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December 2004 Article
Bountiful Benefits of Meetings at Sea
An interview with Nancy Lacy, CEO, OceanMeetings
A cruise is a really good value for a meeting or incentive, Nancy Lacy, CEO of OceanMeetings, explains, because just about everything is included. Yet, meetings at sea also offer great flexibility for meeting planners and for guests. “Hold your meetings while at sea, ” Nancy recommends, “and let everyone explore when the ship is in port.” The best of all worlds—sessions with less distractions and recreation in exotic places.
There is a ship and itinerary to fit any budget, luxury to economy – i.e. Crystal Cruises to Carnival Cruise Lines, Nancy says. Further, she notes, most ships have expansive dedicated conference and meeting space. All have Internet capability and some new ships offer wireless communication.
Benefits of cruises are many, but here are just a few that Nancy offers:
- A ship presents a safe, controllable setting with fewer distractions
- All guests in one location builds camaraderie.
- When you hold your meetings, attendees will be there. And you won’t have to provide transportation to your sessions.
- At mealtime, your guests order what they want from a menu. You don’t need to plan the same menu for everyone.
- Attendance tends to increase for a cruise meeting.
- A cruise is an excellent value. One price covers nearly everything you can think of including:
- Air Fare
- Meet & Greet Service
- Room Accommodations
- Meeting Facilities
- Basic Audio & Visual Equipment
- Morning & Afternoon Meeting Refreshments
- Private Cocktail Parties
- All On-Board Meals
- 24 Hour Complimentary Room Service
- Recreational Activities
- Variety of On-Board Entertainment
- Exotic Ports of Call
Basic cruise meeting facts
Size of group: 10 cabins up to a full ship of 3,000.
Nature of event: Incentives, new product launches, employee recognition, customer appreciation, executive retreat, educational conference.
Length of cruise: Generally 3, 5, or 7 days. Can be more.
Where to cruise: All over the world. Alaska, New England, Caribbean, South America, Europe, Hawaii, Bermuda, Panama Canal.
Team Building on Land and Sea
Team building activities can be held on board or when visiting a port.
One of Nancy’s favorites is Totem Pole Storytelling (Alaska). Guests are sent to study a genuine totem pole and then asked to describe a story that the totem pole tells. Some of the stories are funny, some serious, and all creative, Nancy reports. When the stories are done, the actual tale that the totem pole represents is related.
And, finally, Nancy suggests, hold a post-meeting party back at the office where everyone shares the photos they took during the cruise.
What can’t you do on a cruise? Nancy is forthright in saying that if you need a big exhibit space, a cruise is not for you…. unless you charter an entire ship.
OceanMeetings of Largo, Maryland, has been planning cruise events for more than 15 years. A division of Leviathan Meetings International, they work with a wide assortment of cruise lines and have handled more than 250 passages and conducted more than 80 site inspections. Give them a budget, the number of attendees, the number of meetings you’d like to hold, your space needs, and OceanMeetings will present you with a program that is best and most economical for you.
For more information, contact your GEP representative, or e-mail
newsletter@theeventinsider.com.
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