TravelResearchOnline.com Blog

I don’t like most game shows. I’m an introvert and the bright lights, noise and screaming frighten me. With one exception. I really enjoy Jeopardy. When I happen to catch it on television during an evening of channel surfing, I like playing along. In the no-stress environment of my living room, I am really good. Especially when I discount categories like “Broadway Musicals.”

What I really like about Jeopardy, though, is the format. Alex Trebec gives you the answer and the object is to provide the correct question – forcing me to think backwards. That little bit of a twist on my mental hardwiring engages an ability to dig a bit deeper for each challenge. Jeopardy teaches us to think differently.

Thinking backwards makes the mind focus on the outcome first, and only secondarily on the process. Limitations, objections, obstacles all take on secondary importance to the result. The process becomes more clear the better defined the desired end result. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems that Carnival realized they opened up a hornet’s nest with their new policy of requiring passengers to leave their luggage unlocked at the pier.  Judging from the comments on last week’s column, both customers and travel professionals were not happy about the new policy.

We followed up with Jennifer De La Cruz to see if Lynn Torrent (Sr. VP of Sales & Guest Services) or Kirk Neal (VP of Sales, Eastern Region) would be willing to answer them or defend Carnival’s position.  They weren’t.  However, Ms. De La Cruz sent a reply to our follow up questions.  We asked seven of them: Read the rest of this entry »

Here is something to think about after you feel you have finally figured it all out. You haven’t.

Why would you ever want to let a potential customer know that you can’t help them? Apparently, there is still an interest in learning how not to bite the hand that feeds you. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s Sunday afternoon, my family is watching football, and I am sitting at my desk stressing out about the pile of work that I need to get through. I have six clients waiting for proposals/quotes, two sets of documents that have to go in the mail, a monthly newsletter to write, dozens of names that need to be added to my honeymoon database, bills to pay, filing to do, etc. The list seems endless, and it will only get longer tomorrow.

I know I’m not the only one in this situation. Anyone running a one-person, home-based agency faces the same challenges. We wear all the “hats” in the office, from sales and marketing to accounting, IT, and receptionist. There’s no one to delegate the work to, and no one to pitch in and help.

At the same time, we all want to grow. After all, the goal of any successful business is to sell more, make more, and keep more, right?

So how does one person, with only two hands and 24 hours in the day, resolve the conflict between the never-ending “to do” list, and the need to add even more business to that pile?

If you’re hoping I’m about to give you the magic answer, I’m sorry, because I don’t have it. All I can tell you is what I’ve been doing to try and manage my own “growing pains”. Read the rest of this entry »

Andy Stuart is the executive vice president of global sales and passenger services for Norwegian Cruise Line. Andy is responsible for global sales, revenue management, passenger services and public relations. He also ensures revenue optimization and oversees the Company’s public relations efforts. He was appointed to this position in November 2008.

TRO: How are you helping the travel agent community match the right client to the NCL experience? What does our community need to know to book more passengers on NCL?

AS: Educating our travel partners about Norwegian’s product offerings has been a huge initiative over the last few years. We launched our online travel partner community NCL University last year and this has played a major role in informing and educating our partners. We also began hosting interactive webinars to get the word out about news and relevant information which helps our travel partners sell Norwegian more effectively.

TRO:2009 brought a historic low to pricing across the cruise industry, are you starting to see stability? When do you expect to see a rise to match the experience to the product?

AS: The cruise industry is resilient and we’ve definitely started to see the booking window lengthen. The deals that were available in 2009 will start to disappear as the economy slowly recovers.

TRO: What do you feel is an ideal travel agency relationship with NCL? Read the rest of this entry »

Mykonos has long been the playground of the rich and famous, with the international jet set playing on its streets and creating its nightlife. But if your tastes trend more to lovely beaches, Greek village architecture and an activity level that buzzes rather than roars, you will find everything you are looking for in Mykonos. Read the rest of this entry »