Vacation.com Re-launches Vacation Vignettes as Distinctive Voyages

cruise shipTravel Leaders Group reports that its Vacation Vignettes program is being rebranded as Distinctive Voyages. First launched by Vacation.com in 2006, Vacation Vignettes has grown from a relatively small number of annual sailings to well over 300 on eight participating cruise lines this year. 

Distinctive Voyages will  be expanded to 11 cruise lines in 2014, and will now be available to all agencies under the Travel Leaders Group umbrella, the group reports.

“The new name – Distinctive Voyages – more accurately reflects the uniqueness and exclusivity of our hosted cruise offerings, which we’ve finely tuned and calibrated into what is now considered the gold standard within the industry,” explained Stephen McGillivray, chief marketing officer for Travel Leaders Group, who was instrumental in the program’s initial development within Vacation.com. 

“Vacation.com members enthusiastically embraced the program, making it such a resounding success as the consortium’s most utilized program with over 12,000 passengers to date. Now as Distinctive Voyages, we’re proud to ‘officially launch’ this proven deluxe offering throughout the rest of Travel Leaders Group," McGillivray said.

The 2013 roster of participating cruise lines in Distinctive Voyages includes Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises. While each of those lines will once again participate in 2014, Distinctive Voyages will be expanded next year to include Cunard Line, Seabourn Cruise Line and Windstar Cruises.

Through the re-launch, participating Travel Leaders Group member agencies are eligible to apply for open Distinctive Voyages concierge host positions. Qualifications for the role of a Distinctive Voyages host include:

Experience with hosting groups

Knowledge of the destination

Exceptional customer service skills, and

Demonstrated booking history with the Distinctive Voyages program.

“Distinctive Voyages is further evidence that we’re elevating the stature of all agencies and agents we serve so they, in turn, can better counsel and offer their clients one-of-a-kind experiences around the world,” noted Travel Leaders Group CEO Barry Liben. “I salute Vacation.com President John Lovell and Travel Leaders Group CMO Stephen McGillivray, along with their respective teams, not only for their diligence and persistence in creating this extraordinary cruise program, but also for now expanding Distinctive Voyages into a Travel Leaders Group-wide initiative.”

Travel Leaders Group is one of North America’s largest travel companies – encompassing over 30 percent of all traditional travel agents – and generates gross travel sales of approximately $18 billion.

Visit www.travelleadersgroup.com