Alaska Vacation from Vancouver

I entered a new world of beauty, peace splendor and warmth as I stepped from the harbor ramp on to the Volendam of Holland America cruise line. The world outside was nothing in comparison as it was gloomy, cold and rainy on this 3rd day of June 2010. I am sure this was not a typical day in Vancouver, BC. This port has become one of the mojor hubs for Alaska vacation departures. Vancouver may not offer as much as the ports for cruises from Florida but it is another option from Seattle for travelers who wish to cruise to Alaska.

The Purpose of my ship visit was to inspect the Volendam as part of my continued training as an Accredited Cruise Consular (ACC). Being a member of Cruise Line International Agency (CLIA), you are granted privileges to do on the job training to familiarize yourself with the product being sold. I was part of a group of approximately 200 cruise professionals visiting the ship that particular day. This first hand information about the cruise product will help the travel professional recommend and match clients to the right ships during vacation counseling.

The MS Volendam is a sister ship to the Zaadam and is considered a mid-size ship in the “R Class” of ships. The other ships in that same class are Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The ship theme is flowers and fresh displays and has an abundance of both items. It also contains paintings of museum standard such as an oil painting of the city of Utrecht, in the Netherlands painted in 1842, as well as contemporary art like the series of photographs of music great Dizzy Gillespie and BB King. The ship is one of the many cruise lines that do Alaska vacation cruises  from Vancouver. Here are some basic facts about the ship.

Number of staterooms: 1,432 Tonnage: 61, 396

Number of passenger decks: 10 Crew: 588

Year built: 1999 Year refurbish: 2005

The ship amenities include but not limited to bars/lounges, library, internet center, Casino, disco/nightclub, video games/arcade and card room. There are also activities for children and teens like age specific activities, teen programs and group babysitting. There are facilities for the physically challenged like close caption TV, accessible public areas, visual assistance for visually impaired, Braille signage and accessible tendering among other things. There is also a fitness center, full service spa, beauty salon, outdoor pool and an outdoor sports area.

My first area of interest was the Penthouse Verandah suite of deck Number 7 – the Navigation deck. The suite was spacious and appeared more like a residential apartment than a cruise ship stateroom. In the luxurious 1,126 sp ft suite, I discovered an ambiance of refined beauty containing one king size bed and a sofa bed for two persons. It also contained an over sized whirlpool bath and shower, living room, dining room, private verandah, pantry, mini bar, refrigerator, guest toilet and floor to ceiling windows. That deck also has other suites of lesser quality like the Deluxe Verandah and Verandah suites. The Neptune lounge is in close proximity and is for the exclusive use of persons in the penthouse and deluxe verandah suites.

My next stop was a standard ocean view state room on deck 3, the Lower Promenade Deck. It was of note to say that room appeared to be bigger than the average stateroom on a cruise ship, measuring about 197 sq ft. It contained two lower beds that could convert into one queen bed, bathtub and shower, and potholes instead of windows. It was very comfortable accommodations for a cruise ship. I had seen the top of the line and the average stateroom of the Volendam.

The day came to a climax with lunch for the entire group in the Lower Rotterdam dining room on deck four. The lunch was great and everyone ate to their hearts content. Everyone took the opportunity to discuss their finds and what stood out during the tour. It was generally held that the Volendam was very well maintained and left with a positive impression of the cruise line – Holland America.

The ship crew did their utmost to entertain as during the limited time provided. It is important to note that the ship was being cleaned and resupplied for an  Alaska vacation trip that evening. Everyone was busy but took time off from their busy schedule to answerer our questions and concerns.

Are Travel Agents extinct?

Are travel agents becoming an extinct species? I am sure this question has crossed several people’s mind. My perspective as an agent involved in the travel industry, is definitely no! As far as I am concerned travel agents will never go into oblivion and continue to provide an essential service to the traveling public and industry.

The definition of a travel agency is to sell travel and related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers. The function of a travel agent is not only to book a vacation but to educate and provide advise to their clients. I am sure a client wishes much more information than to book a Caribbean cruise deal or an Alaska vacation. It is the responsibility of the travel professional to provide much more so the client can make an educated decision about the vacation.

The travel industry has gone through many changes over the years and the travel agent has not been immune to those changes. New technology like the internet has affected all facets of our lives and has revolutionized the way business is done presently. Travel information that would take weeks to research and was only available to the travel agent is now at everyone finger tips in a couple of minutes. The benefit of this new phenomenon is tremendous as a large volume of information on all walks of life is available not only to travelers but to the general public. Any destination can be analyzed and dissected into different components in a matter of seconds. This is a plus to the traveler as they can research and book their travel online from the comfort of their homes.

The internet also has its negatives. With so much information available – the traveler can be over whelmed and confused. Can you imagine that you Goggle “Alaska vacations” and come up with two million responses. The traveler can be lost in the sea of information trying to decide what is genuine and what is fictitious. The danger of the internet is in the numerous number of scam website that are in existence. Many a traveler has booked a hotel on the internet based on the photos displayed, only to be very disappointed on arrival. They soon found out that the hotel was very different from what was advertised and a dream vacation became a night mare. As the saying goes, “all that glitters is not gold”. If the reservations were made through a travel agent, there would be a guarantee of the quality of the hotel. Many travel agents visit locations or receive recommendations from other agents if they are unable to visit the destination.

There are approximately 28, 000 travel agencies operating in North America. In that number are the traditional independent, chain and consortium-affiliated agencies. The independent agent is unaffiliated with any larger institution and is referred to as the mom and pop store. These agencies are usually small with few members of staff but are usually very familiar with their community. These agencies are at a serious disadvantage because of their small size. They have no bargaining power with their suppliers; therefore they are unable to obtain lower prices. Their numbers have dwindled significantly and presently represent about 35% of the travel industry.

Chain agencies are very popular and do have a regional and national presence in North America. The number of agencies that make up the chain varies in the travel industry. They vary from dozens in some cases to hundreds in different geographic locations. Some of these agencies are well known and do have a lot of power and are able to negotiate favorable rates from preferred suppliers. Theses chain agencies sell franchises which helps in the distribution of the name brand.

The consortia affiliated agency is a blend of the independent and chain agency. It provides a lot more independence than the affiliated agency but is a part of a big organization. The significant difference is these agencies operate independently of the consortium and are governed by their own rules. Being part of a large organization, they are able to benefit from the preferred supplier relationship of the consortium. They are also able to get assistance with training, marketing support, financial advice and sometimes a 24 hour backup reservation service.

From these agencies evolved the home based agent. There are many traditional agents in existence but, the home agent has become very popular in the industry. One of the biggest changes the industry has experience is the advent of the home base agent. I must complement the early pioneers as they were considered taboo and were not accepted by the travel industry. In fact the biggest resistance came from the traditional agencies who felt threatened by these new agents. The early home base agent persevered and was gradually accepted into the fold of travel agents. Now, home base agents have not only grown in numbers but are fully recognized by the industry. There are several reasons why the home base agent is so popular. They include but not limited to:

• Setting your own work hours,

• Working from the comfort of your home,

• Being available 24/7 to your clients, and

• A significant reduction in over head cost (reduce rent, utilities etc)

The recent events in Iceland strengthen the notion that travel agent services are essential. Several thousand travelers were stranded in and out of Europe because of the ash from the volcano in Iceland. Imagine the       discomfort and misery of persons who booked airline tickets online and were calling the airline to make new reservations. The travelers who booked through a travel agent did not have that worry as they quickly got in contact with their agent whose responsibility it was to make a new booking. I am sure the online bookers had difficulty reaching the airline reservation desk in addition to being place on hold for extremely long periods.

The advantage of using the expertise of a travel agent is limitless especially for purchasing a cruise. Imagine searching for Caribbean cruise deals can be a very complicated matter and is very different from purchasing an airline ticket. A cruise is an experience and not a commodity and it is difficult to get that emotion from the internet. Cruises differ from each other and the travel professional will use his experience to analyze, advice and determine the correct cruise is matched with the right client. Cruisers want to enjoy food, activities entertainment, destinations and an environment that matches their life style. The agent will ensure your vacation goes without a hitch from beginning to end going over all the minute details. There is very little chance of being turned away from the airport due to inadequate documents. Can you imagine going on a Alaska vacation  and you are not properly attired as the website you booked on did not provide that information. Also, a person who makes an internet booking might be losing out on a great deal. Some resorts have packages that can only be booked by a travel agent. This means that you may be able to get a better package deal or a better price if you use a travel agent.

In conclusion, I will reiterate that travel agents do provide an essential service that compliments the travel industry. I think that travel agents will be around for a long time to educate travelers and assist with their cruise vacation packages.

DKC6Z7EQP5NT

Where is the Nature Island?

The aircraft slowly climbed out of the dark grey clouds as we made our approach to the island. Suddenly, out in the blue ocean sprung tall towering mountains that seemed to melt into the clouds. The mountains appeared very majestic as they cascaded from the sea. My thoughts were jolted to the present as the flight attendant booming voice announced our arrival to Melville Hall airport in Dominica. I was day dreaming of a Caribbean cruise deal I had purchased to visit the region.  The flight from the West coast of the US with a change of aircraft in Puerto Rico was uneventful. After about two hours of flying from Puerto Rico, the Dominica coast line was a welcoming sight.

Where in the world is Dominica? The twenty nine (29) mile long and sixteen (16) mile wide-island appeared green and misted against the blue-black ocean. You can get to island if you are on a cruise from Florida or via aircraft from Puerto Rico. Very little is known of the secluded tiny island located  between the two French islands of Guadeloupe in the north and Martinique to the South in the Eastern Caribbean.

It is different from the better known Dominica Republic which shares the island with Haiti. The island is approximately 295 sq miles with a population of about 75,000 people. The population is concentrated along the coast line as the interior of the island is very mountainous. In fact the island is considered more mountainous per sq mile than Switzerland.

I have been to the Caribbean on several occasions because I am from the Caribbean, but this visit was special. I was on a Caribbean island vacation to explore the island and confirm if she deserved the name as the “Nature Island of the Caribbean.” Numerous people in the region call Dominica the untouched gem of the Caribbean and refer to it as the Cinderella of the Caribbean. From my point of view the island appears to be undisturbed and tranquil and has not been severely affected by the large number of tourist that visit from cruises from Florida and other regions. The island is part of the Eastern Caribbean itinerary for the numerous cruise lines that sell Caribbean cruise deals to the region.

The island is blessed with 365 rivers – one for each day of the year. In addition the island has numerous beautiful attractions with a very hospitable population. Please, come back for part two of my observations in a subsequent post which will cover the islands beautiful natural attractions, its people and local festivals. See you soon.

Cruise Trainning & Education

As part of my continuing education in the travel industry, I attended the Travel Weekly Cruise World 2010 conference at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale from April 03 – 06, 2010. The entire conference was educational, interesting and had some light moments. Fort Lauderdale is a very important port for cruises from Florida.

In attendance were approximately 1300 participants from the US and as far as Canada and about 168 suppliers. The suppliers included but not limited to airline companies, cruise companies, tour operators, and Tourist Board representatives from different countries.

The conference was a good opportunity to network with other travel sellers and catch up with new travel techniques and trends in the industry. It also gave me a chance touch base and share some wonderful moments with old friends. It was impossible to attend every session, so I was very selective on what topics to focus on to get the maximum benefit from my attendance. Some of the participants had obtained Caribbean cruise  deals to sail on the ship after their inspection.

One of the high lights of the conference was the ship inspection that was conducted in conjunction with Cruise Line International Agency (CLIA). I wanted to inspect the Royal Caribbean Cruise line Oasis of the Sea but was bitten to it by my fellow travel agents. I guess it was the first choice of everyone who registered for ship inspection. That is the price I paid from procrastinating, as I registered somewhat late. I was fortunate to register for the Freedom from Carnival Cruise, Star Princess from the Princess Cruise Line and the Westerdam from the Holland America Cruise Line. This was an exciting and fun experience as you are being educated in an entertaining environment.

I was fortunate to pass very close to the Oasis of The Sea, as it was in port for the ship inspection before it began to cruise the Caribbean. Now I fully understand the hype about the ship. I think it is huge, magnificent and attractive. It was difficult to miss the ship as it stood tall and towering above everything in the Fort Lauderdale harbor. The port was modified to accommodate the mass of a floating resort which has taken the industry to new heights. As a result, Fort Lauderdale stands out as one of the outstanding ports for cruises from Florida to the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and cruise to Europe.