Become a Home-Based
Travel Agent

Cruising,
The Best Education Money Can Buy
By Nancy Norris

To honestly consider one's self as a cruise travel expert or specialist, cruise experience is absolutely mandatory! While CLIA classes and ship inspections have their place, there is nothing that compares to the education one gets from personal cruise travel.  If your body of knowledge regarding cruises is based solely on CLIA sales courses, ship inspections and FAM luncheons, your understanding of the cruise vacation may be somewhat inaccurate and incomplete at best. Sure, CLIA offers an overview of their fleet, ship inspections provide agents with the opportunity to inspect the various stateroom categories, shipboard amenities and public facilities, and FAM luncheons do offer a sampling of the onboard fare. But, a cruise vacation is much more than the sum of its parts.

Certainly, there are identifying characteristics that generally define each cruise line. We equate "free-style cruising" with NCL, Carnival are the "fun ships" and a Royal Caribbean cruise is a family adventure. While these public personas do represent an aspect of the cruise line, it is the subtle nuances of the actual onboard cruise experience that define the real essence of each cruise ship. Just like the differences between siblings in a family, the various ships within a cruise lines fleet all have distinguishing characteristics that make them unique.   

Personal experience is the only way to truly identify the quality of all food, services, entertainment and shore excursions, not to mention staff efficiency and attitude, general shipboard ambiance, onboard activities and passenger interaction. Each day on a ship brings new knowledge and a greater understanding of the total cruise product as seen through the eyes of the consumer. This is knowledge that cannot be gained by a mere ship inspection or class and can separate you from your competition. How formal are the formal nights? Is the specialty restaurant worth the extra cost? What is the youth program really like? A cruise expert can explain the tendering process in detail, provide valuable packing tips, give clients guidance as to what expect from the moment they arrive at the port to the moment they disembark. They can also clarify the tipping guidelines, make suggestions for port activities and provide an insiders guide to how to make the most of a cruise vacation.

For anyone considering the cruise market as their niche specialty, one of the best ways to achieve that goal is to attend a seminar-at-sea. Not only can an agent achieve the mandatory cruise experience, but can also attend seminars that offer valuable knowledge on relevant and timely topics. Check out the seminars-at-sea that are offered through NACTA as they are considered some of the best in the business.