Icebreakers are a fun way to get people talking and interacting at the beginning of a meeting, team building experience or conference. Whether you are planning a group cruise as a team building trip for a staff that regularly works together or a conference with folks who have never met each other, icebreakers are a great way to get things going. Since cruise ships provide a unique environment in their own right, it can be even more enjoyable to employ unique icebreakers that are far removed from the ordinary choices of name games and activities of that ilk.

Icebreakers for group cruises can easily take place in a meeting room, just as they would on land; however, sending your attendees off on a trek around the ship will help them become familiar with the layout, meet some of the crew and create a fun cruise atmosphere right from the beginning. And, all of this can take place while they are getting to know their fellow participants and working together as a team. One ideal option that provides all of these benefits is a scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts do not require tons of materials or time to plan and are simple to implement. All that is required is a list of items to give to each team and a conversation with the appropriate crew members to make sure they know what is going on.

You simply send each team off in search of cruise-related items, such as drink umbrellas, something that has the cruise line’s logo on it, a napkin from the buffet or other similar trinkets. Providing the winning team with a prize that is also related to the cruise, such as an onboard activity or shore excursion will increase the fun even more.

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If you are planning a meeting or conference in a popular tourist destination, such as the Caribbean, South America, Australia, Hawaii, Spain or Greece, you can rest assured that you will have plenty of interested participants that will certainly attend. However, you may be concerned about how good their attendance will be once they are at the destination and have to make the tough choice between attending meetings or spending the day at the beach and shopping for souvenirs in open air markets. Your attendees are naturally going to be tempted by pristine, sandy beaches, the warmth of the sun and the draw of local villages and sites of cultural interest. Because of this, it will take a bit of planning to ensure that your attendees participate fully in your meeting or event.

One way to encourage them to attend planned functions and to ensure them that they will also have plenty of time to explore the area is to provide a schedule that clearly defines blocks of free time. This will provide them with a visual reminder that they are there to work, as well as play, and will let them know that you have planned plenty of free time for their enjoyment. You may also want to consider scheduling a free day within the first few days of the event, rather than only towards the end. If they see that they have to wait until the end of the week to hit the beach, they will be much more likely to play hooky from meetings to sneak away to the shore.

Another way to ensure attendance at important events is to plan a group cruise event.  Cruising is extremely popular with meeting attendees, and meeting planners can plan structured events at sea around the cruise itinerary.

It's a well known fact that cruising for groups, meetings and incentives offers outstanding value with savings of up to 40 percent off land-based venues, but is it right for you? According to a recent report in Corporate Meetings & Incentives magazine, 34 percent of their readers had booked a cruise for an incentive event and an astonishing 72 percent said they planned to book one – an unmistakable indication of where the industry is moving.

If you are planning a group cruise for your next incentive travel event, you may be considering whether chartering a ship would be a more appropriate option than booking reservations on a cruise containing unaffiliated passengers. It may or may not be, contingent on a number of issues.

Initially, it is valuable to understand your alternatives. When chartering a cruise ship, you frequently can pick between group, half-ship and full-ship charter options. Full ship charters clearly allow for the most freedom, customization, exclusivity and prestige, while group-level charters will probably be most economical.

All of these alternatives has pros and cons; but, they each present distinctive advantages for those event planners deciding if chartering a cruise ship is their top option.

In order for chartering a cruise ship for your next meeting at sea to be a good goal, you will need to have a definite number of attendees, a good idea of your event space requirements and the funds to make a significant financial commitment upfront, usually guaranteed by a letter of credit.

As soon as these things are in place, your next job is selecting the optimal cruise ship to fit your incentive event needs. This will need to include appropriately-sized meeting spaces, overall costs that are within your planning budget, a suitable itinerary and an overall quality that suits the level of service and prestige required by your meeting at sea client.

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

Meeting and event planners often find themselves being asked to plan a variety of social and business events, regardless of their niche. Because of this, it is always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve for when you choose to accept these projects. While you might be a corporate event planner who never anticipates planning a wedding, you never know when one of your best clients might ask for a favor or when uncertain economic times might encourage you to expand your service offerings. Therefore, having some unique ideas for weddings in the back of your mind might prove useful at some point in your career.

For a truly romantic, intimate setting for a wedding or vow renewal ceremony, river cruises are an excellent option. Whether opting for a small ship, a barge or an ultra-romantic steamboat, couples will have a memorable wedding day when they choose a river cruise wedding. This affordable option allows them to combine their ceremony and honeymoon in one price package and offers the opportunity for family and friends to join them for just the ceremony or for the full journey. Wedding river cruises can take place in Canada, Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, the South and the Great Lakes, or on one of Europe’s many rivers, depending on the couple’s preferred destination and budget.

Planning a river cruise wedding – even if you have never planned a wedding – is easy and convenient with the group cruise planning tools at Seasite.com.

Hosting a business meeting on a cruise ship not only ensures stellar attendance, it also can make your job as a meeting planner simple and convenient. At the same time, your company or client can enjoy cost-savings of up to 40% over a land-based event at a resort hotel. Cruise ships are now well-equipped to handle meetings at sea and will be standing at the ready with group discounts, business meeting packages and everything you need for a successful meeting when you contact them.

Part of the simplicity of holding business meetings at sea is that the accommodations, entertainment, meals, meeting venues, audio-visual equipment and décor are all included for one upfront price and can all be arranged without having to contact multiple vendors and negotiate multiple contracts. Opting for a cruise ship meeting allows you to choose from a wide array of possible destinations, as well as offering you the opportunity to select the cruise length that will best suit your event budget and planning needs. Depending on the size of your group, you may also be able to choose a half or full ship charter, which allows for a more personalized experience.

If conducting your next business meeting on a cruise ship sounds appealing, visit Seasite.com to learn everything you need to know about hosting meetings at sea and to take advantage of convenient group cruise planning tools.

If it was not for the hard work and dedication of its employees, no company would grow to its full potential and meet sales and customer satisfaction goals established each year. Hardworking employees that ensure the store is open on time each day, your clients are treated in a professional manner, sales goals are met and exceeded, or that new accounts are acquired regularly need to know that they are appreciated and deserve to be rewarded for their commitment to your company’s success. While not every company can afford to give out regular raises or huge bonuses, businesses with even a very small budget can afford to provide their employees with a memorable, appealing employee recognition cruise.

Employee recognition incentive cruises do not have to be two-week excursions that journey to the Caribbean or the Greek Isles, although these are certainly options that your employees will never forget. There are many options for mini cruises that are as short as one night, or can be two to four days in length and are quite affordable. For example, Southern California companies can opt for short cruises that travel up the coast or to Mexico, Pacific Northwest companies can opt for cruises to Canada and companies located in the South can reward their employees with a weekend Bahamas cruise.

Explore your employee recognition cruise options by comparing ships and prices at Seasite.com, the only group cruise planning resource online.

You are a corporate event planner that is darn good at your job and can put together a topnotch conference, team-building experience, executive retreat or upscale gala with one hand tied behind your back. But, what do you do when one of your best clients suddenly asks you to plan his wedding and you have no experience or connections in this niche? Before you start to panic, take a moment to consider the connections you already have and how you can use your corporate event and travel planning skills to plan a wedding that will impress your client and go off without a hitch.

The thought of finding an appropriate venue for the ceremony and reception, ordering floral arrangements, planning a menu, finding a wedding DJ and reserving accommodations for all of his out of town guests may not seem like a simple task, but with one simple decision you can make wedding planning a breeze, even if you have never planned this type of occasion before now.

By convincing your client that a luxury cruise is the answer to his wedding planning needs, you will slide right back into your comfort zone and will be well on your way to successfully including wedding planning into your current skill set. A cruise wedding is a convenient way to take care of catering, venues, accommodation, entertainment, flowers and décor in one simple step, and is a luxury option that will truly impress your client and make him think you put endless hours into getting everything just right.

To make your wedding cruise planning even easier, visit Seasite.com and use the convenient group cruise planning tools available. You just might find that it is time to add wedding planning to your list of offerings.

Newly launched Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry.

Miami, FL (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 21, 2010 — Planning a group cruise requires searching for detailed ship information and not always finding what you need – even on the cruise lines’ own web sites. Now, with Seasite.com, the first cruise portal for meetings and events, group organizers can find all the ship data they need in one place – at no cost.

I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client. And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.

"I’ve bookmarked Seasite.com – it’s invaluable in selecting the right ship for a group and to verify it’s a good fit before I present it to my client,” said Millie Evans, President/CEO Alliance Incentives and Meetings. "And for operational planning, it has all the info I need – which isn’t on cruise line web sites.”

Seasite.com provides 24/7 access to all cruise brands, and the most content-rich and searchable database for the cruise industry, so that planners can:

1.   Find ship data never before offered online or in print, such as:
   - Meeting/function room capacities
   - Dining room seating, and details for private group dining
   - Outdoor group function areas
   - A/V equipment lists
   
2-   Search, compare, and save favorite cruises; then create one RFP and submit it to multiple cruise lines. (Group pricing is the same as booking direct.)

3-   See the cruise lines most committed to groups, and search their mini-sites (all laid out the same — when you’re familiar with one, you’re familiar with all!)

4-   Search by ship name for a chronological list of future Itineraries and Basic Ship Information, and find it faster than a brochure.

5-   Search for a cruise anywhere in the world by any date range (as short as several days or as long as several months). Sort your results by meetings-specific criteria.

6-   Refer to the Knowledge Center to answer all your questions, including these:

7-   Discover a list of "Cruise Gems” – those rare, hard to find, short cruises.

"Everyone who plans group travel should take a good look, and bookmark Seasite.com if they want to simplify cruise sourcing and planning” said Jo Kling, CEO Seasite.com.

For more information on Seasite.com, A Landry & Kling Company, visit www.seasite.com or call 888-713-1371.

About Seasite.com/Landry & Kling
Seasite.com is designed for meeting and event planners who want more control in the cruise sourcing and planning process. It’s the fastest and easiest way for group organizers to master the world of cruising, building on all that’s been learned by Landry & Kling, who are credited with being the first distribution channel between the cruise industry and corporate America. Now, 28 years since their startup, they have responded to changing times by creating Seasite.com, with innovative cruise sourcing tools that enable meeting planners and other travel intermediaries to be more pro-active and confident in booking cruises. Seasite group pricing is the same as booking direct, with the advantage of impartial Cruise Advisors to assist as needed.

The best incentive programs to motivate employees include rewards of money or travel.  People love to win trips to destinations that are different from their own environment.  Trips to exotic destinations such as an incentive cruise to  interesting ports of call are among the most popular incentives, and tend to have the best ROI overall. 

Seasite.com, the first online group cruise meeting planning portal, allows planners capitalize on the value of cruise meeting and incentives. Cruising can cut the cost of land based venues by as much as 25-40%, allowing planners to persevere with today’s shrinking budgets. Why not make your next corporate incentive event a meeting-at-sea ? Take a look at Seasite.com today!

Incentive travel planners are faced with clients who just don't have a large budget to spend, these days. Small businesses are cutting out unnecessary expenses with the hope that their employees will not notice, and larger corporations — especially those who accepted government bailout money — are trying to restore their image of competence and frugality. Incentive travel is a scary proposition for them both.

Think incentive cruise.  Cruising is often a much more affordable choice for people who love to travel in general, and could be your answer to the problem of affordable incentive travel. Why? Because cruises are relaxing, cruise lines have expanded their ports of call, and a cruise is typically all inclusive.  

A cruise event can save you as much as 40% compared to a land based hotel venue because almost everything is included. Meals, meeting rooms, A/V, coffee breaks, activities, entertainment and even room service are part of the all-inclusive cruise fare. You spend nothing more for linens, florals, lighting, labor or state/city taxes, which saves your client money and gives you time to devote to your business agenda and attendees.

Planners may also save yourselves some headaches other than financial related ones. If you have a small incentive travel group that is from a foreign culture, you might consider a cruise that will appeal to that culture. For instance, let's pretend Irish music and culture has become all the rage in Eastern Europe. You have been hired to find a cruise for a group of Eastern European business people. Your logical choice will include Ireland, and expand to the other British Isles if there is time just for a bonus.

Cruises can, indeed, be a port in this financial storm the world is in right now. Next time you are trying to find an affordable incentive travel program, take a few minutes and check on group cruise events.

You will be surprised at how easy it is to plan a meeting at sea, and stay within your budget.