Value-conscious planners going to sea
Meeting planners looking for more value should consider cruises which can be $100,000 cheaper than a land meeting, says Landry & Kling.
“A cruise event virtually eliminates the F&B line item, which can account for almost 40% of a meeting’s budget,” says the Miami-based company which has been a specialist in cruise event services since 1982.
“And from an intangible perspective, meetings at sea offer participants a far-wider variety of activities, experiential programs and exotic choices in one place – all designed to produce a highly memorable (and productive) experience. That is, after all, the purpose of corporate meetings, team building events and incentive travel programs in general,†argues the company.
President Jo Kling says sea meetings are a good way to structure a European travel incentive program because of the difference between the dollar and the Euro.
In a recent cost comparison, Landry & Kling found that for identical meeting services for 200 people, a 4star/4night Bahamas cruise on Disney Cruise Line or similar cost 40% less than the 4-night land-based meeting at a 4-star Las Vegas resort, such as Bellagio or Venetian.
“While hosting corporate events and incentive programs aboard these ‘floating hotels’ was an underutilized option in the past, the current climate is also propelling smaller and mid-sized companies looking for value-add programs without a painful price tag, to get on board,†the company says.
A cost comparison is available by visiting www.landrykling.com.
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025