Cruise Holidays International travel experts from four countries are sailing this week onboard Royal Caribbean International's (www.cruisingpower.com) Allure of the Seas for the trade group's annual conference.
"Cruise Holidays has been getting stronger each year and the conferences just keep getting better," said Rob Clabbers, president, Cruise Holidays on Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL. “Royal Caribbean does an excellent job in setting up meetings. As far as Allure of the Seas, it feels like the ship is worth the premium price it commands.”
Clabbers says he is finding the conference's vendor roundtables particularly helpful. "As cruise travel specialists, we appreciate the opportunity to have one on one discussions rather than attending large presentations to those who may be travel generalists or novices to the industry.”
Tinker Hickey, co-owner, Cruise Holidays of New Milford, CT, said his office was without power for two and a half days this week due to Hurricane Sandy. Fortunately, the office didn't substain damage, he noted, "as far as our clients’ travel plans, we did not panic because we always sell travel insurance, everyone is being taken care of.”
During the conference, Cruise Holidays (www.joincruiseholidays.com) recognized many cruise consultants and stores for their sales or other achievements during the past year. Cruise Holidays's most prestigious award is the Golden Anchor award, which pays tribute to franchise owners who have contributed a significant amount of knowledge, time and innovation to help the company and fellow franchise owners achieve their goals.
Golden Anchor Award - Store Winner:
Cruise Holidays of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada, and Cruise Holidays of London, Ontario, Canada, owned by Grace and Bill Dieleman
Golden Anchor Award - Virtual Office Winner:
Ron Hermanson, based in California
The Golden Anchor award celebrates the one store and one virtual office that excel. Recipients must participate in Cruise Holidays programs, attend the trade group's meetings and conventions, use Cruise Holidays tools to attain greater profitability, contribute to the success of the network by generating ideas or participating in focus groups, and be willing to help other franchisees reach their goals.
Top Overall Producer Award
This award is given to the store and the virtual office with the highest sailed revenue during the previous year, from July to June.
Store Winner: Cruise Brothers, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, owned by Steve Gelfuso
In addition, three Cruise Brothers’ travel consultants were also honored with the award for Outstanding Individual Sales Achievement (see list below). Cruise Brothers opened in 1972.
Virtual Office Winner: Sheri Clarke, based in Kentucky
Clarke has been a franchise owner for seven years and attributes much of her sales success to large groups that she has fostered and continued to grow through the years, including a group of more than 1,000 passengers in 2012.
Outstanding Sales Achievement
Cruise Holidays bestowed this award upon 35 franchise owners and travel consultants who reached or exceeded a pre-determined amount in commission. The 35 outstanding individual sales achievers are:
1st Year Winners:
Carol Patterson, Cruise Holidays of Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Mark Comfort, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
Bill King, Cruise Holidays of Lakeville, MA
Barbara Cohan, Cruise Holidays of Paramus, NJ
Mike Smock, Cruise Holidays of St Johns, FL
Michelle Jackson, a virtual office agent from AZ
Renuka Sahay, a virtual office agent from MD
Geoff Thompson, Cruise Holidays UK, Keighley, West Yorkshire, UK
2nd Year Winners:
Larry Norstrom, Cruise Brothers, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, East Providence, RI
Robert Dipietro, Cruise Brothers, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, East Providence, RI
Elyse Zebede, Cruise Brothers, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, East Providence, RI
Deborah Mitchell, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
Emma Warren, Cruise Holidays of Topeka, KS
Lynda Jackson, Cruise Holidays of Viera, FL
Vera Chan, Cruise Holidays of West Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Bill Walsh, Cruise Travel Outlet, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, NH
Jim Carey, a virtual office agent from WA
3rd Year Winners:
Victoria DeWildt, Cruise Holidays of Clarkson, Ontario, Canada
Tal McKelvey, Cruise Holidays of Clarkson, Ontario, Canada
Bob Wolf, Cruise Holidays of Paramus, NJ
Joan Yam, Cruise Holidays of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Sheri Clarke, a virtual office agent from KY
4th Year Winners:
Jim Work, Cruise Holidays of Alexandria, VA
Shawn Kilner, Cruise Holidays of Nanaimo, B.C., Canada
5th Year Winners:
Samuel Spencer, Cruise Holidays of Calgary Centre, Alberta, Canada
Gloria Currie, Cruise Holidays of Southlake, TX
6th Year Winners:
Krista Garney Cluett, Cruise Holidays of Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada
Kitty Tam, Cruise Holidays of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
7th Year Winners:
Gail Buddemeyer, Cruise Holidays at the Stateline, Seekonk, MA
8th Year Winners:
Patti Edwards, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
Cassie Johnson, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
Andrea Redding, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
JoAnne Weeks, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
Helene Kaplan, Cruise Holidays of Marlboro, Englishtown, NJ
Ira Kaplan, Cruise Holidays of Marlboro, Englishtown, NJ
Of the 35 Outstanding Sales Achievers listed above, the top achievers across the entire network are:
#1 – Sheri Clarke, virtual office, KY
#2 – Andrea Redding, Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO
#3 – Joan Yam, Cruise Holidays of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
“In the past several years Cruise Holidays has rolled out an incredible number of new programs and services to help franchise owners and agents work more efficiently and profitably, said Mark Schiffner, vice president and chief operating officer of Cruise Holidays International. "This year, these efforts are coming to fruition as our top sales achievers saw their sales rise to new heights."
2012 President's Circle
Cruise Holidays also unveiled the members of its 2012 President’s Circle, which is comprised of top Cruise Holidays stores and virtual offices. The winners are chosen on the basis of business revenue as well as year-over-year growth. This year's honorees are:
Cruise Brothers, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, East Providence, RI – Steven Gelfuso
Cruise Holidays at The Ranch, Westminster, CO – Diane Santana
Cruise Holidays of Alexandria, Virginia – Robert Miller and Jim Work
Cruise Holidays of Arrowhead, Glendale, AZ – Sondra Trasente
Cruise Holidays of Burlington, Ontario – Carol & Terry Patterson and Debbie Pickett
Cruise Holidays of Calgary Centre, Alberta, Canada – Samuel Spencer
Cruise Holidays of Carlisle, PA – Rich and Roseann Haney
Cruise Holidays of Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada – Grace and Bill Dieleman
Cruise Holidays of Clarkson, Mississauga, Ontario – Zaneta & Joe Rochemont
Cruise Holidays of Kansas City, MO – Mimi & Mark Comfort
Cruise Holidays of Lawrence Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Dianne & Peter Neubauer
Cruise Holidays of Marlboro, Englishtown, NJ – Ira & Helene Kaplan
Cruise Holidays of North York, Ontario, Canada – Mae Lam
Cruise Holidays of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada – Kitty Tam
Cruise Holidays of Shelby, MI – David Rentsch
Cruise Holidays of St Johns, FL – Mike Smock
Cruise Holidays of Wichita, KS – Joe and Sharon Bye
Cruise Holidays of White Rock, B.C., Canada – Nicky Armstrong
Cruise Holidays of Williamsburg, Virginia – Bill and Theresa Reinagel
Cruise Travel Outlet, a Cruise Holidays affiliate, Salem, NH – Bill Walsh
Jim Carey, Cruise Holidays – virtual office in WA
Sheri Clarke, Cruise Holidays –virtual office in KY
Shari Marsh, Cruise Holidays –virtual office in NC
“We are especially proud of this year’s new inductees into the President’s Circle," said Schiffner. There are 11 new members. President’s Circle honorees will enjoy a seven-day voyage onboard Wind Surf, cruising out of St. Maarten in March 2013.