Dream Vacations, CruiseOne And Cruises Inc. Launch Three Niche Training Summits

Home-based travel franchises Dream Vacations and CruiseOne and host agency Cruises Inc. will hold three training summits this summer for travel agents, focusing on three niche markets: luxury, groups and land vacations.

The program is in response to agents who asked for more specialized training, said Drew Daly, general manager of network engagement and performance for the three brands.

The Immersive Educational Series will kick off May 21 in Miami during the three-day Luxury Summit. The event will include interactive workshops, panels and presentations from vendors, including Oceania Cruises, Silversea Cruises, AmaWaterways, Villas of Distinction, Azamara Club Cruises, Windstar, SeaDream Yacht Club and Cunard. Attendees will get a tour of the Celebrity Cruises Virtual Lab from Dondra Ritzenthaler, senior vice president of sales at Celebrity Cruises; hear from Edie Rodriguez, CEO of Crystal Cruise; and go aboard the Regent Seven Seas Navigator for a ship tour and luncheon hosted by Jason Montague, president and CEO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises.  

The series continues with the Groups Summit in Fort Lauderdale in July, where Chief motivation officer Stuart Cohen and groups representatives from various suppliers are speaking. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. groups reconciliation manager Troy McCoy will also advise agents on the company’s new Groups Concierge service.

The Land Summit held in Mexico in August, co-hosted by Playa Resorts and Mark Travel, will close out the Immersive Educational Series. Attendees will get an in-depth look at how to expand their resort and tour business through site inspections, workshops hosted by suppliers.

Agents who can’t make one of the three summits can take one of Dream Vacations, CruiseOne and Cruises Inc.’s weekly live webinars, on-demand courses, or attend regional training at one-on-one meetings with an assigned business development manager.