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!

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

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