The Flagg Agency

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Let’s take a look at 2010 Cruise News. After launching 14 new ships in 2009, the cruise lines will debut 12 more new vessels this year. These will include Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas, a sister ship to the Oasis of the Seas; Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Epic, the line’s largest ship to date; and Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse, the third ship in the cruise line’s Solstice class.

The Love Boat Logo

The year was 1977 and during that fall a new show was broadcast on ABC. Its theme song is now etched into the country’s collective mind. The idea was that love could be found, mended or enhanced by a cruise ship experience. The Love Boat brought cruising into the mainstream of America. Week after week (on a Saturday night no less), the country was drawn in by the cast of Gopher, Julie, Isaac, Doc and the Captain and the “cruising” guest stars.

 The year was 2004 and we had just celebrated our 10th anniversary that January. For years, we had had a different travel goal in mind for our 10th anniversary, but the birth of our daughter the year before had given us a postponement to that goal.

We decided that an Alaska cruise would be the next best thing. We had always been intrigued by the allure of the last frontier. We knew several people who had cruised Alaska and came back raving. For most an Alaska cruise will be a one time experience. The length of time it takes to fly there plus the added expense make Alaska a once-in-a-lifetime destination.

Will the ship leave without me?

One of the services we offer clients leaving from a domestic port is a phone call on the day of embarkation. We like to be sure the stateroom is satisfactory, our client made it on the ship, and if there are any last minute questions or issues. Yesterday we called our client and could hear a bit of frustration in his voice. Through a bad phone connection he said one of his bags was missing then the phone disconnected. He soon called back from his wife’s phone and this time the connection was better. He was okay with the fact that one of his bags was missing. I knew he had driven to the port so I began to do a little investigating. He said that only one piece of luggage had been delivered to his stateroom. It was at that point that realization hit. We knew our clients were first time cruisers, and even on the day he boarded the ship he still had first time cruiser questions.

Did you know it is possible to make the most of your next fundraising effort by holding a fundraising cruise? Cruises offer exciting destinations from Alaska to Europe to the Caribbean which will increase your chances of heighten attendance and with no extra financial investment on your part.

There are many different ways to use a cruise in your fundraising efforts, whether it’s through silent auctions, ticket sales, raffles, or promoting a fundraising group.  One of the most popular types of groups sailing on today’s cruise ships are those designed around a fundraising theme.  If your church group, club or nonprofit organization is looking for a different yet fun-filled way to make money, you may want to consider a group cruise for your next fundraiser.