This document provides information for concierge team members to assist clients with cruise requests. It describes the different types of cruises including ocean going, river, and expedition cruises. It also outlines the different types of cruise lines from mainstream to premium to luxury. The document discusses the amenities offered on cruises such as accommodations, food and beverage options, activities, and shore excursions. It provides an overview of popular cruise destinations and additional factors to consider when booking a cruise like promotions, ship layout, inclusions, and onboard experiences. The goal is to enable the concierge to fully address any client needs and questions related to cruise planning.

1. ~~~CRUISES~~~
A TUTORIAL DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CONCIERGE
TEAM MEMBERS WITH INFORMATION NEEDED
TO FULLY ASSIST CLIENTS WITH CRUISE REQUESTS

2. TYPES OF CRUISES
OCEAN GOING
The majority of cruise
requests will be for
ocean going cruises.
These range from 3 day
cruises going a short
distance such as from
Miami to the Bahamas,
to long 6 month cruises
circumnavigating the
entire world
RIVER
Cruises that slowly
travel along a river are
popular, with Europe
being a very desirable
destination for river
cruising. Other sought
after destinations; the
Nile River in Egypt,
Yangtze River in China,
and the St. Lawrence
Seaway, North America
EXPEDITION
A more adventurous,
less luxurious cruise
that focuses on an
exotic destination that
is typically quite rugged
and not easily reached,
such as Antarctica, The
Arctic, Galapagos, and
remote parts of Alaska

3. TYPES OF CRUISE LINES
MAINSTREAM
Most requests will be for
mainstream cruises. You
can compare this to
Holiday Inn’s & Comfort
Inn’s and dining at Olive
Gardens & Giordano’s
3 star lodging and dining
$75 - $150 per person
per day, few inclusions
Carnival, RCCL, NCL, HAL,
PREMIUM
More upscale than the
mainstream cruises. You
can compare this to
staying at Marriott’s, W,
or Hiltons and dining at
Shaws Crab & Maggianos
4 star lodging and dining
$150 - $300 per person
per day, more inclusions
Princess, Disney, Oceania,
Azamara, Celebrity
LUXURY
Very upscale, compare
to staying at Ritz Carlton
or Four Seasons hotels
and dining at Morton’s,
French Laundry or Alinea
5 star lodging and dining
$300 and up per person
per day, very inclusive
Regent, Silversea, Crystal,
Seabourn, Sea Dream
INCLUSIONS DESCRIBED ON FOLLOWING SLIDES

4. ON-BOARD
LODGING - Suites / Staterooms / Cabins
DINING - Dining Rooms / Buffets / Poolside Grills / Room Service
LOUNGES - Bars / Discos / Nightlife / Poolside Service
PLACES - Pool / Spa & Fitness / Casino / Shops / Internet / Library
ACTIVITIES - Shows / Games / Contests / Galley Tours / Cooking Demos
Zip-lines / Movies / Skeet Shooting / Wave Surfing / Art Auctions
Kids - Teen Clubs / Dance Classes / Singles Mixers / Expert Lectures
Photography Lessons / Rock Climbing / Mini Golf / Bowling / Ice Skating / Boxing
Wind Tunnel Para-Flying / Scuba Lessons / OMG and on & on & on & on & on & on & on ………..
THE ABOVE & SHORE EXCURSIONS ARE COVERED IN THE SECTIONS COMING UP

5. THINGS TO DO (P-L-E-N-T-Y!!!)

6. SHIP LAYOUT
Multiple Decks; “typical” layouts consistent between ships in general. Embarkation deck fairly
low, with front desk - lobby, shops, casino, showroom, restaurant(s). Upper decks open air with
pool, spa, al fresco dining, chaise deck chairs, etc. Passenger accommodations on lower decks
(ocean view & interior), with middle and upper decks having balcony cabins, suites, and some
interior cabins. Staff cabins and ship storage on the lowest decks. Ships range in size from
carrying just a couple hundred guests up to 6,300 guests (PLUS staff)!
Typical
layout of
a deck with
all cabins

Typical
layout of a
lobby deck


7. PUBLIC AREAS
A wide variety of ships of different sizes with many different styles…
From grandiose, colorful and overwhelming to subdued, conservative and elegant.
Showrooms Lobbies Dining

8. PUBLIC AREAS - General

9. ACCOMMODATIONS
SUITES: The largest, most grandiose, most expensive accommodations on board.
99% of the time has a balcony, typically has separate living, sleeping and
dining areas. Many extra perks and inclusions such as stocked mini bar,
concierge, butler, special dining rooms just for suite guests, etc. In desirable
areas of the ship, such as exactly mid-ship, or fore and aft on the corners.
A ship can have different types of suites, ranging in size and location, from
300 sq feet up to 2000 square feet, with larger balconies 60 – 300 sq. feet.
BALCONY: Next best thing to a suite, a standard size cabin / stateroom with a balcony that
(Veranda) has a sliding glass door. Balcony is typically 40 – 50 sq. feet, with a couple chairs
and a table. The cabin itself is typically 140 – 200 sq. feet, and higher on the ship.
OCEAN Typically about the same as a balcony cabin / stateroom on the same ship, just
VIEW: without a balcony. Instead, a window which can range from large ones that take
up half of the exterior wall, to a smaller window to just a very small porthole.
Ocean view cabins / staterooms are typically lower on the ship.
INTERIOR: Typically about the same as a balcony and ocean view cabin / stateroom on the
same ship, just NO window as it is on the interior of the ship away from the outer
wall. Sometimes, an interior window that overlooks something on board (shops,
lobby, etc. OR on new ships, a “virtual” window with a changing digital scene).

10. ACCOMMODATIONS
Club World Owners Suite
Club Ocean Suite
Club Deluxe Veranda Stateroom
Club Veranda Stateroom
Club Oceanview Stateroom
Club Interior Stateroom
Azamara Quest
Deck 7
SUITES SUITES
INTERIOR
BALCONY OCEANVIEW
STAIRS &
ELEVATORS
Within a category (ocean view,
balcony, etc.) there are several
different sub-categories at
different price levels (typically
just different areas of the ship)

11. ACCOMODATIONS - SUITES
Stateroom: 560 sq. ft. (52 sq m)
Veranda: 233 sq. ft. (21.7 sq m)
• Separate living room
• Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass
doors
• Master bedroom with two
lower beds convertible to queen
size
• Convertible sofa bed in some
rooms
• Marble master bath with
whirlpool tub and shower
• Guest bathroom
• Veranda
• Flat-screen television
• DVD/CD player
• Refrigerator with mini-bar
• Thermostat-controlled air
conditioning
• Direct-dial telephone and
voicemail
• Desk
• In-room safe
• Hand-held hair dryer
Azamara Club World Owners Suite

12. ACCOMMODATIONS - SUITES

13. ACCOMMODATIONS
Balcony – Ocean View – Interior
Cabins / Staterooms
Within a ship, typically all are similar / same dimensions & furnishings, just different
window area configuration (large, small, none or sliding door leading to a private balcony)
Stateroom: 175 sq. ft.
Veranda: 40 sq. ft.
Stateroom: 170 sq. ft. Stateroom: 158 sq. ft.

14. BALCONY OCEAN VIEW INTERIOR

15. FOOD & BEVERAGE

16. FOOD & BEVERAGE
DINING IS A H-U-G-E PART OF THE CRUISING EXPERIENCE, WITH LEGENDARY BUFFETS
EVEN AT MIDNIGHT, STEAK AND LOBSTER EVEN ON THE LESS EXPENSIVE CRUISES.
Most, but not all food is included on cruises !!
(with the exception of top of the line luxury cruises that include everything)
SPECIALTY RESTAURANTS: Many ships have a few restaurants where there is a slight
upcharge to dine at, ranging from a few $$ to dine at a
brand name restaurant such as Johnny Rockets to $30 to
dine in a steakhouse with Prime steaks, or a sushi bar, etc.

17. BEVERAGE / NIGHTLIFE
Beverage service and nightlife are a huge part of a cruise. Most mainstream
cruises do NOT include alcoholic beverages, and many do not even include
carbonated beverages like coke, 7-Up, Perrier etc. They do include coffee, tea,
bulk fruit punch and iced tea typically. The higher caliber the cruise line, the
more included beverages (some include house wines with meals, some include
all wine any time, etc.) Beverage service is everywhere, poolside while
sunbathing, dining rooms, casinos, and even during shows with most cruise
lines “pushing” drinks by ubiquitous servers. Of course, bars & lounges serve
beverages all day and night along with having entertainment of all kinds, such
as….
Live Music and Dancing

18. ~~~BEVERAGES~~~
Piano Bars
Jazz Lounges
Pool Bars
Karaoke
Sports Bars
Swim-up Pool Bars Pool Parties

19. WHILE ON BOARD IN GENERAL
THE PREVIOUS SLIDES OUTLINED THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF A CRUISE SHIP
THIS SLIDE IS ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT WHILE ON BOARD.
 A Cruise ship is all about choices; where and when to eat, what activity you want to
participate in, if and when you want to leave the ship while in port, etc.
A daily schedule is put into every cabin the night before which provides the full
schedule of events for the next day. If you choose to participate you get to that area at
the designated time / range of time to do so. There is a public address system that
provides reminders on a regular basis about “major” / popular events.
 Cruise ships are “cashless”, you charge everything you want to buy to your cabin /
suite and pay the bill for those incidental charges (drinks that aren’t included, spa,
shopping, excursions, etc.) when you “check out” at the end of the cruise.
 Often there are special supervised programs for children & teens, so parents can be
assured their kids are supervised and having fun with others within their age group,
allowing them to have their own fun. Babysitters are typically available for a fee.

20. DESTINATIONS
CRUISE SHIPS GO ALMOST ANYWHERE WHERE THE WATER IS DEEP ENOUGH, FROM NARROW
RIVERS TO WIDE OPEN OCEANS. POPULAR DESTINATIONS:
 CARIBBEAN - (Further broken down by Southern, Western & Eastern)
 MEDITERRANEAN – (Further broken down by Eastern & Western)
 EUROPE – Many navigable rivers, the Baltic Sea north of mainland Europe,
Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.
 ALASKA
 HAWAII
 WESTERN MEXICO
 ASIA – (Southeast in particular, especially around the Malay Peninsula – Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia…)
 SOUTH PACIFIC – (Australia, New Zealand, Bora Bora, Tahiti, Moorea…)
 SOUTH / CENTRAL AMERICA
 TRANSATLANTIC / REPOSITIONING CRUISE
There are numerous cruises of this nature, which do not spend much time at any destination,
but have many days at sea. I.E., when a ship leaves the Mediterranean at the end of summer
season and goes to the Caribbean to spend the winter. This trip may leave Spain, spend 6
days at sea, maybe stop at a Caribbean island or two, and end up in Miami. The ship may do
the same trip in reverse come spring. These are usually much less expensive per day and are
favored by cruisers who like to hang out on the ship. Alaskan Cruise ships leave at the end of
summer, and go down to western Mexico / South America. Etc….

21. SHORE EXCURSIONS

22. SHORE EXCURSIONS
OF COURSE, GOING ON SHORE TO EXPLORE THE PORT AREA OR EVEN FARTHER AWAY
WITHIN THE REGION IS A HUGE DRAW, A BIG PART OF WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO CRUISE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS A CRUISER CAN GO ABOUT THIS:
 ON OWN - A cruiser can simply walk off the ship any time they want and explore
on their own, walking, taking a cab, or engaging the services of a
local vendor that provides excursions on a walk up basis.
 CRUISE LINE - A cruiser can purchase an excursion that is operated by the cruise line,
EXCURSIONS doing so well in advance, or (if available) while on board.
 INDEPENDENT - A cruiser can purchase an excursion in advance from an operator that
EXCURSIONS sells / operates excursions from those ports (think Viator, etc. )

23. SHORE EXCURSIONS
ADDITIONAL POINTS
 All passengers must have a passport and at times an entry visa to get into a country. Visa’s
are done in advance, either individually or en masse by the cruise line on a “blanket” visa.
Immigrations will come aboard to do their final manifest / passport (passports are collected
at embarkation and held by the cruise ship for immigration) inspection & approval BEFORE
anybody disembarks. This enables passengers to come & go at will just by showing their
cruise cabin key. If a person isn’t allowed into a country, they won’t be allowed to board.
 Cruise line excursions are typically the most expensive. Their primary advantage; if an
excursion encounters difficulty and cannot get back to the ship on time (vehicle accident,
roadway washed out, horrible traffic, etc.) the cruise ship will be notified and they will delay
departure until that excursion gets back. Also, as the ship controls disembarkation and can
authorize transportation to come right up to the ship, they can offer their excursion guests
the ability to get off the ship first, and to walk just a very short distance to their ground
transportation which can pull right up to the ship. SOME large outside excursions
companies also provide a guarantee to customers; if they don’t get you back to the ship on
time, they will pay to fly you to the next port of call and a hotel as needed. A nice
guarantee, but you still miss the boat for that night (or two) and being unexpected, you
won’t have any spare clothes, toiletries and perhaps medications you need.

24. GENERAL CRUISE FACTOIDS
IN 2013 THERE WERE 475,000 BERTHS / BEDS AVAILABLE ON ALL CRUISE SHIPS
IN 2018 IT IS PROJECTED WITH CURRENT SHIPBUILDING, THERE WILL BE 553,000
IN 2012 MORE THAN 20 MILLION PASSENGERS SAILED ON CRUISE SHIPS
IN 2012 $42 BILLION WAS INFUSED INTO THE US ECONOMY BY CRUISE LINES
IN 2012 THERE WERE 365,000 US WORKERS EMPLOYED EARNING $17.4 BILLION
AS OF OCT 2014 THERE ARE 32 CRUISE SHIPS ON ORDER WITH SHIP BUILDERS,
INCLUDING AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE TITANIC SCHEDULED FOR 2016
THE LARGEST CRUISE SHIPS ARE OWNED BY ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE LINES,
2 ‘”SISTER” SHIPS; THE OASIS OF THE SEAS AND THE ALLURE OF THE SEAS.
EACH HAS 16 DECKS, CAN HOLD UP TO 6,360 PASSENGERS, HAS A CREW OF 2,394,
AND 4 DINING ROOMS, WITH THE LARGEST HOLDING UP TO 3,056 DINERS.
(Compare to the 110 story Willis Tower which holds 12,000 occupants, so imagine the
first 80 stories lying on its side floating on an ocean as being an accurate comparison
to these largest cruise ships). Ship is 1,186 feet long, Willis is 1,451 feet tall.

25. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER…
The previous slides provide full information on cruising, enabling you the
concierge to fully assist clients who call in for cruise reservations. The remainder
of this presentation is about using the knowledge you have learned to take care
of the clients needs thoroughly and professionally.
I’m thinking about
taking a cruise, can you
help me?
I certainly can Mr.
Cardmember, my
pleasure! My name
is Rosa….

26. PROMOTIONS, PERKS & SALES

27. PROMOTIONS, PERKS & SALES
There are a myriad of promos, perks & sales within the cruise industry. Typically
cardmembers are well aware of these, however they may not fully understand them.
Some are not specific to just the cruise industry (prices from, up to, free upgrades, etc.)
 PRICES FROM - Many cruise ships do the exact same sailing for many weeks in a row. The
lowest possible price advertised is date specific. It may be for next week, or
during the heart of Hurricane season. Prices may be much higher on the
dates the cardmember is asking for.
 UP TO - This is used frequently when promoting perks like on board spending credit
and discounts. Advertising of course shows the highest amount possible.
When you see “up to” $500 on board credit, or discount, that typically means
if you book a suite. If you book a balcony cabin, perhaps just $400,
oceanview maybe $300, etc.
 UPGRADE - You need to be careful and look at the details closely. Many times it is an
upgrade within the same category, such as pay for the lowest oceanview
category and get an upgrade to the next level oceanview cabin. Sometimes it
can mean upgrade to the next category (oceanview up to balcony, etc.)
 FREEBIES - Cruise lines may offer some “freebies” such as free gratuities, free air, free
pre / post hotel, free ground transfers.
THESE ARE ALL EASILY FOUND AND HEAVILY ADVERTISED!!!!

28. PROMOTIONS, PERKS & SALES
SPECIAL REDUCED RATES INCLUDE: Senior, Resident of a specific state / province,
Past Guest of that cruise line, Military, Firefighter, Teacher.
Not all cruise lines offer these, and if they do they are capacity controlled
(only so many discounts per sailing are allowed).
Once they hit that allotment they withdraw the discounts for future bookings, even
if it is a past guest who is a senior that is a teacher in the military and a part time
firefighter living in a state that would have qualified for a discount.
Combinability of promotions and discounts is an important issue!
You may not be able to combine some of the various promotions and
discounts, make sure you look over those details carefully!

29. WHEN THE PHONE RINGS
Quite often a cardmember knows exactly what cruise they want.
• They are price shopping and looking for expert advice and service.
If the cardmember does not know exactly what sailing they want, they typically
have a specific date range and destination(s) in mind.
As a concierge you are trained to provide exceptional service and give advice!
It is very important to let that “shine through” in your conversation. At this point they
are looking for expertise and confidence, assessing who they want to spend thousands
of dollars with. They want to work with someone who can help them pick out a good
cabin or suite, perhaps help them with air reservations and ground transfers. They are
trying to find somebody who they can feel confident working with on this cruise
vacation, someone they believe can provide accurate information and get all of the
details taken care of properly with them and the cruise line.

30. WHILE ON THE INITIAL CALL
 IF A CARDMEMBER KNOWS WHAT SHIP THEY WANT:
• Get full contact information, and if they are military, past guest, etc.
• Get the cruise info; Line, Sail Date, Port of Departure
• Find out how many people are cruising, and ages of children & seniors traveling
• Ask if they know what cabin type(s) (Suite, Balcony, Oceanview, Interior) desired
• Find out their nearest / preferred airport they are traveling from
• If they are NOT past guests, find out if anyone has cruised before in general
 IF A CARDMEMBER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT SAILING THEY WANT:
• Get their full contact information and if they are military, past guest, etc.
• Find out the region they want to visit and date range
• Find out how many people are cruising, and ages of children & seniors travelling
• Find out if anyone has cruised before in general, if so with what Cruise line(s)
• Ask if they know what cabin type (s) (Suite, Balcony, Oceanview, Interior) desired
• Find out their nearest / preferred airport they are traveling from

31. AFTER THE INITIAL CALL
 IF A CARDMEMBER KNOWS WHAT SAILING THEY WANT:
• Check with cruise line (on line, via phone or through whatever approved reservation
system is currently being used) to find out price & availability.
• Contact Cardmember and provide that information in the manner they requested. If via
e-mail, create a document similar to what you do for hotel requests, include a photo of
the ship and cabin type, itinerary and pricing. (please note, occasionally a cardmember
will want to book a cruise on the initial call. If so, you do the same thing while client is
still on the phone)
 IF A CARDMEMBER DOES NOT KNOW WHAT SAILING THEY WANT:
• Check on a general search engine (such as Orbitz, Expedia, or whatever approved
reservation system is currently being used) for sailings that meet their parameters (in the
region they want during the desired date range)
• Once you narrow down your choices, finding out what cruise lines / ships will work out
then go check with the cruise line for price and availability. Contact Cardmember and
provide that information in the manner they requested. If via e-mail, create a document
similar to what you do for hotel requests, include a photo of the ship and cabin type,
itinerary and pricing.

32. CARDMEMBER FOLLOW-UP
Then you go about gathering the information requested and getting it back
to the Cardmember within the specified timeframe given.
*FULFILLMENT TIMES:
• For a cruise departing very soon (within a few weeks): 4 – 8 hours
• If the exact sailing is known and it’s a month or more out: 8-24 hours
• If the exact sailing is not known and it’s a month or more out: 24 – 48 hours
As is standard you provide the information in the format desired by the cardmember
(in writing or via phone). If in writing, you would create a .pdf document in the
same fashion that you would do for hotel quotes; information on the sailing dates,
cruise ships, itinerary, pricing and cancellation penalties. Include pictures of the ship
and the cabin / suite category discussed, along with a brief written description of the
ship and cabin / suite category.
THIS IS ALL READILY AVAILABLE ON THE CRUISE LINE WEBSITES!
*Fulfillment time may vary depending on contractual obligations

33. BOOKING THE CRUISE
Congratulations, you have sold your first cruise!! This is a very exciting moment
for a cardmember, much more so than you are used to from booking air or hotel,
a very fulfilling request that you can feel proud that you have accomplished.
Booking a cruise is a fairly complex process and not something that we will go
over at this time. Once you get to this point, an experienced concierge will do
this together with you, slowly and in a method designed to provide you “on the
job” training so that you will know how to book subsequent cruises.