More than 60 top-selling Cruise Planners home-based travel agents joined members of the company’s executive team on a two-night inaugural sea excursion aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic to get firsthand experience of the ship’s amenities, dining and nightlife.
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Cruise Planners agents and executives celebrated aboard the Norwegian Epic with a cocktail reception at O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill. Pictured from left to right: agent Melissa Haefele with husband Alan Haefele; agent Pat Lyon; Vicky Garcia, SVP of sales and marketing, Cruise Planners/American Express; Michelle Fee, CEO & co-founder of Cruise Planners/American Express; and Randy Lyon. |
“It was a memorable time at sea not only experiencing this grand new ship, but also connecting with our home-based agents,” said Michelle Fee, CEO and co-founder of Cruise Planners/American Express, the nation’s largest home-based travel agent franchise network in the cruise industry. “Our agents utilized their time aboard to tour the ship, which will help them sell it to their clients and provide them with firsthand accounts of what to expect while cruising on the Epic.”
The Cruise Planners executive team and agents marveled at the 4,100-passenger cruise ship with its expansive pool deck and Aqua Park, the 17-degree SVEDKA Ice Bar and entertainment features such as the Blue Man Group and the Legends in Concert original live tribute show with Madonna, Tina Turner and Elvis impersonators. Additional highlights the group experienced include the 31,000-square-foot Mandara Spa, fitness center and salon —the largest at sea—as well as a variety of restaurants such as the Garden Café, O’Sheehan’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Moderno Churrascaria, and the chic Manhattan Room, an upscale restaurant with a dance floor and live band.
“From its modern decor to the different dining options and slew of entertainment features, Norwegian Epic is a marvelous cruise ship offering travelers so much to do, see and experience,” said Fee. “Our agents, as well as the executive team, now have an overall feel of what spectacular amenities the Norwegian Epic offers today’s cruise traveler.
“We were also impressed with the Epic’s Studio cabins, which we predict will create a huge buzz among cruisers,” noted Fee. “Allowing single passengers to sail without paying double the cost, or having to share a triple berth, is a very exciting innovation.”
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The private Studio Lounge is accessed by solo cabin passengers and provides comfortable seating, televisions, bar and continental breakfast. |
The 100-square-foot interior cabins were designed for the single cruise traveler with a flat-screen TV, porthole-style window and mood lighting. Single guests have exclusive access to the ship’s Studio Lounge area offering comfortable seating, televisions and a bar, as well as continental breakfast. The Epic’s Studio cabins with private lounge are the first introduced by a major cruise line.