Cruise Lines International Association said it anticipates a record number of travel agent participation for its annual World's Largest Cruise Night, set this year for Oct. 16, and has expanded the virtual part of WLCN.
CLIA said Thursday that the Virtual WLCN promotion will go from Oct. 3 through Oct. 31, during which registered agents can promote cruise vacations via a Virtual WLCN event. The virtual portion allows agents to customize a Web page featuring their information and several informational videos from participating CLIA member lines.
"Last year some 900+ agents participated in WLCN events and another 3,000 conducted online Virtual WLCN promotions," said Terry Dale, president and CEO of CLIA, in a statement. "They generated almost 35,000 bookings, $43.3 million in sales and over $5.8 million in commissions, which represented a 20 percent increase over the previous year. By all accounts this year promises to be even bigger and better."
WLCN is the centerpiece of National Cruise Vacation Month, which CLIA designated as October. The event is designed to stimulate consumer interest and sales of cruise vacations.
Besides the virtual WLCN event, many agencies are hosting consumer events ranging from a breakfast to a full-scale cruise night, CLIA said.
CLIA member cruise lines are offering WLCN participants a variety of offers and incentives. Visit CLIA's online WLCN Resource Center in the travel agent area at www.cruising.org. Some examples include:
• For the agent who books the most cruises during WLCN, Crystal Cruises is offering complimentary balcony cabin accommodations on the Crystal Symphony for the Crystal Cruises-CLIA Seminar at Sea.
• For every cruise booked between Oct. 15 and 17, Holland America Line will enter the agent into a drawing for a Caribbean/Mexico cruise for two. There will be 10 second prizes of $100 Starbucks cards.
• Norwegian Cruise Line will enter all travel partners who register for NCL's World Largest Cruise Night and who book and deposit at least one cruise by Oct. 16 in a drawing to win a five-, seven- or a nine-day Caribbean cruise for two.
• Costa Cruises is offering $50 bonus commission per cabin for Caribbean 2008/2009 and Winter Europe 2009 seasons when booked between Oct. 16 and 21.
• Cunard Line will offer passengers an onboard credit up to $300 and a waiver of the deposit for a second guest. In addition, a bonus commission is offered for agents who book guests on 2008 holiday voyages and 2009 voyages aboard the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria. Promotional materials and mailing support are offered through www.onesourcecruises.com; agents also can register through the company's Polar Online booking engine.
• Royal Caribbean International said "a compelling special offer to agents" will be provided on the company's WLCN micro-site.
• American Cruise Lines features a $75 bonus incentive for travel agents for every stateroom booked by Oct. 16 on voyages through June 27.
Incentives for passengers booking during WLCN include:
• Disney Cruise Line: Onboard credits of up to $50 on cruises and land & sea packages through December 13, 2009 (booking window: October 16--November 15)
• Carnival Cruise Lines: Complimentary upgrades on all bookings made Oct. 16 for most 2009 Fun Ship departures. Travel agents can use Carnival's WLCN micro-site, www.bookccl.com/wlcn, for bookings.
• Celebrity Cruises: Onboard credits up to $200 per stateroom, based on cruise length, for seven Celebrity ships with sailings between Jan. 1 and June 30 when booked between Oct. 16 and 18. In addition, the booking deposit will be reduced by 50%.
• Crystal Cruises: $100 per person discounts on most 2008 sailings for bookings made between Oct. 14 and Nov. 7.
• Holland America Line: For bookings between Oct. 15 and 17, reduced deposits up to $300 will be accepted; agents will receive notice of special fares prior to the booking window.
• MSC Cruises: Special prices on a variety of sailings in the Caribbean and Europe, plus shipboard credits of up to $200 for bookings from Oct. 16 to Nov. 3.
• Norwegian Cruise Line: Double onboard credits up to $500, plus reduced deposits on sailings of five days or more when booked between Oct. 15 and 23.
• Princess Cruises: Reduced deposit of $100, plus a Princess coupon booklet with more than $120 in onboard discounts.
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises: For bookings between Oct. 16 and Nov. 16 on departures of seven nights or longer, passengers are offered a $100 per-person shipboard credit.
• Uniworld Grand River Cruises: $100 savings per person on all 2009 cruises if purchased through an agent that offered a WLCN event on Oct. 16; the booking window is Oct. 16 to 23
• Windstar Cruises: $50 in shipboard credits per person (maximum $100 per stateroom) on any Wind Spirit sailing between Jan. 31 and March 28 and any Wind Surf sailing between Jan. 4 and March 15 when booked between Oct. 16 and Nov. 9.