The How To Book of ....
Cruises

When Do Your Clients Need Cruise Insurance?
Sales Tips
Keeping Fit At Sea - A Major Industry Trend

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Being a captive audience aiways makes people nervous. When a cruise line strongly suggests that your client buy the line's insurance, many resist. When the line includes that cost in the cruise price, requiring clients to specifically decline it, you feel like a target.

But cruise agents say those reactions are irrational. Virtually every Cruise line sells insurance. By and large it's very good. Some policies protect you only in the event of a cancellation; others are comprehensive insurance policies that also cover trip interruption or delay when caused by injury or illness; overseas medical coverage, and lost or delayed baggage.

The major reason for buying cruise insurance is to guard against losing the entire deposit if you get sick or injured at the last minute. Princess' insurance is unusual in that it allows you to cancel for a non-medical reason and still get 75 percent of the non-refundable deposit back - not in dollars, but in credit toward a future cruise. Clever of them to keep the client coming back.

No matter what cruise line you book, you always have the option of going without, or declining the line's insurance and buying a retail policy from a company like Travel Guard (35% commission) or Carefree (37% commission). A good cruise agent can lead you through the ins and outs.

Here are several suggestions:

* Don't discount the risk of getting injured or becoming very ill and needing hospitalization. Your own medical insurance may not cover you outside the country. Of course, if you don't normally insure yourself for overseas travel, there's no reason to consider a cruise a bigger risk.

* If you become very sick or are badly injured, your nastiest surprise may come if your medical evacuation insurance is insufficient. A charter flight or helicopter airlift can run $20,000 or more.

* Pre-existing medical conditions are generally excluded, but the above two companies have this contingency included.

* If you have children going with you; check to see that they would be covered by the policy you purchase.

* In the winter when your air connections might not be smooth, definitely buy trip delay insurance. Typically, insurance from a cruise line costs about $69-$79 for a seven-day cruise. You should always recommend some type of insurance that would allow your client to cancel without penalty up to about 48 hours prior to departure. It is always wise to have the client sign a declination of insurance if they feel it is unnecessary. If they choose not to take any kind of insurance, they at least acknowledge that it's their decision.

The more expensive the cruise, the more it should be insured for. For a $300 weekend cruise, there isn’t much financial exposure, but it comes down to how much risk your client is willing to assume. The experts agree that although cruise lines' policies offer differences in coverage, they are pretty straightforward. Read the fine print, but you're not likely to find any terrible surprises there.

Preparing for Two-for-Ones
Two for Ones have traditionally been a great sales hook. Of course there are some problems in selling them. Agents report they're somewhat overused in today's market; their structure requires a lot of explaining on the part of the agent, and as air is not included, two-for-one pricing can be confusing.

Yet, two-for-ones arguably provide the best price for consumers who are not members of various passenger clubs.

These Two for Ones are the product of periods of unexpectedly low demand. "Most are close to departure because cruise lines don't realize they have a valley until they are close to it. For instance when Princess releases Alaska `01 pricing, the rates that are listed are what Princess feels is perfect for moving the market. But once they see the activity they get in February, they can judge whether they have to implement "price stimulants" such as Two for Ones.

It's hard to predict when two-for-ones will strike. Agents should find out in advance which clients can go at the drop of a hat. Make a list of clients who respond positively to the question "If you can jump at the last minute, can I tell you when the price breaks?" If it's yes, then tell them that from time to time there are Two-for-One available and they are great opportunities to cruise at spectacular savings.

Don't bother targeting the baby-boomer market for this type of special. For the most part, they lack the necessary flexibility. Instead, focus on seniors and the self employed.

Leaving Las Vegas - - - Put the pencil to the paper to show a three to four night Cruise isn't that much more than a typical three to four night Vegas trip. The money is just paid in advance instead of during the trip. Top name entertainment costs $60 to $80 per night in Vegas. Its free on a cruise; the 99 cent breakfasts in Vegas are a thing of the past. The casino facilities on the new cruise ships are vast improvements over the old ones and can compare with Nevada in atmosphere. As for why they should switch from desert to sea? The sick-and-tired-of Vegas Crowd needs to do something different.

Boredom - - - Don't say 'Oh, you're not going to be bored, there's millions of things to do.' Be specific. Ask, "What do you like to do when on vacation?" and then provide a specific answer once you find their interests. If it's read a good book and get a suntan, then you can reply, "Well, this ship has two acres of deck space and a library. Don't give em all the activities. Zero in on what the client's need.

Seasickness - - - Agents often try to minimize it: "Oh., you won't get seasick." Be specific instead. Ask when was the last time the client was seasick. It's unlikely that the passenger was seasick on a big ship. But if he was, say, "OK, we strongly recommend a megaship with dual stabilizers.

Find The Hidden Agenda - - - If a client says she took a cruise once, but the cabins were too small throw-back an open-ended question. You may find out the real problem is the 6' 6" husband wants a larger bed. Then you can point out that on all new ships, the twins convert to queens.

Promote Elbow Room - - - This is a key point for Alaska and Panama Canal. Start at Category D or above. Tell them `By the first lock or glacier, everybody is out there on the deck to view the scenery, the rails are jammed. With a balcony, you don't have to fight for the rails; relax with a coffee, taking in the spectacular views from the privacy of your own room.

Sell Up - - - Suites always sell out first, followed by the cheap inside Q category. When pulling out the brochure, generally start main deck outside (D). Tell the client they deserve an outside cabin for their vacation. Now, if there is a price objection for this, there's something for them to fall back upon other than the insides. The couple, for instance, could get lower deck lower outside (F).

Long associated with women and fat farms, spas are taking to the seas and dispelling those perceptions. They are practically posting "Not for Women Only" signs and men are responding in increasing numbers.

Spas at sea also are attracting a different breed of passenger-a cross section of the contemporary traveler who is more concerned with aerobics than bingo, more interested in self improvement than in midnight buffets and more excited by traveling to exotic destinations without abandoning shoreside fitness routines that took so long to establish.

Cruise ships catering to contemporary lifestyles are offering the fitness-minded crowd the best of two worlds. As new ships are designed and older ships refitted for second or third lives, fitness centers and full spas are expanded or rebuilt to meet demands of both young and old who do not select ships for the quantity of food, but for the lighter touch in menus, spas and fitness facilities offered.

Spas at sea, in one form or another, are not new. Even in the golden years of trans-Atlantic sea travel, passengers were encouraged to work off gargantuan meals by walking the deck and participating in sports like shuffle board or table tennis. As cruising replaced trans-ocean travel, the concept took on a different complexion.

In order to compete with shoreside resorts, lifestyles at sea became more contemporary. Ships added fitness rooms in addition to traditional massage facilities. Hair dressing salons moved from small rooms practically down in the hold to high decks in colorful areas with huge picture windows.

Aerobics classes became part of daily activities programs and ships began marketing to spa vacationers, urging them to experience the same pampering in floating, rather than land-based, resorts. Over 100 spas at sea are operated by British-based Steiner, a company which traces its beginnings back to 190l in a small salon on Conduit Street in Mayfair. Personally involved with development of fitness and spa facilities, Steiner designed Celebrity's new AquaSpa pre-bookable spa packages.

Commissionable to travel agents when booked in advance of sailing, passengers have a choice of five packages which range in price from about $200 to $699. Depending on preferred treatments, they will be painted with mud, wrapped in sea algae and bathed in herbs and oils. They'll walk in marathons, work out with weights, have personal trainers who teach as well as train during a one or two week cruise in the Caribbean, Alaska or Bermuda.

On the Century, all of the packages will include bonus treatments which require bath tubs. The big advantage for passengers pre-booking spa packages is preferential scheduling of appointments, which are hard to come by, particularly on premium and luxury-type vessels.

While almost all of the treatments and facilities are available on other vessels, some are limited to new ships with larger facilities. The QE2 spent several million dollars remodeling her spa and fitness operation and now offers facilities rivaling the best on shore.

A good piece of the $20 million spent refurbishing the Star Odyssey and Royal Odyssey, transforining them from their former lives as Royal Viking vessels, was construction of fitness and aerobic centers on part of the Sun Decks.

Carnival Cruise Lines' superliners each devote 12,000 square feet to fitness centers and spas. These centers have more equipment than most land-based health clubs and are the largest at sea. In addition to fitness equipment, Nautica Spas offer exotic body and facial treatments, personal trainers and aerobics classes for all levels.

Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have programs to encourage participation in sports activities. Holland America reports that about 25% of their passengers participate and Princess says participation is even higher. Passengers who sign up for the free program receive a small booklet. The more they participate in a variety of athletic activities, the more stamps they receive. The more stamps, the more prizes at the end of the cruise.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's has always emphasized fitness and spa areas. On the Legend of the Seas, the indoor-outdoor spa area is frequently compared to facilities like La Costa.

Prices charged for personal trainers and personal services (massage, etc.) vary slightly from ship-to ship, but rates will be the same on almost all ships since the two largest concessionaire companies have merged. Changes in fitness and spa programs on board every ship, new and old, are visible even to the first time traveler.

Although to date, none has taken the plunge and hired a dietitian to satisfy the carbohydrate urge, almost every line is trying to keep ahead of food trends. Whether it's called "light" or "spa" or "healthy heart," almost every ship is catering to passengers' requests for lighter, more slimming fare to complement spa and fitness prograrns.

Cruise lines are addressing your client's hesitation about shipboard food with low-fat, low-calorie menu options. Even ships without galleys offering light menu choices generally can rustle up lowcalorie entrees, even when requested at the last minute in dining rooms. Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, offers low cholesterol, low sodium, low sugar, vegetarian, kosher and spa cuisine. It is best to make advance reservations. Special diets can usually be accommodated on board ships through the Maitre d'.

Majesty Cruise Line includes "Light at Sea" and "Vegetarian" selections in what is called the Regal Bodies Menu. It features fine cuisine low in calories, sodium and cholesterol, as well as a good selection of vegetarian dishes. The special menu lists cholesterol and sodium content and calories for each item.

Commodore Cruise Line's "Life Cuisine" menu received the l991 Onboard Services Magazine Award. It was designed in accordance with the National Institutes of Health's National Cholesterol Education Program. The alternative dining choices are available to all passengers and may be ordered on board.

Carnival offers vegetarian entrees on the regular menu but says almost all dishes can be served without salt or sauces and can be adopted to almost any fitness buffs request.

Crystal Cruises has excellent "light" dishes with calorie, cholesterol, fat and sodium content listed.

DECLARATION: The information contained on this or any other page of the web site, , is based on research of other sources, personal opinion and feedback from travelers. Although every effort has been made to be as error-free as possible, the information is not to be considered as being 100% accurate since facts can change and there must be an allowance for human error.