If you didn’t know that June is Carnival Month with YTB Travel – you’ve got to be hiding under a rock somewhere. Carnival has been sending out all kinds of promotional e-mails this month and even offered up a couple of live webinars to assist the YTB sales  field in promotions and sales.

The month got kicked off to a great start with a “Cash Back” promotion that clients still have time to get in on before the end of the month. YTB Travel will conclude the month long promotion with Carnival with yet another “Sail-A-Thon” coming up June 29th. (More information on that next week.)

Communications were sent out yesterday about Carnival’s newest ship, the Carnival Magic which will home port in Galveston, Texas and offer 7 day sailings. The Carnival Triumph will move from New Orleans to Galveston as well to take over 4 and 5 day sailings. Galveston has always offer some of the best rates from any home port.

New Orleans will still be covered as well, including a fabulous new 7 day itinerary option. Both the Carnival Ecstasy and the Carnival Conquest will move to New Orleans offering 4, 5 and 7 day cruises options. Once again, New Orleans will have two ships making the “Big Easy” it’s home. Something we haven’t seen since Katrina hit back in 2005.

Here’s a list and time line for all the changes:

• 9/22/11 – CARNIVAL ECSTASY begins service from New Orleans
• 10/6/11 – CARNIVAL TRIUMPH begins service from Galveston
• 10/28/11 – CARNIVAL MAGIC 16-DAY TRANSATLANTIC FROM BARCELONA TO GALVESTON!
• 11/13/11 – CARNIVAL CONQUEST begins service from New Orleans with 3 different seven day cruise options!
• 11/14/11 – CARNIVAL MAGIC begins service from Galveston

Both Galveston and New Orleans ports are fabulous destinations in themselves and to combine the cruise offerings, makes this a perfect choice for a Carnival Cruise. You’ll want to promote these ships and sailings now to capture this business!

The following release was sent out yesterday.

NEW 130,000-TON CARNIVAL MAGIC TO OPERATE SEVEN-DAY CARIBBEAN CRUISES FROM GALVESTON BEGINNING  NOVEMBER 2011,

TO BE PORT’S LARGEST YEAR-ROUND SHIP

Carnival Conquest, Carnival Ecstasy to Sail Year -Round From New Orleans,

Returning the Line’s Capacity to Pre-Katrina Levels

MIAMI (June 23, 2010) – Carnival Cruise Lines’ newest ship, the 3,690-passenger Carnival Magic, will operate seven-day Caribbean cruises from Galveston beginning Nov. 14, 2011, becoming the largest cruise ship based at the port year-round.  Additionally, the 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph will reposition from New Orleans to Galveston to operate year-round four- and five-day Caribbean cruises from that port beginning Oct. 6, 2011.

Homeporting the Carnival Magic and Carnival Triumph in Galveston represents the largest-ever capacity commitment by a cruise line to Texas.  With these deployments, Carnival expects to carry more than 450,000 guests annually from Galveston – a 28 percent increase over the current year.

In turn, the 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest and 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy, both of which are currently based in Galveston, will reposition to New Orleans to operate year-round departures from that port, returning the line to pre-Katrina capacity levels there.  With Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy, the line is expected to carry nearly 340,000 passengers annually from New Orleans – the most of any cruise operator.

“Deploying the new Carnival Magic to Galveston and increasing capacity on our popular short cruise program with the Carnival Triumph is a clear indication of the tremendous appeal and growth of this key homeport, which consistently earns high marks from our guests,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival president and CEO. “At the same time, we are very pleased to return to pre-Katrina capacity levels in New Orleans with the Carnival Conquest and Carnival Ecstasy – a wonderfully positive indicator of the city’s continued growth and recovery,” he added.

Carnival Magic, Carnival Triumph from Galveston

Carnival Magic, which is slated to debut in Europe in May 2011 with a host of innovative facilities and features, will offer two different week-long itineraries from Galveston, including seven-day western Caribbean voyages to Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, and week-long eastern Caribbean cruises to Nassau, Freeport, and Key West.

Carnival Magic will offer many exciting amenities including a spectacular water park, an exclusive adults-only retreat, a wrap-around promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship’s sides, and expansive spa and children’s facilities.  Also featured will be a variety of stateroom choices, including deluxe ocean view  accommodations with two bathrooms, some of which feature five berths and hold particular appeal for families; cove balcony cabins located closer to the water line; and spa staterooms that provide special access and benefits.  A number of new innovations are scheduled to be announced in the near future.

Prior to launching year-round Caribbean service from Galveston, Carnival Magic will operate a series of seven-, nine- and 12-day Mediterranean voyages from Barcelona May 1 to Oct. 16, 2011; followed by a 16-day trans-Atlantic crossing from Barcelona to Galveston departing Oct. 28, 2011.

Also being deployed to Galveston is the Carnival Triumph which will operate year-round four- and five-day western Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 6, 2011, becoming the newest and largest ship to operate a year-round short cruise program from that port.  Four-day cruises depart Thursdays to Cozumel, while five-day voyages depart Mondays and Saturdays and visit Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.  Carnival Triumph offers many guest-pleasing features and amenities, including nearly 500 balcony staterooms which are very popular among consumers and typically not available on short cruises.

Expanded Capacity from New Orleans

Carnival Conquest will reposition to New Orleans for year-round seven-day Caribbean cruises beginning Nov. 13, 2011.  The ship will offer three different week-long Caribbean options from New Orleans: a new western Caribbean program featuring Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, an eastern Caribbean itinerary to Key West, Freeport and Nassau, and exotic western Caribbean cruises to Belize, Roatan and Cozumel.

Carnival Ecstasy will operate year-round four- and five-day western Caribbean voyages from New Orleans beginning Sept. 22, 2011. The ship underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation last year that added an expansive water park, tropical-style main pool area, adults-only retreat and 98 balconies to existing staterooms.  On the Carnival Ecstasy’s new itinerary, four-day cruises departing Thursdays visit Cozumel, while five-day cruises departing Mondays and Saturdays call at Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico.

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My how times have changed. If you would have told me that I’d be able to invite my Facebook friends to a live Sail-a-thon with “The Most Popular Cruise Line In The World” a year ago, I’m not sure I would have bought into that idea. Don’t get me wrong – I would have loved the idea! (I love anything that’s technology related and easy to use like Facebook.) A year ago however, it would have been hard to imagine corporations like YTB and Carnival buying into Facebook as a means of promoting business.

Today, not only does a promotion like this make perfect sense – but it becomes a reality tonight as YTB hosts it’s first Sail-a-thon using Facebook with Carnival Cruise Lines.

I’ve got to hand it to YTB, they’ve come up with another idea that’s new and innovative that captures a very large paradigm shift in social networking. It’s hard to pin down exactly how many people actually use Facebook these days, but the most reliable source I’ve been able to find is Facebook itself with over 250 million users as of July of this year. I’ve seen numbers of 100 million more by this time, but regardless if the numbers are right or accurate – it’s a HUGE number of users that interconnect via one massive network.

Think about how easy it is to post something to your Facebook page, inviting friends back to a place they enjoy hanging out anyway to interact and talk with others on the worlds largest social network. It’s a perfect marriage of the right companies and the right social network.

The 6 hour event (which runs from 6:00 pm to Midnight Central Standard Time) isn’t just about sales – it’s designed to be educational and fun. If you join us tonight – you’ll learn the following tips and tricks directly from YTB and Carnival:

- Learn why you should book with YTB
– Learn how to find the best fare
– Understanding what type of fares are available
– Learn when you should you make a reservation
– Learn how to select the best cabin/location
– Learn what constitutes a group
– Learn what types of groups are there
– Holiday Gift Certificates
– Cruise Sale offer — 2 category upgrade

If you want to learn and interact with others, simply pull up YTB Travel Network President, Kim Sorensen’s Facebook page. You can get involved by asking questions, answering the polls, sending in pictures of your party or a previous Carnival Cruise you’ve been on. YTB will have members of the creative team on the page during the entire broadcast to keep things lively and entertaining throughout the evening.

Carnival appears to be pumped about this event too. Ann Sedgewick has been sending her subscribers updates all week – offering up ideas and promotional materials to use to get the word out. Carnival was the one who started this whole Sail-a-thon concept two years ago with YTB. Because they keep coming back for more (this is our 4th event with the Cruise Line) I can only assume that the events are working for them. Why else would they keep doing it? In addition, other vendors like Princess and Pleasant Holidays have seen how easy and inexpensive these webinars are and have joined YTB to host thier own events.

Also, just to clarify – this Carnival event is exclusively with YTB. I encourage you to join me and thousands of others for the webcast, at your leisure from the comfort of their own home. It’s going to be a great event, a lot of fun, great offers and GREAT information for all; whether you’re a seasoned cruiser or first timer! Pick a cruise tonight or purchase a gift certificate to choose later if you’d like. You’ll see certificates ranging from 3-8 days with prices from $358 for a cruise for two. (Yes, TWO, not per person which makes this one very attractive offer!)

Also in honor of Veterans Day, there’s a month long promotion going on with special pricing and category upgrades to say “Thanks for your service”. So if you or anyone you know has sacrificed with service for this great Country, be sure to be part of tonight’s events.

It’s a winning combination any way you look at it – and it’s fitting that YTB is part of it.

Remember, the event starts at 6:00 pm Central and you can go to BandBVacations.com to find the video link and YTB Travel Network President, Kim Sorensen’s Facebook page to ask questions, interact with others and win prizes just for participating. It should be a really good time and since you’re probably going to be on Facebook anyway tonight, might as well get yourself an exceptional deal on your next cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines!

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I lost count how many times I’ve said this…but I’m gonna say it again.

A cruise is the best vacation money could buy.

It was nice to have family (including extended family) together for another cruise. Our daughter called it “The best birthday EVER!” and our son has caught the same bug we did some 12 years ago when Ronda and I took our first cruise.

I did hit the internet for a grand total of 25 minutes, but didn’t even open the laptop until almost the very end of the cruise to download a couple gigs worth of pictures that I took. (Some 400 shots all together on a Fuji S9000 camera I just love.) I uploaded about 60 of them on my Facebook page and will get around to putting more up on Webshots at some point. (Then again – I still have pictures from our last cruise I haven’t uploaded.)

The kids have really gotten the hang of cruise thing. Brittany thoroughly enjoyed dressing up for formal night. (So much so, that she had to get all dressed up for her birthday night.) Brian found the ice cream machines and the 24 hour pizzeria and hardly ate anything else the entire week. Camp Carnival was FABULOUS for both kids. When they ask if they can go, you just know it’s a hit. (Which impressed both Ronda and I.) They really had a great time and our hats are off to all the counselors who took great care of our kids.

Our daughters birthday was an exceptional day in Gran Cayman. The entire family got involved on the Cayman Pirate Adventure as the kids and I were recruited to swab the deck (I was given a tooth brush) and “Mommy Spank Bottom” was tied up and forced to promise to never spank the bottoms of our kids again. Afterward, everyone walked the plank and enjoyed the warm tropical water.

Later that evening we celebrated Brittany’s birthday with the family and wait staff of the Universe Dinning room. Brittany loves to be the center of attention any other time, and handled her birthday no differently. The entire ship was told it was her birthday and she ate up all the attention. (As she always does.)

It’s still amazes me how many first time cruisers I continue to run into. We talked with a number of first time cruisers on this trip who raved about the service, the food, and the size of this floating resort. Non of them had any idea what they were missing, and have all been transformed into cruise-a-holics like we are.

While it’s nice being back, I miss the romance and relaxation of the sea. I bit warmer down in the Caribbean as well. We’re already planning our next cruise and may turn it into a neighborhood event. With another Carnival Sail-A-Thon coming up next week, it would be a perfect time to get the neighbors together to discuss the option of going. (More on the Sail-A-Thon here later, and in this weekends newsletter.)

A trip like this one is part of my “why” I stick with YTB.

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When I first saw this story in Travel Weekly about Princess doing a survey on the most stressed out cities in the US I was intrigued. I mean – cruise lines have been helping people de-stress for decades. While I wouldn’t consider this survey Pulitzer material, it’s certainly an interesting read for those of us who want to sell more vacations. (If you want Pulitzer, I’ve been telling people for over a decade that a cruise is the best vacation money can buy.)

The Princess survey was done in conjunction with Harris Interactive who specializes in custom market research. The press release also referenced Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder of The Stress Institute, who believes learning how to deal with stress is one of the most important things Americans can do to lead more balanced lives.

According to the survey the top-five things Americans feel will help them achieve better life balance include realizing financial success, improving physical fitness, getting organized and taking more breaks and vacations. Yet one in four Americans aren’t planning to take a vacation in the next year. (Siting “work-related” reasons for not taking one.) As a side note – these same Americans (particularly those living in Washington, D.C.) don’t think the President of the United States should be given any vacation days either.

Here’s the list of America’s Most Stressed Out Cities

1. Chicago
2. Houston
3. Boston
4. Los Angeles
5. San Diego
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Detroit
9. Tampa (tie)
9. Portland, Ore. (tie)
10. Seattle
11. Washington, D.C. (tie)
11. Baltimore (tie)
12. Sacramento
13. Pittsburgh
14. Philadelphia
15. New York
16. Phoenix
17. Atlanta
18. St. Louis
19. Minneapolis
20. Cincinnati
21. Las Vegas
22. Dallas/Fort Worth
23. Miami

Not surprising that the least stressed city in the survey has a major cruise port. (Hummmm)

I found the Princess Press release and the findings are an interesting read. Some of them include that 72 percent of Americas say they do not have balance in their lives, but there is hope. Slightly more than half believe they can achieve life balance in the next five years. The survey also noted that the poor economy is a leading causes for life imbalance, followed by the need to lose weight.

My solution to achieve life balance? I’m going to tote the Princess line here – “escape completely” on a luxury cruise liner for a week. Have someone else do the cooking and cleaning, enjoy the romance of the sea, and there’s something about the turquoise water that just soothes the soul. 

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Love, exciting and new
Come Aboard. We’re expecting you.
Love, life’s sweetest reward.
Let it flow, it floats back to you.

Okay, so Jack Jones I’m not, but I LOVED this show when I was a kid. Princess Cruises agreed to have their cruise ships featured in the television sitcom The Love Boat, which debuted in 1977. The ship was the stage for this popular show (actually it was filmed primarily on sets in a production studio) and coined the term “Love Boat” which was heavily used by Princess Cruises in their marketing, and became synonymous with the Pacific Princess.

The success of the up-beat television show, which remained on the air until 1986, is largely credited with the increase in popularity of cruising. I can tell you without question that my initial interest in cruising was because of this particular show. (Although my first cruise was not until many years later.)

So what do you say? Would you like to set a course for adventure, your mind on a new romance?

Have I got a deal for you! But don’t think for a second that today’s cruise experience is anything like the old sitcom we grew up with. A lot has changed in 30 years, (Yes, the show is THAT old!) and YTB is inviting you to see first hand what Princess Cruises is all about tonight, during a live webcast right on our booking engine from 6:00PM to 8:00PM Central Standard Time with J. Kim Sorensen, President, YTB Travel Network, Shelly Coppersmith, Vice President of Marketing, YTB Travel Network and Amy Alford of Princess Cruises.

Tonight marks the launch of a two week sale with Princess for some exceptional savings, (as if there aren’t incredible deals out there right now) including a reduced deposit of $100 per person, and a coupon book worth $325 while your on board for a wide assortment of onboard products and services. This combined with some very aggressive sale prices could be just the ticket to get you on board one of their many ships to experience what I’ve called “the best vacation money can buy” for many, many years. (The reason I wanted to become a Travel Agent to begin with.)

This isn’t the first time YTB has done a webinar like this. We tried it out just over a year ago with Carnival and then again this past December and I can only assume that Carnival not only liked what YTB was able to do for them, but have started to spread the word to some of the other cruise lines owned by the line so they can benefit from this extremely cost effective and productive form of marketing.

And why not? It works well for everyone involved. All Princess has to do is show up with their Business Development Manager, sit in front of a camera for a couple of hours, while we as RTA’s place thousands of prospects in front of their computers, in the comfort of their own home, while Princess (who knows their product best), talks about their features, advantages, and benefits. If you like what you see, you have a direct link to the product sitting right on your desktop to select and purchase the cruise the best fits your budget and time frame.

The webcast will be rebroadcast from 8:00PM -10:00PM Central Standard Time (and periodically throughout the week) and all you have to do is click this link to view the webcast for this exciting consumer event. Of course I’ll be available to answer any questions you have, (number provided below) and we will also have Agents on duty at the Home Office until 10:00PM Central Standard Time. (800 number will be provided on the webinar.)

So take some time tonight and join thousand of others who want to take advantage of a great experience, on a fabulous floating resort, to several destinations of choice, with some of the best pricing I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been looking for “the best vacation money can buy”.

Who knows, I could be greeting you as well with…

Welcome aboard it’s LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!

(Okay…maybe not.)

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Shopping for that perfect holiday gift?

What do you get for the person who has EVERYTHING?

What about the person that’s SO hard to shop for?

Have I got a stocking stuffer for you!

It’s that time of year again. YTB’s second annual Carnival One Day Sale. Carnival Cruise Gift Certificates are available NOW from BandBVacations.com. Choose from 18 different Gift Certificate options available for online purchase through December 31, 2008. (Don’t think you could miss it…but it’s that LARGE ad with the Carnival Funnel wrapped in Christmas lights…)

If a gift certificate isn’t you type of thing, we also have over 100 Carnival Cruise Specials if you head to our Group Bookings page. I would suggest you look at this entire list of groups. (Although it may take some time with well over 500 groups at any one time.) This page is ALWAYS the first place I look for clients because it’s the one place I know that can’t be beat when it comes to price. And please don’t think you’ll be stuck playing Parcheesi all week if you book with any one particular group. You’re free to do what you want, when you want, and the group probably won’t even know you booked with their group. But you can take advantage of the special group pricing to save anywhere between $50 and $250 per person.

If you’re not sure about which cruise you’d like, that’s fine too, the Gift Certificates are a great save now, cruise later option. This way you can let someone decide on their own what cruise they might like, or even when they want to go over the next 18 months.

By the way…all of these Gift Certificates can be upgraded to ANY cruise of their choice. Simply pay the difference. I have a certificate valid for a 3-4 day for two, but want to take the entire family on a 5 day this spring. The Promotions Department at Carnival will be extremely accommodating for any upgrade and use what you have to fulfill you dream cruise.

If you’re just now thinking about a cruise for a stocking stuffer, you might not know where to begin, or what is offered in regards to ports, destinations, and the wide variety of selections available. To help out with that, review the following documents for options.

CCL DEPARTURE PORTS
CCL MORE FUN EVERYWHERE
CCL FUN SHIP FINDER
CCL 2009-10 CRUISE CATALOG

Of course, you could also join YTB tonight, December 4 from 5 -10:00 pm CST for a live webcast from YTB Headquarters in Wood River, Illinois. (Contact me and I’ll send you the link.) While you certainly don’t have to watch Coach, Kim, and Scott, and Carnival’s own Ann Sedgwick, but last years live webcast was a lot of fun. Last year’s event was loaded with all kinds of information on why a cruise is not only a great value, but has all kinds of activities and options to make your experience enjoyable.

Regardless if you want to watch or not, phones will be open till Midnight CST at the Home Office to take your reservations, with a special reservation number 800-400-9382. Of course, I’m available at 678-458-5812 at any time. (Even later in the month, or any time for that matter.)

Our goal is to be #1 with the #1. There’s a reason why Carnival is the Most Popular Cruise Line in the World. We’ve sailed with Carnival so much, they feel like home. We know the ships, we know the activities, we know the benefits.

Regardless if you’re a seasoned cruise veteran like us, or a first timer, a 100,000 ton cruise ship could be the most unique stocking stuffer your special someone has ever seen.

Bon Voyage!

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I can’t think of a better way to get going again after an extended weekend like we just had than hosting a “Travel Party”. I love weeks like this. Everyone is longing for more vacation time and looking to get back into that relaxation mode. The only difference I can see is possibly replacing “turkey” with “lobster” when it comes to stuffing ourselves. Short breaks like this, spending time with family, (mine who by the way are still here) and getting a break from traffic, time clocks, and office politics remind people how much they need a vacation. I love the sparkle in people’s eyes when the subject of travel or vacations comes up. It never ceases to amaze me how this subject is so universally loved by everyone. I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s told me;

You know, I’ve tried one of those vacations once…HATED it!

No, bringing up the subject of vacations is something everyone loves to talk about, and for some, you can’t get a word in edge wise. Not a big problem, but some do tend to go on and on about how much they just LOVE the destination they came from or the destination they’re looking to head to next. With the economy looming over everyone’s head these days both agencies and suppliers are looking for that edge to help increase both visibility and sales.

This week, both YTB and Carnival appear to have that answer. Apparently, Carnival was pleased with the outcome of last years 24 Hour Cruise Event and has come to YTB again to help boost last minute year end sales to help both our bottom lines. Back in October, CLIA held its annual “World’s Largest Cruise Night”, which in years past has produced fourth quarter sales for both agencies and cruise lines. Last year the month long promotion for CLIA produced some 17,852 cruise bookings, however I’ve yet to see any hard numbers on this year’s event. YTB’s own cruise sale last November produced 12,000 passenger bookings. (Although, critics like to cut the number of “passengers” in half.)

This Tuesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. in each time zone, YTB will host the World’s Largest Travel Party in several cities around the country.  All locations are teaming together to host one huge event. The cities include:

• Atlanta, GA
• Baltimore, MD
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Dallas, TX
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Houston, TX
• Kansas City, MO
• Miami, FL
• New York, NY
• Orange County, CA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Reno, NV
• Richmond, VA
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• St. Louis, MO
• Tampa, FL

At each location, door prizes will include one free cruise certificate (for guests only) and five tickets to YTB’s 2009 National Convention for Reps or Travel Site Owners. Rooms at the live venues will have a party atmosphere with round tables, fun music, snacks, and drinks. (No alcoholic beverages.) The Cruise giveaways for two are for guests only, and you must be present to win. There will be a short video entitled “Cruising, the Best Vacation Value” followed by a live feed from the YTB Home Office via streaming video. After the presentation a flyer with the December 4th Sail-a-thon Cruise Specials will be handed out in addition to the free cruise drawing for each city.

On Thursday, December 4th, there will be a live webcast from 5 -10:00 pm Central from the YTB Headquarters in Wood River, Illinois. Phones will be open all day till Midnight Central Standard Time as well.

RTA’s have an opportunity to invite friends and family over for this Carnival Cruise Night on December 4th to watch Coach, Kim, and Scott, along with many guests, through a live webcast sales event. There will be dozens of cruise specials and a live team ready to take reservations. Travel customers can also choose from 18 different Gift Certificate options available for online purchase through December 31, 2008. Certificates are valid for a 3, 4, 5, 7 or 8 day Fall Cruise for Two and most include all Government Taxes, Fees and Gratuities. ALL certificates are upgradeable if desired and are valid for up to 18 months. Upgrades are never a problem at the time of booking, simply pay the difference.

It’s nice to see Carnival and YTB teaming up again in this way. I’m not aware of any other supplier who teams with a single agency such as this, but then again, no other single agency has the potential to reach as many customers at one time as YTB does. It’s very unique to our model and our company.

It’s all in an effort to “Be Number 1 with The Number 1!”

Happy Sailing!

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