Choosing an incentive cruise for a company's corporate incentive travel program can be a very exciting venture. With all inclusive services and many exotic destinations from which to choose, employees will be motivated to earn their place on the cruise ship. Planning an incentive cruise should not be undertaken at the last minutes. While last minute planning will not make a ship charter impossible, advance planning can ensure enough space for all eligible cruise participants. Advance planning can also help companies make certain that they get the best rates. A meeting planner can offer these tips for successful incentive cruise planning:

1. Booking the cruise – the sooner the cruise is planned, the better. In this way, companies may have their choice of things such as cruise lines and ships. They may also have their choice of itinerary as well.

2. Choosing an itinerary – having an idea of preferred destinations will be most helpful. In addition, companies will also need to consider the length of the cruise. Cruise length often helps determine cruise destination.

3. Choosing a ship – companies need to ensure the ship they choose can easily accommodate their employees. Choosing a ship that is not too big or too small will be essential.

An incentive cruise can be an excellent way to reward top performers, motivate employees, and save money on travel costs. With typical land based meetings, companies will incur expenses for things such as accommodations, airfare, meals, entertainment, and meeting services. All of these expenses, when paid for separately, can be quite costly. Because company budgets may be more restricted now than they were in the past, incentive travel may not even be on a company's radar. However, it is very important that companies do not suspend incentive travel du to finances. A meeting planner can help companies plan incentive travel, such as a ship charter, that will be enjoyable and affordable.

There are many services that are typically included on an incentive cruise that make meetings at sea ideal. Inclusive services that make an incentive cruise unique include things such as: complimentary room services and in-room movies, round trip airfare and transfers, all meals including snacks and a midnight buffet, production shows, cocktail receptions, and other types of special shows. Cruise shops also provide things such as basic audio/visual equipment, computer equipment, and choice of meeting rooms that may include theater seating as well as light and sound. Meeting planners can assist companies with incentive travel such as ship charters.

One of the largest problems that incentive meetings have is a loss of control over attendees who would rather be at home cleaning their bathrooms. Even participants who enter a business meeting with the best intentions can become bored and restless if equipment is malfunctioning or there are lengthy pauses in the presentation due to an agenda that isn’t working out as planned.

A great way to guarantee quick results at an incentive meeting is to hold your meeting in a venue that offers desirable after-meeting entertainment options that is not available until all work is completed. When your meeting is composed of busy individuals who have other things to do, they will settle down and do their best to complete the work-at-hand in a fast and productive manner.

Combining a structured incentive trip with fun participant activities requires some creative thinking and a calculator. In reality, a business incentive meeting can be held in any appropriately setup conference room that comes complete with reasonably priced comfortable accommodations, food and beverage choices, and an easy-access location that allows for all transportation concerns.

Cruise ships have luxury accommodations, free food, no transportation needs after reaching the point of departure, and conference room facilities that are available with state-of-the-art equipment for passengers to use. These floating hotels also offer quality entertainment options, health spas, room service and activities for traveling family members to enjoy themselves too.

A few quick clicks on the calculator will show you how the price of a cruise meeting will beat the traditional lodging, restaurant, and transportation costs of a business incentive meeting from many locations inside of the United States today. Even with airfares involved to get to the port-of-departure, with many of the vacation industry discounts being offered today, a cruise can be the most economical way to conduct your next business meeting. In fact, a cruise can save you as much as 40 percent over the price of a land based venue, due to the fact that it is all inclusive.

An all inclusive cruise event can save you up to 40% compared to hotel venues since so much is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare.

There is a misconception among a number of segments of the corporate meeting and incentive travel industry that cruises are an excessively expensive choice for corporate meetings and incentive travel. When instead, choosing to arrange your next corporate event onboard a cruise ship can be extremely economical and can effect in sizeable cost savings when compared to corporate event destinations that are land-based.

According to a recent report published in Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine, 34 percent of their readers had used a cruise for an incentive program and an astounding 72 percent said they planned to – a clear indication of where the industry is moving.

This is especially true when incentive travel and meeting planners take advantage of inviting packages offered when planning meetings with many attendees. The cost benefits can be even more if the majority of the attendees live nearby a port or cruise terminal, avoiding the need for air travel.

The notion of participating in a corporate meeting at sea event is additionally much more thrilling and intriguing to meeting participants, which results in them in reality looking forward to the voyage, to a certain extent dreading yet another incentive event where they use up hours locked in a boring meeting room in Omaha or Kansas City.

Onboard cruise ship activities and entertainment are an outstanding way to relax after a long day of meetings, and offer ample of options for days off. Stopping in fascinating ports of call also adds appeal to shipboard corporate incentive travel, and permits event participants to spend time enjoying attractions, dining, entertainment and shopping off the ship as well.

Plan your next corporate event on a cruise ship and you will find that attendees will be happier, more motivated and more productive as they enjoy the opportunity to both work and have fun onboard.

If you are planning a business incentive travel package, make it easy for yourself and delight your attendees when you go to Seasite.com start sourcing cruise event package.

There are several things that must be taken into consideration when traveling with a group: hotel, restaurants, meeting rooms, equipment, activities, entertainment, and many, many other assorted details. Planning group travel can quickly become a nightmare as costs begin to stack up and overwhelm many companies meager travel budgets. Making cuts to save money on trips such as these will result in less than stellar trip reviews from those in the group. This has the potential to damage employee morale and negatively effect productivity. Instead of planning an expensive trip on land, companies and organization should consider taking their group on an incentive cruise to the Bahamas.

With land travel, every aspect of the trip has to be planned on an individual basis. The hotel may not have a restaurant or have only one dining option. A separate meeting room may have to be secured, and all of the equipment needed may not be provided by the meeting facility. When the meeting is over, employees may not know where to find local entertainment or activities they would enjoy. Furthermore, employees have no real incentive to build camaraderie or spend time with one another outside of schedule meetings. Finding transportation for the group from the hotel to restaurants, activities, and meeting spaces can also be difficult.

Now consider a cruise. A cruise can be all inclusive, and meeting planners can customize the cruise to meet the needs of their clients. Compared to land travel, a customized cruise can save companies up to 40 percent. This is because meals, meeting rooms, equipment, activities, entertainment, and many other services are inclusive of the cruise fare. This means that taking a group cruise to the Bahamas can be less expensive than planning a trip on land. In addition, the Bahamas is a tropical, exotic destination that will be seen as exciting and adventurous. Because everything is included in a cruise, employees can band together and participate in activities as a group. This helps to build solidarity and cohesion among the company's top performers and management.

Taking a group on a cruise to the Bahamas is definitely more feasible that most companies realize. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on hotels and expensive restaurants, save money and book a custom cruise. A cruise to the Bahamas will be memorable, and it will give new employees an incentive to work harder and achieve greatness. Incentive travel programs are integral to the success of a company and retention of top talent. Incentive travel program such as a group cruise to the Bahamas is an excellent to draw top talent to a company, inspire success, and give the organization a distinct edge.

When planning a group cruise for a meeting or corporate event, you may be wondering how to customize the event to make it more memorable. Here is a sampling of ideas for customization whether you are booking for a group, half ship or full ship charter.

Pre-cruise promotion:
• Customized informational booklet detailing what participants need to know before they board
• Descriptions of ports and shore excursions with advance registration forms

Sailing accessories:
• Zippered document pouch with logo
• Neck pouch with logo to hold the ship’s ID card
• Name badges with logo

Day of sailing:
• Private “bon voyage” brunch prior to sailing
• Customized pier décor such as balloons or banner
• Private onboard reception with open bar and live music

Compliments of the ship:
• Private workroom with Internet access
• Welcome letter in each attendee’s room signed by ship’s Captain
• Complimentary group photograph

Program enhancements:
• Gift certificates for spa services
• Exclusive shore events with private transfers

Half-ship charter:
• Negotiate exclusive use of the dining room and show lounge
• Daily newsletter printed on program or company letterhead

Full ship charter:
• Bridge reception hosted by ship’s Captain
• TV channel displaying program agenda or video of the day’s activities
• Daily onboard activities scheduled around meetings

For more ideas about how you can customize your cruise event, visit Seasite.com.

If you want to book a meeting at sea, instead of at a hotel, here are some differences between the two venues that you should be aware of.

Arrival time: It is common for meeting and event planners to arrive at a hotel a day or two before a big event, but with a cruise ship you can arrive an hour or two before the meeting participants.

Reserving rooms: Unless you charter a ship for your group cruise, you will need to coordinate with the cruise line in advance to secure the meeting space you need on the day and time you need it. Otherwise, another group may already be using the space.

Saving money: The cruise ship includes things like AV equipment and themed décor, so you do not have to budget for these items separately like you do for a hotel. You can either keep the extra cash or use it to offer incentives or fun activities, such as additional onboard amenities or shore excursions.

Promoting differences: A cruise ship offers different options than a hotel, so you can advertise these when promoting the trip. For example, you can mention that participants choose from a vast menu for all three meals, or that there is a wide range of activities available, or that participants will be able to visit several different destinations without extra packing or travel hassle.

Flying can be a real hassle. Not only can flying be more trouble than it is worth, but it can also be very expensive. When businesses have to factor in the cost of round-trip airfare into their incentive travel budgets, they often find they have few resources available to plan exciting entertainment and dining options for travel participants. Because airfare often requires a large percentage of the travel budget, businesses are often faced with the task of making the remaining funds stretch as much as possible. When planning incentive travel, consider an incentive cruise as a reasonable, affordable, and thrilling option with no flying required.

While participants of an incentive cruise do have to get to port, a number of these ports are located within a five hour drive of many of the major cities. At least 50 percent of the population of the U.S. is within a 5 hour drive of a cruise ship's port. Since a ship charter can cost up to 40 percent less than a land venue, such as a hotel or resort, businesses will not have to worry about making their budgets stretch. Exciting incentive travel can be accomplished without having to pay for expensive airfare or deal with the headache of flying.

Everyone loves a cruise, and a cruise meeting incentive is a great way to inspire excitement and energy, and motivate employees.  There are many cruise lines, ships and destinations from which to choose.  One easy way to source a group cruise incentive event is Seasite.com.  You can create a single RFP, and plan your group cruise entirely online.

The Carnival Fantasy sails in to her new home – Charleston, South Carolina.

Northern Arizona's Hopi Reservation has opened the Moenkopi Legacy Inn & Suites.  This new $13-million hotel and conference center is the largest development ever by a single Hopi Village. 

The Hopi  Villages are among the longest continuously inhabited places in North America.  Visit Hopi Villages, meet artists in their home workshops, enjoy unique Hopi food, and meet some of the friendliest people in the world – the Hopi people. 

Guided Walking Tours are available in the Villages of Sipaulovi and Walpi where the rich heritage of the Hopi people and village life over the centuries surrounds you.  These tours are available year round to all visitors to Hopi.  For an in depth tour of the Hopi Villages and the opportunity to visit artists (including world renowned Kachina carvers) in their home workshops, take a tour with an authorized Hopi Guide who will explain the culture and heritage of the Hopi people.

The design of the 100 room hotel offers a glimpse of Hopi culture to visitors, and the center plans to educate visitors about their tribe.  The property offers 3,096 sq. ft. of meeting space and three breakout conference rooms. 

http://experiencehopi.com/