it because it got them exclusive use of the venue, it could be completely branded in their theme, and it really added a ‘wow’ factor to the event, as the ability to cruise to different, interesting locations for activities and dinner was really exciting,” she says.
UK INTEREST
Not all cruise lines are interested in the meetings market, but those that do focus on the sector have also reported increas- ing interest by companies based in the UK and Europe. For example, UK-based satellite technology company Inmarsat held a five-day partner conference for 200 delegates on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas earlier this year, with an itinerary sailing from Florida to the Bahamas, with stops at Coco Cay and Nassau, where optional activities for delegates included city tours, deep-sea fishing, diving with sharks and golf. Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, UK and Ireland
director of sales for Celebrity Cruises, says: “In the US, Celebrity has seen the events market grow by more than 25 per cent annually for the last four years. Now we see the international markets, led by the UK, showing even stronger growth.” She adds that onboard meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) events prove popular with delegates’ spouses and partners, who get the opportunity to try all the facilities afloat. Luxury line Silversea, which has eight ships in its fleet (including three explorer- style vessels sailing to destinations such as Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands) is also focusing on the corporate market, with an office in London catering for clients in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Maarten Tromp, Silversea’s director of
corporate and incentive sales, says: “Even in difficult economic times, companies still incentivise and reward staff and clients. This is why cruises are so appealing, as we offer an experience, not just a hotel stay. We are currently seeing a strong increase in quotations but also in confirmed business, not only from the UK but in virtually all international markets that are served from the London office.”
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
Cruise ships keep a conference group together for enhanced networking and team-building
DAUNTING RANGE For those meeting planners who do not have detailed knowledge of the cruise industry, the range of ships and possible itineraries available can be daunting. Vessels range from Royal Caribbean’s enormous Oasis-class ships, such as Allure of the Seas, which can carry up to 5,400 passengers, to luxury yacht-style ships operated by companies such as Ponant, whose smallest vessel caters for a maximum of 64 guests. The increase in interest from meetings planners and agencies is reflected in the results of a global survey of 735 meetings industry professionals, carried out by Site International Foundation, in co-operation with cruise trade organisation Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). This found that 73 per cent of meetings industry professionals expected to use a cruise line for a client’s incentive group within the next three years, while 53 per cent said they were likely to organise a meeting or conference on board a ship over the same period. Only 5 per cent of respondents completely dismissed the idea of holding a meeting or conference on a cruise ship. The survey also highlighted the main
reasons why meeting organisers would not consider a meeting at sea. These included voyage lengths that did not fit in with the client’s timescale (46 per cent), perception- issues such as cruises being seen as “too frivolous or risky” (41 per cent) and a general aversion to being at sea (37 per cent). A high percentage also steered away from cruise events due to being “unaware”
of the meeting space that is available on ships and the price of the event being “too high”.
A DIFFERENT VIEW These are the types of perceptions that the cruise industry wants to change, par- ticularly for those operators that are more interested in the meetings and incentive market. Royal Caribbean, for example, says that it has the “largest percentage of public space” dedicated to meeting facilities in the cruise industry. Stephen Winter, international sales
director for small ship operator Ponant, says: “The advantage of holding an event at sea offers bookers the perfect package: one bill covers transportation port-to- port, dining and drinking, and meeting space. We believe the size of our ships actually makes us the right fit for most of our clients.” Celebrity’s Tempest-Mitchell also argues
that the all-inclusive nature of cruises means they can offer “better value” than a traditional land-based venue because services such as entertainment, meals and audio-visual equipment are included in the overall price. “Meetings on cruise ships can offer savings of up to 30 per cent com- pared to land programmes,” she says. “And they are even more cost-effective when you consider that our team also takes away the strain of managing all onboard meals, refreshments and entertainment.” Another quandary that buyers and planners may face is deciding whether they want to charter a whole ship for exclusive use, or take an allocation of cabins on a public cruise and use some of the ship’s lounges, restaurants and entertainment facilities for their private events and sessions. Silversea’s Maarten Tromp says that cruise ships offer flexibility to meeting planners depending on the size of their group and their requirements. He adds that organisers also need to think about their choice of destinations. “Chartering a Silversea ship provides the freedom to customise the voyage itinerary – including ports of call, duration of time in port, and
BBT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 81
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