool has a covering over it that can be used as a stage. But when the show begins, it turns into a deep pool for the High Divers & the Synchronized swimmers. We saw a short version of the show & although I didn’t think it would be that great, I was riveted. The divers were perched high above the sea and I gasped each time they dove into the pool. I loved the ladies doing their synchronized swimming routines as well. There is plenty of stadium style seating with comfortable chairs & 2 big screen TVs on either side of the stage/pool – I am told (by VP Lisa Bauer) that the Super Bowl will be shown on those screens. Let’s hope for good weather.
Once again the Promenade deck is the life of the ship. Far forward is the top level of the Opal Theater. It spans 3 decks and there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Rihanna gave a ½ hour concert on the first night and although we were near the back of the theater, we still felt up close & personal.
On the Promenade, you’ll find the usual Guest Relations, Sorrentos Pizzeria & Champagne Bar. But they have also added Boleros, The On Air Club (usually next to Studio B), a new Cup Cake shop that has to-die-for gourmet cupcakes. I had a red velvet one and it was outstanding.
Also on this deck, you can catch a ride on the Rising Tide Bar. This bar rises slowly up and down 3 decks. A fountain underneath follows it’s path and is lighted by different colored laser lights. It has a very limited bar – I assume it’s so you won’t stay on very long. It serves soda & iced tea but also champagne & a champagne cocktail. It’s small, probably only holds 30 people or so. But it’s an interesting concept.
Below this deck is the Entertainment Neighborhood. You can enter down a staircase from the Promenade or from either stairwell. Directly in front of you is Studio B. On the left is the Jazz Club & the Comedy Club – both small venues. On the right is the Disco called Blaze. The Jazz & Comedy clubs are small which is fine but the disco is too. I think that might be a mistake. Crowded dance floors are no fun.
You can get to the Casino by going down the hall on either side of Studio B. It is HUGE! It’s about time that a ship had a casino this large. They even have a poker room & a small lounge area. I loved it. Especially the fact that they have two, yes two Craps tables. Woohoo! I’ve never seen that before & since Craps are the best odds in the Casino, I thought I never would. However, I lost over $50 in less than 5 minutes so maybe it’s not such a good thing L.
The Dining room is 3 levels and is gorgeous as usual with the chandelier as the center focal point. A new feature is in the lobby of the Dining room, Wine dispensers. Yes that’s right, I said Wine Dispensers. There are two for white wine – chilled coolers. And two for Red Wine. They have the slots on the top of the dispensers for you two swipe your Sea Pass card & put your glass under the bottle of choice & a glass is poured. I assume each price is different according to which bottle you select. What will they think of next?
A really cool feature are the numerous interactive monitors that are placed all over the ship. It tells you where you are, what time of the day it is, what day of the cruise it is and then gives you the option of choosing 5 different interactive modes – What To Do Right Now, Room Finder, Cruise Compass, Venues Around The Ship, & Dining. I selected Room Finder and it literally drew a red dotted line directly to my cabin. Amazing! The other Options should keep us all well informed and we’ll never get lost.
The Photo Gallery now has towers with folders in them. Passengers will have their own folder with their pictures waiting for them to view. How do they know how to put the right photos into the right folder? Face recognition! Yep, the photo that you have taken when you check in for your Sea Pass is assigned a number and it will be crossed referenced through the computer system. Your photos that are taken throughout the cruise will be matched to your face and placed in your folder. Obviously some will slip through the cracks, like if you are wearing sunglasses etc. Those pics will be able to be found the old fashion way – searching through the slots on the wall panels.
We were lucky enough to have dinner with Ken Muskat, VP of sales. He was very informative and you can tell that he loves his job. A VERY handsome man (oops did I type that out loud-I swear I am very happily married but you’d have to be DEAD not to notice). I asked about the WOW phones. They will soon be called RC Phones but they are not completed yet. They will look like an iphone & have quite a few cool options on them, some yet to be released. The price will be $17.50 per phone for the week. That is an awesome price. Especially since your cell phone will cost a minimum of $2.49 a minute and .50 to send a text & .05 to receive a text.
We were also told that when the ship is in port, escalators will be used to get passengers on & off of the ship. The Chairman didn’t want to divulge that info for fear that the public would think that it meant the ship was too big. I can tell you that they are needed when debarking at the pier it was very difficult going down the ramp. It was very steep & trying to steer a carry on piece of luggage wasn’t easy. I consider myself in pretty good shape but I almost fell a few times. I can foresee that this is going to cause them a lot of problems. It seemed that the point of debarkation was too high up for the pier & therefore too steep to go down the ramp easily. They definitely need to do something about that.
Regardless, I hated to leave.
To wrap up, this ship is like nothing I have ever seen before. After 34 cruises & numerous pre-inaugurals, this went above and beyond all of my expectations. We are sailing on her February 6th with a great group of people that are sure to be as impressed as I was. I can’t wait to experience a full week of this ship. And I look forward to her sister the Allure. In fact, I have already booked a group on the Allure for the following year.
Smooth Sailings!
Independent Associate
Just Cruises & Vacations
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The following article is an authorized reprodcution from Cruise-Week, a well respected cruise industry publication in which I was recently quoted. I am interested in your feedback on the issue. Is your travel professional relevant to you? and…why? I appreciate all responses. Either post them here or email me at matt@justcruises.com Thanks 
When Princess recently announced they’ll soon have digital documents going directly to the client, eliminating the expense (and need) for the agent to forward documents to the customer, agent reaction was generally positive. Most expect the practice will spread.
One agent commented that it frees up his staff to concentrate more on sales and marketing. However, he expressed concern that the change does illustrate how it’s becoming harder for agents to stay relevant once the client is actually sold the cruise. “From then on, it’s to the cruise line for this and that,” he worries. “Eventually, more clients are likely going to say, ‘Well, I’m comfortable dealing with the cruise line, I’ll just book with them.’”
Another agent, Alfred Hernandez, Express Travel, Miami, says the document change becomes a burden on elderly clients and, hence, on the agency: “I think with time clients will be accustomed to not receiving these [from the agent], as we all went through this with the airlines. On the other hand, we do have clients that are not computer savvy.”
Still, assuming the vast majority of consumers are fine with receiving documents in this fashion, once the sale is made, what does the agent do to stay in the picture?
Hernandez replies that even in this era of dwindling margins, one way is simply to provide amenities. “It all depends on the profit margin,” he says. “You have to think outside of the box in order for first, the client to be loyal and keep coming back, and, second, to be profitable. No matter how loyal the consumer, if they go to Macy’s and find a product for $100, and then go to Dillard’s and find the same product for the same price but they receive a gift that is worth $10 for purchasing the product, they will purchase at Dillard’s.”
In terms of relevancy, Matt Cervone, Just Cruises &Vacations, Michigan, says the cruise lines can help the agent by simply identifying the agency by name with phone number and/or email address on the document page; doing so shows the client that the supplier considers the agent to be relevant in the process after the sale.
“There’s technology now to do so, and doing so supports the agency community,” says Cervone. “I get that it’s complicated from the cruise line perspective, because the varied business models out there have different servicing needs–but we need cruise line support.”
But Cervone has no worries about remaining relevant after the sale whether he sends out the documents or not: “The reality is if the consumer has any challenges, they call the agency. We see it all the way through until departure; we’re busy dealing with what they want to know about packing, what to do in Cozumel, and so forth. They talk with us right up to departure.”
As for when there’s not such dialogue, Costa President/ CEO North America Maurice Zarmati suggests: “If they’re not contacting you, contact them. Sixty days out, give a phone call to say, ‘Are you O.K.? Any questions at this point? Anything I can do for you?’ Do the same thing 10 days out. Even if everything is O.K., it builds confidence in the consumers’ minds that their well being is top priority in the agent’s mind.”
Sincerely,
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