Cruise Planners Brings AI Tools to Agents, Consumers
by Marilee CrockerCruise Planners announced plans to provide artificial intelligence tools to its agents and their clients through Amazon’s Alexa-powered voice-activated devices, such as the Amazon Echo.
Starting Dec. 4, Alexa will be integrated with Cruise Planners’ next-gen reservations and CRM system, now called CP Maxx, allowing its agents to use Amazon devices as virtual assistants. Agents will be able to ask Alexa things like, “Alexa, ask CP Maxx to get payments for confirmation No. 200800742” and hear a reply like, “This reservation has $800 posted and a remaining balance of $11,345.12; the balance is due Oct. 26, 2017.”
Clients who enable a Cruise Planners skill on their Alexa-powered devices will be able to ask Alexa to perform tasks like retrieving details about their upcoming trips and contacting their travel agents. “Cruise Planners is the first host agency to step into the artificial intelligence game,” CEO Michelle Fee said during the opening session of Cruise Planners’ annual convention in Cancun on Sunday.
