Disadvantages of Booking Direct

A couple years ago I was at a convention show.  I was suppose to be selling and promoting the Cruise Brothers but as I was doing so I noticed a response from people that I didn’t pay as much attention to as I should have before then.  I found that people I talked to thought that it was best to go to the cruise lines directly.  Thing was it was very simple to explain why travel agencies had advantages but the reason were simply not known.  So I will make just a few points why the Cruise Lines directly are not the best way to go about booking a vacation.

There are many different cruise lines and brands out there that must compete with each other to fill cabins and in hopes to build more ships with more cabins to fill.  In order to do so they have travel agencies that help determine which cruise line would be the best to suit the clients needs.  Second if say one cruise line started giving better deals to the public then the travel agencies, then agencies would favor other cruise lines  that compete with each other.  The last point I will make is the ability of travel agents to look for group deals and look at all the cruise ships not just one particular line for the best deal.  It is a shame more people do not realize this but after the amount of spending major cruise brands spend, it is no wonder why some think that going direct is the best way to save money. 

Mark Gelfuso

Cruise Bums

Partnership with the Cruise Brothers

http://mark.cruisebrothers.com

www.cruisebums.com

www.facebook.com/gelfuso1

Benefits of the Information age

The amazing thing about growing up in the information age is that I can learn what I want, when I want and how is best.  People have been saying for years how you can do anything you put your mind too.  This is what is so amazing about today's integrated world.  At anytime I can learn almost any subject at a quicker pace than ever before.  I wanted to learn more to increase my sales and manage more effectively and the resources where before my eyes.  Understand inbound and outbound marketing as well as branding is an ongoing learning process I which I can tap into to keep up to date.  If I want to learn how to do anything, another language, psychology, or whatever my help me achieve my ultimate goal the resources are at my finger tips.

Mark Gelfuso

Cruise Bums

Partnership with the Cruise Brothers

http://mark.cruisebrothers.com

www.cruisebums.com

Travel Agents Going Home

Though you may have already noticed with nearly half of travel agencies closing down since the turn of the century.  There have been many struggles such as 9/11, recessions, fuel as well as other tangibles, where travel is one of the first industries to be affected.  In slow times paying rent, taxes, fees and even driving to work is expensive and for small agencies who do not receive as high commission bonuses as larger agencies it forced many to close down.  Even the largest agencies didn't all survive the was however increasing technologies and the need for innovation which sparked creative thinking.  These out of work agents had built relationships with clients and still had connection but had just found other jobs.

The thing about travel is that it’s more than just a interest or hobby, once someone's starts to see the world they want to see it again and more of it.  Traveling is in the blood of all travel agents.  It is not just a job but a hobby and seeing travel agents working other places is not like them.  So the concept of at home travel business and it being a part time hobby as well as money maker was a  perfect combination for both agents and larger agencies.  Make the same of not better money than you would if you opened a brick and mortar agency.  Also receive weekly trainings and updates from different vendors top account reps and have better relationships with them.  This combination has worked so well it is now being changed to find people who travel as a hobby.  If you love to travel you are going to love to talk about your experiences, share photos, videos and you probably sell travel already.  This is what the industry is now looking for to be a part time, at home business owner.   The cruise industry building new even larger ships even in a bad economy and online sales down.  So how will these extra cabins be filled...... At home agents.

Mark Gelfuso

http://mark.cruisebrothers.com

Cruise Bums

www.cruisebums.com

In partnership with The Cruise Brothers

http://www.linkedin.com/in/markgelfuso

Travel Agent Training

The objective of Cruise Bums  and Cruise Brothers is to teach people how to better their lives, travel the world and make extra money.  Owning your own at home travel business is a great way to make money doing something you enjoy.  The Cruise Brothers is an extremely large organization and I am able to communicate with over a thousand travel agents.  I try to keep as up to date as possible with the agents to absorb as much as I can.  This way I have been able to be a medium for other agents and offer the best training in the industry.  Click Here for more information. or email me at mark@cruisebrothers.com