CLIA Plans World's Largest Cruise Night

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) says its World's Largest Cruise Night (WLCN) for 2006 will be Thursday, October 19. CLIA-member travel agencies across North America will come together to promote cruising in one 24-hour period. In 2005, participating agencies reported more than 7,000 bookings, with $5 million in cruise sales resulting in more than $600,000 in commissions. WLCN serves as the centerpiece for the cruise industry's National Cruise Vacation Month in October, which each year focuses consumer attention on the pleasures of cruising. WLCN 2006 will likely double the numbers of bookings and attendees as at last year's events, according to Terry Dale, CLIA's president and CEO. On October 19, 2006, CLIA travel agents will invite clients and potential customers to attend events, ranging from cocktail receptions to breakfast sessions to full-scale cruise expos. At each event, consumers can learn about the diversity of cruise vacations available on the more than 150 ships of CLIA's 19 member cruise lines and the more than 1,800 ports of call they visit. Cruise lines will assist individual travel agencies in making their events a success, in many cases offering value-added incentives for attendees who book cruises at the night's events. To register to host an event, visit [www.cruising.org].