Vacation.com will host its sixth in a series of seven ship inspections this spring for agents who serve as concierge hosts on the network’s Vacation Vignettes sailings.
On April 18, a group of concierge hosts will tour the Azamara Journey in New York.
Member agents will have the opportunity to explore and familiarize themselves with the ship’s features in preparation for future Vacation Vignettes departures.
The coordination of these ship inspections by Vacation.com also provides member agents the opportunity to earn CLIA credits.
Vacation.com last month held ship inspections for its concierge hosts on five vessels at ports in South Florida. Among the ships inspected were the Celebrity Equinox, Norwegian Epic and Seven Seas Mariner.
Next month, the concierge hosts will inspect the Crystal Serenity.
As part of Vacation.com’s Cruise Space program, Vacation Vignettes are exclusive packages that feature the services of a concierge host, access to an exclusive shore event and an invitation to a private cocktail reception on each departure.
Vacation.com recruits among its member agents, many of whom have years of group hosting experience, to lead each one of its Vacation Vignettes departures.
A spokesman for Vacation.com said that agents volunteer to serve as concierge hosts and undergo special training.
For example, the member agents learn the specifics of the ship where they will serve as host, including locations for onboard events and operational processes.
In addition, the hosts receive marketing materials to promote to their own base of clients, including a flier that describes the exclusive shore event.
There are currently over 300 trained concierge hosts and 200 scheduled departures of Vignettes cruises in 2012.
For cruise news and updates, follow Donna Tunney on Twitter @dttravelweekly.