CLIA To Introduce Luxury Cruise Specialist

Cruise selling is increasingly going upscale and to meet burgeoning demand for such sales, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) will roll out a new Luxury Cruise Specialist designation in 2007. Terry Dale, CLIA's president and CEO, said "there is still a lot to be flushed out" but CLIA's Travel Agent Advisory Board has already begun to define the training program content and how the certification program will be structured. What is clear is that agents will need an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) certification to participate, to hold affiliation with a CLIA member agency, to successfully complete the Luxury Cruise Specialist course, and to complete the Selling Interest/Niche Markets and Cruising—the Ultimate Incentive training courses. The luxury specialist must also complete a luxury voyage on a pre-designated CLIA member line ship. Dale said more details will be forthcoming over the next few months, and agents should stay turned to [www.cruising.org] for updates.