RAISING THE BAR: YOUR GROUP CRUISE BUSINESS ON STEROIDS

Beyond Group Cruises…

How To Produce Your Own Highly Profitable

"Special-Events-At-Sea”

“Your Group Cruise Biz On Steroids”

• Owner - Little Shop Of Cruises - Brooklyn, NY.

• Niche - "Special-Event Theme Groups"

• 2010 Sales - *$1,500,000+• 1997 -Started Biz As P/T Hobby Organizing Singles Cruises

• 1999 - Joined Host Agency Cruise.com

• 2001 - Launched 1st Website and Waited For The World To Find Me On The Internet

“CAPTAIN LOU” EDWARDS


2003 – Still Waiting…

•This Is Getting Frustrating!


May 2005 – Let’s Get Serious


Why book just one or two cabins at a time?It’s just as easy to book 20 or 200!

Why play the Discounting/Rebate Game?People Will Pay a Premium for Added Value!

Are Special Event/Theme Cruises Unshoppable?You can Actually Mark Them Up, not down. (Ex. Murder/Mystery Groups, Cruise for Collectors, Opera Groups, Seminars at Sea)


Our “flagship” annual special-event group has grown from 31 guests to over 400 participants from 17 different countries around the world….

How did I get all these groups?


• Produced a training DVD for prospective groups

• Got qualified leads by charging $97 for DVD that costs under $2 to make @ Kunaki.com

• Sold the DVD online and offline at conferences, seminars and trade shows that attract the RIGHT decision makers

Cover Art was done in Microsoft PAINT, a free program on your PC


I added text to this photo and uploaded to Kunaki.com for use as the circular “disk image”


What I did Next…


• Produced a training DVD for prospective groups

• Got qualified leads by charging $97 for DVD

• Had companies/organizations submit proposals to us instead of the other way around. “Proposal Reversal"

• Went way beyond just offering up the T/C

• Offered a $10,000 incentive for X# of referrals

• Gave every group own online reservation system

Set Up “Opt-In Pages” To Build Highly Qualified List Of Group Prospects…(You can do this with TravelMarketingMagic.com)


• Set Up “Opt-In Pages” To Build Highly Qualified List Of Group Prospects…

• They purchase your training / qualifier DVD

• Then they schedule a FREE 20 minute phone consultation to pitch their “special-event-group-cruise” idea to YOU!

• Important questions you need to ask…

• Have them sign your “Group Leader Agreement”.

• Build them a customized marketing and automation system



• Give every group their own online reservation system

What I did Next…


• Gave every group their own online reservation system

•YOU CAN BUILD THESE PAGES with My5MinuteWebsite.com

• Drop-shipped 100 invitation postcards to each guest

• Offered to make lecturers and speakers into stars

•Profited by upselling pre-cruise hotels, insurance, private island excursions and onboard meetings/parties

•The Trick – Do this ALL online so you only ever deal with a client AFTER they have deposited.

Importance of Social Proof


• Record Video Testimonials Using Your iPhone 4 HD or Sanyo Xacti HD or Kodak Zi-8 And Put Them On Your Web Pages

How To Double Your Commissions By “Splitting The Overage”.


• Permission to charge “over the gross”• Should we add an “event fee” on top of that?• How to use “overage” and “breakage” as a

1/10 TC incentive• Getting your group guests to form their own

“mini-groups” within the big group• Who pays for the t-shirts and gifts?• The VIP Guest List – Power Of Social Proof.

Going the Extra Mile: Strategies for Future Group Gurus


• Building a Ning community site for each group

• Host virtual cruise nights online (VacationPresenter.com)

• Provide offline enrollment kits that include: lift letter/sell sheet, guest list (social proof), 2-part NCR reservation forms

• Give your groups their own “Vacation Hotline” (TollFreeTelecenter.com, Use Q&A scripting to qualify leads/surveys)

• Combine high tech w/ high touch viral CRM (Simple voice from FreeConferenceCall.com, remember birthdays with SendOutCards.com

Are You Serious About Building Your Book of Profitable Group Business?


Join Captain Lou On A Special Live Tele-Webcast:

"Groups Gone Wild“

Sometime NEXT Month (Time To Be Announced)

Register at: CruiseMarketingMagic.com

Email: [email protected]

Text me: Phone.CaptainLou.com

Mention ATLANTIC CITY For FREE Admission

RAISING THE BAR: YOUR GROUP CRUISE BUSINESS ON STEROIDS

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