CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. Launch Mobile Websites

During the CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. national conference aboard NCL’s Breakaway, Sean Tolkin, business development director at World Travel Holdings, became the first American to run a marathon at sea, doing it in record time (3 hours 43 minutes), raising $50,000 to benefit Make-A-Wish®, the official charity of WTH’s CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. divisions. In all, the agents raised $108,000 for Make-a-Wish during their conference. © 2013 Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

The best way to learn about the deals being offered by major cruiselines and sort through the myriad choices is to go through a travel agent or cruise-agent, and one of the leaders in the field, CruiseOne franchise and Cruises Inc. network of hosted home-based agents has made the information more accessible with a newly introduced mobile website.

CruiseOne franchise and Cruises Inc are part of World Travel Holdings, with 13 entities that collectively sell $800 million worth of cruises. Cruisegoers benefit from their collective buying power, inventory and relationships with the cruise companies.

On the cutting edge of technology and meeting the demands of its new and existing customers, CruiseOne^® and Cruises Inc.^® announced the official launch of their mobile-friendly consumer websites CruiseOne.com and CruisesInc.com at its annual National Conference onboard the Norwegian Breakaway.

“With smart phone capacity growing and online cruise travel searches up 48 percent year over year according to Google, it was only natural for us to take this next step in providing a mobile-friendly shopping experience,” said Sandi Szalay,  vice president of information technology at CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. who oversaw the creation of the mobile platforms.

The new user-friendly mobile sites provide a lean version of the homepage, cruise search/cruise finder and cruise line promotional pages. New features include “Find An Agent Near You” enabling users to search for an agent by geographic location according to zip code or state, as well as an option for consumers to sign up for free promotional emails offering exclusive vacation deals.

“Our clients are on-the-go and we want to make sure they can connect and engage with an agent regardless of time and location,” noted Dwain Wall, senior vice president and general manager of CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “At National Conference, we emphasized that innovation is one key to success in meeting consumer demands and keeping ahead of the competition. The mobile websites are just one of the many innovative tools we provide our agents to help in their success.”

CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. agents’ personal websites are also now mobile-friendly, providing an improved shopping experience that makes it easier for consumers who are not near a computer to shop for deals and research itineraries.

For information, visit www.CruiseOneFranchise.com or www.SellCruises.com. 

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CruisesOnly Teams with Susan G. Komen on Fundraising Cruise on Holland America

CruisesOnly^®, World Travel Holdings’ cruise-only agency network, and Susan G. Komen^® are teaming up to offer “A Cruise for the Cure^®,” a cruise fundraiser to raise money for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.

CruisesOnly, in partnership with Holland America Line^®, will serve as host to the exclusive cruise fundraiser sailing Nov. 10-17, 2013 (the new date is rescheduled from December 2012). The sailing on the Holland America ms Nieuw Amsterdam begins in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., making stops in Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; and then back to Ft. Lauderdale on Sun., Nov. 17.

“We are honored to work with Komen for the very first time and offer this group sailing to our customers and anyone who wants to support the fight against breast cancer,” said, Jeff Smith, senior vice president of customer care for World Travel Holdings. “It’s always rewarding when we can help families and friends spend time together cruising. And, it is even more rewarding to do this while supporting such an important cause.”

The cruise offers a variety of Komen-specific activities including …

• · Exclusive Sail Away Concert Performance by a “Special Celebrity Guest”
• · Lunch and Learn Seminars conducted by Breast Cancer Experts
• · Culinary Demonstrations by “Onboard Executive Top Chef”
• · A Silent Auction and Pink Party benefiting Komen
• · Daily Zumba^® classes
• · A Spa Day on Nov. 13 — 10 percent of the overall sales will be donated to Komen

Prices for the cruise vary by location on the ship, room size and amenities. A portion of each traveler’s cruise price, equaling $200 per person, will be donated to Komen.

“We are so excited to be teaming up with CruisesOnly, in the fight against breast cancer,” said Dorothy Jones, vice president of marketing for Komen. “These travel experts are lending critical support to this cause by hosting this fun and unique group sailing trip and giving travelers the opportunity to take action for their breast health – all while enjoying the beautiful ship and ports.”

For more information or to book a cruise, visit the A Cruise for the Cure^® website, or call 1-866-552-1243.

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