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.

Whether you are planning a day-long corporate event or an event that takes place over a number of days, you will more than likely be asked to schedule some sort of entertainment into the itinerary. In the case of multi-day events, you will need to consider activities and entertainment options for several different time slots, since naturally there will be downtime between meetings or at the end of the day. While scheduling organized outings, entertainers, social functions or other entertainment options will certainly be necessary, you may want to consider interspersing planned activities and free time during periods of downtime throughout your event.

There are a number of advantages associated with designating certain days or evenings as free time to allow the attendees to plan their own activities. The most obvious and significant advantage is the money that will be saved, followed closely by the fact that allowing for free time means fewer events for you to plan, which makes your job easier. Experiencing significant cost savings and having less planning to do is reason enough to schedule in free time; however, there are also additional benefits of opting for self-styled entertainment options.

Scheduling in free time is sure to please attendees who would rather explore the city, go out for a drink or retreat to their rooms after a long day of meetings. It also allows you to avoid risking folks not showing up due to lack of appeal or simply being too tired after the day’s activities.

Cruising can provide an excellent travel perspective to incentive winners.  An incentive cruise offers a variety of ships from which to choose, and luxury amenities such as spas, gourmet dining and sports facilities, in addition to meeting rooms.  

Planners will appreciate the pricing structure, as well.  Cruise meetings typically offer a savings of as much as 40 percent over land based hotel venues, since everything is included in one price.

Incentive travel buyers may choose one of three cruising options:

1. Full-ship charter – customization options are virtually unlimited with a full-ship charter.  Incentive buyers may charter a ship for groups of 50 to 1,000 or more people.  They can have the ship fly the company flag, select the itinerary (within certain limits), create their own shipboard agenda, and much more.
2. Half-ship charter – usually incentive planners will charter by deck or by cabin category.  They may also reserve a dining room or one seating exclusively for their group.
3. Groups – no customization options, a group cruise experience is similar to that of a hotel or resort incentive experience, but at as much as 40 percent less.

All inclusive pricing allows incentive buyers to get more for their budget on sea than on land, thanks to the all inclusive aspect of cruising. 

Seasite.com, the first online group cruise planning portal, allows planners capitalize on the value of cruise meetings and incentives. Cruising can slash the cost of land based venues by 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!