If you’re a successful meeting professional, no doubt you’ve mastered the art of creating more with less. Working with tighter budgets, you’re planning shorter meetings and incentive programs, and considering venues closer to home. You’re scrutinizing menus and amenities, and entertainment budgets are being cut – or scrapped.

How to trim the costs and keep the wow

You may be saving money, but what’s the real cost? Less impactful events results in decreased motivation and a drop in attendance. Attendee satisfaction may take a dive. Doing more with less often means sacrificing the wow factor – but not if you’re meeting at sea.

Royal Caribbean International delivers the wow in a big way, and they’ve added more short itineraries – close to home and around the globe. With plenty of three, four and five-night itineraries in your choice of destinations, now’s the time to meet on one of the world’s most innovative ships.

A variety of complimentary dining options, exhilarating onboard experiences and spectacular entertainment will amaze your attendees before they reach their destination. And you’ll appreciate the flexible meeting space on board and leading-edge A/V technology – also included. It all adds up to an extraordinary event and an unbeatable value.

A Royal Caribbean short cruise event offers cost savings, ease of planning, and unique experiences – proving less really is more.

More Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda from Close-to-home Ports

Royal Caribbean short cruises depart from six continental U.S. ports, so chances are there’s a ship that’s close to home. But your drive-to meeting venue is far from ordinary – it will transport you and your attendees to several alluring ports.

Here are some of our top cruse picks for meetings and group events:

Liberty of the Seas – 4 & 5-night Western Caribbean – sailing from Ft. Lauderdale
There’s more to love on Liberty of the Seas! Royal Caribbean recently enhanced the 3,634-passenger Liberty of the Seas by adding these Royal Advantage onboard features:

• The acclaimed West End show, Saturday Night Fever: The Musical
• The DreamWorks Experience: 3D movie technology in the main theater
• An oversized outdoor video screen on the pool deck offering movies under the stars
• iPod docks in every stateroom
• The Wayfinder system, interactive touch-screens to direct guests, offer venue and restaurant descriptions, and display the day’s schedule of programs

In addition to Cozumel, exotic Caribbean ports include Belize City; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Labadee, Haiti (Royal Caribbean private island experience).

Jewel of the Seas - 4 & 5-night Western Caribbean – sailing from Tampa
This beautiful ship features expansive walls of glass, a rock climbing wall, an indoor/outdoor country club with golf simulator, and Internet access throughout the ship. Ports include Cozumel, Mexico and Key West or Grand Cayman.

More weekend escapes and short cruises to the Bahamas

Three night cruises depart Friday and return on Monday, so there’s less time out of office. And at cruises starting at only $80 per person, per day (plus port fees and gratuities), there’s even more value!

Majesty of the Seas  3 & 4-night Bahamas cruise from Miami

Monarch of Seas 3 & 4-night Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Florida

Bermuda short cruises – Drive to your meeting, walk on pink sand

With convenient drive-to departure ports, Royal Caribbean Bermuda cruises include two full days in Bermuda and two days at sea. It’s the perfect itinerary for mixing island fun with meeting time.

Explorer of the Seas 5-night Bermuda – sailing from Cape Liberty, NJ

Enchantment of the Seas 5-night Bermuda cruise departing from Baltimore

Short European Voyages: Inspiring Moments Create Memorable Events

Europe is hot, and a Royal Caribbean short cruise event means cool savings. Imagine your attendees standing in awe before the works of Michelangelo or visiting a typical Sardinia farmhouse for a wine and cheese tasting. These memories will last long after your program ends.

Visit up to three breathtaking ports of call on one of these unique short voyages and only unpack once. Here’s a sampling of your many cruise options:

Liberty of the Seas
5-Night Western Mediterranean (French Riviera and jewels of Italy), RT Barcelona

Navigator of the Seas
4-night Eastern Mediterranean, sailing from Kusadasi to Rome
6-night Eastern Mediterranean, sailing from Sicily to Rome

Vision of the Seas
3-night voyage to Berlin, sailing from Copenhagen to Oslo
4 & 5-night Russian voyage, sailing RT Stockholm, Sweden
5-night cruise to Amsterdam & Brugges sailing RT Oslo, Norway
6-night Norwegian Fjord, sailing RT Oslo

Adventure of the Seas
4-night Portugal, sailing RT Malaga, Spain

Independence of the Seas -2 unique “gems” in May, 2012
3-night cruise to Paris, RT Southampton
4-night to Cork, Ireland, RT Southampton

Exotic Cruises

Check out these exotic short cruises to the Far East and Brazil. Add on a land package before or after your cruise for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Vision of the Seas
3 & 4-night Brazilian Cruise, RT Sao Paulo

Legend of the Seas
2, 3, 4 & 5-night Asia, RT Singapore
5-night Asia, sailing from Hong Kong

True Value: More Bang for Your Buck

On a Royal Caribbean ship, most meals and amenities are included. When compared with a land-based program, you can slash your meeting budget up to 40%. Here’s what’s typically included with your cruise program:

• All meals – casual and fine dining venues, cafes and room service
• Award-winning Entertainment – Live music, comedy shows, Broadway-style stage productions
• Sports Facilities, fitness center, rock climbing wall, mini golf course, ice-skating rink (available on select ships)
• Daily activities and events for every age group
• Complimentary meeting & function space venues
• State-of-the-art AV equipment and multimedia technology available at no charge

Customize Your Cruise Event for Greater Impact

Have you ever hosted a team-building event in the middle of the ocean? Part of making a meeting or incentive program memorable is making sure it’s unmistakably yours. Here are just a few of the ways you can make your Royal Caribbean cruise program is a unique experience:

• A private ice show
• Customized shore excursions
• Pre-paid beverage packages
• Company logo options include customized menu covers, desserts, and daily activity programs
• Personalized door plaques with program logo
• Onboard dine-around’s or group buyout of a specialty dining venue for your group

Onboard teambuilding options include rock climbing, FlowRider surfing (on select ships), scavenger hunts and team trivia. Or, challenge your team with Beach Olympics at one of Royal Caribbean’s private island destinations.

For more information about these and other Royal Caribbean short voyages, visit Seasite.com or call 305 403-3002.

Filed under: Cruise News, Meeting & Incentive News, Miscellaneous