CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., part of World Travel Holdings (WTH), today began their 2012 National Conference. The program welcomed a roster of industry leaders, features a week of speakers, presentations and workshops designed to help franchise owners and agents grow their businesses.
More than 750 attendees gathered this morning for a general session, according to CruiseOne and Cruises Inc., with opending remarks by Senior Vice President and General Manager Dwain Wall, as well as comments by Senior Vice President, Travel Industry Sales, Americas, Disney Destinations, Ed Fouche.
During his opening address, Wall cited impressive growth within the land sector, with land sales up 35% year-over-year, commenting, “cruising has been – and always will be – a core aspect of what we do. That said, our expanding land program symbolizes our commitment to continue to grow with the times and help each and every one of you be the best full-service travel professional you can be.”
CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Luis Zuniga, discussed the power of leveraging each and every consumer marketing touch point and the importance of getting personal with customers. He also provided updates on several marketing programs set to launch in the coming year.
A cruise line executive panel was hosted by David Crooks, senior vice president of product and operations for World Travel Holdings, including the following panelists: Charles Dunwoody, senior director, national accounts, Holland America Line and Seabourn; Andy Stuart, executive vice president, global sales & passenger services, Norwegian Cruise Line; Joni Rein, vice president of worldwide sales, Carnival Cruise Lines; Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales and trade support & service, Royal Caribbean International; and Dondra Ritzenthale, senior vice president of sales, Celebrity Cruises
Agents had the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops, which were organized by learning tracks including “Product,” “Business Opportunity,” “Sales,” “Marketing” and “Technology,” with participation by cruise line executives,
