October is National Cruise Vacation Month

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL CRUISE VACATION MONTH

NEW YORK September 14, 2006
In less than two weeks, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) will celebrate National Cruise Vacation Month (NCVM), the cruise industry's annual travel agency promotional program, which each year focuses consumer attention on the pleasures of cruise vacationing.

The centerpiece of the month-long October awareness campaign is the World's Largest Cruise Night (WLCN), an all-day extravaganza to be held on Thursday, October 19. WLCN will feature a variety of consumer events sponsored by CLIA travel agencies throughout North America. These WLCN celebrations will run the gamut, from cocktail parties, to breakfast sessions, to full-scale expos, and all take place in a single 24-hour period.

Consumers who attend WLCN events will find complete information on the wide variety of satisfying vacation experiences available aboard today's passenger-pleasing cruise ships. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet with professional consultants from the very best cruise and vacation planning resource - a CLIA-member travel agency. These seagoing vacation experts will provide all of the newest facts and figures on the diverse cruise adventures available on the 150 ships of CLIA's 19 member lines.

In many cases, cruise-line representatives will be on hand to provide detailed briefings on their cruise vacation products and provide special offers and value-added incentives for guests who book cruises.

Best of all, it's not too late for CLIA-member agencies who want to participate in WLCN. Simply register your event at the Travel Agent Center on CLIA's Web site (www.cruising.org).

Agency professionals can find event tips, shell press releases and publicity tools to attract local press coverage, plus links to CLIA-member cruise lines and marketing resources, at the WLCN Resource Center, also in the Travel Agent Center of CLIA's site. The Resource Center is regularly updated with WLCN news and developments.

As an added feature, CLIA's online WLCN Event Locator enables consumers to quickly locate CLIA-member agencies that are hosting WLCN events in their area.

"NCVM only comes once a year, so it is vitally important that agencies take advantage of this opportunity to promote their cruise offerings and vacation planning expertise," said Terry L. Dale, president and chief CEO of CLIA, the industry's chief marketing organization. "CLIA-member agencies that participated in last year's inaugural WLCN were extremely pleased with their results."

In 2005, WLCN events across North America garnered 7,000 bookings, $5 million in cruise sales and more than $600,000 in commissions, based on reports from participating agencies, according to reports from agents. CLIA and its participating member agencies are aiming to surpass last year's numbers in 2006.

To book any cruise, please call Lighthouse Travel at 800-719-9917.