LOOKS LIKE CLIA AND CDC AGREE! CRUISING COULD START IN THE US SOON!!
After a 6 month moratorium on cruising the industry is starting to get ships, crew, and passengers back in the water. We have missed cruising, our partners have missed cruising, and most importantly our clients have missed cruising. Moving forward in the current time it is important to put an emphasis on certain aspects of your travel package. While the exclusivity that the smaller ships and river ships offer has always been appealing for high end clients who love the life of luxury, there is now a much more practical aspect of vessels of this size. With a smaller cruise ship the client and cruise line are able to better regulate the passengers’ exposure to outside elements. The smaller ships are able to access smaller, more remote and less explored locations that don’t have the same high turnover as the large ports of call. Many of these cruise lines maintain their own staff for shore excursions and some river ships even have their own coaches that follow them so even the tour vehicles are remaining with you throughout your journey. The small ships are also sailing to remote and exotic locations for expedition cruises which is sure to wow and inspire your client.
Setting your event on a small ship or river ship is perfect for incentive programs, meetings, hosting clients, conferences, and much much more. Doing your program at sea versus on land significantly reduces the risk your guests are exposed to by a revolving door of hotel guests and staff that leaves the premises after a day of work. With the cruise industry taking a particularly hard hit with the onset of COVID-19 it has demanded that we as an industry adapt. Cruise lines have had some of the most rigorous health policies in place for years, beyond what most hotels and resorts offer, and moving forward with an emphasis on stopping any potential issues before it even makes it onboard the ship.
In this month’s newsletter we want to take the time to spotlight two specific cruise lines whom we feel embody exclusivity, safety, and comfort all while providing a product that is world class.
Seabourn has a younger, more modern fleet that currently consists of 5 ships accommodating between 458-600 guests. With all ocean front suites that boasts some of the highest guest to space ratios in the industry and your guests will have plenty of space to relax in pure luxury all while being taken care of by their personal suite stewardess and a staff whose passion is the highest standard of service. With one of the highest crew to guest ratios, there is always someone available to assist your clients with their needs and wishes. With several dining options that take inspiration from regional flavors, the food is sure to please and their new policies will be spacing out the dinning which will now allow for more variety for the guests. Their ships have several options of different size meeting spaces to accommodate various breakout sessions as needed for client needs. Seabourn Venture, the brands first ultra-luxury purpose-built expedition vessel will be joining the fleet in December 2021, accommodating 264 guests in all veranda suites with some exciting new itineraries to add to their current ports of call.A second sister expedition ship will come in 2022. We for one, can’t wait to see these new ships which are sure to be stunning.
 
Silversea has long been one of our luxury cruise line favorites. With 9 ships varying from 100 to 600 passengers it’s the perfect opportunity for the client who wants to grow their group. With over 900 ports of call on all 7 continents, one can experience a 5 star expedition cruise in the Galapagos or a luxury Mediterranean vacation or almost anything you can think of. All their cabins are well appointed ocean view suites with over 300 sq ft of space, complete with full butler service! In fact both cruise lines we are discussing today are one of the few cruise lines that can boast a 1 to 1 guest to staff ratio. The cuisine is exceptional and inspired from the areas in which they travel. From fine French cuisine, to Asian, and Italian family style meals there is sure to be something for everyone. They also offer meeting space to suite your client’s needs. The 100 passenger Silver Origin which is a purpose built Galapagos ship and delivered in June is sure to exceed the needs of any of your expedition loving clients. Speaking from experience this is a once in a lifetime trip that you have to experience! They have a new ship being released with the 596 passenger Silver Moon with a delivery date scheduled just around the corner for October 30th, she is the sister ship of Silver Muse and is sure to please.
 
As you can see both cruise lines are exceptional. In fact they have always been exceptional, but with the new demands being placed within the industry chartering a whole ship is the way to go. It allows for more control over any exposures to your guests. And with the smaller ships you just get something magical that can’t be experienced on the larger ones.
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