Carnival Cruise Lines earns Top Honors

[Jason]

Carnival Cruise Lines Field Sales Force, Groups Department Earn Top Honors From National Travel Consortia

MIAMI (November 20, 2006) – Carnival Cruise Lines’ field sales force and group sales department have been named "best of the best" by CruiseOne/Cruises, Inc., a leading travel agent consortia comprised of top travel agencies in the U.S. and Canada.

This marks the ninth time in 10 years that Carnival’s group sales department has received this honor.

The awards, which were presented at the organization’s annual conference, were based on a survey of hundreds of CruiseOne/Cruises Inc. members who were asked to rate cruise lines in a variety of service- and product-related categories.

Carnival’s field sales force and group sales department received more first place votes than any other cruise line.

The "best field sales force" award recognizes Carnival’s 77-member team of "business development managers" (BDMs) who are responsible for helping travel agents develop new business opportunities and hone their selling and closing skills through comprehensive and innovative sales training, often in the agency’s place of business. Carnival’s BDMs call on all 25,000 travel agents throughout the U.S. and Canada and are supported by a staff of 50 at the company’s Miami headquarters.

"Travel agents are a vital part of our distribution system and for our business development managers to be recognized by such a prestigious organization as CruiseOne/Cruises Inc. serves to validate our intensive efforts at serving the agent community," said Maurice Zarmati, Carnival’s vice president of sales.

Based at Carnival’s Miami headquarters, the 400-member group sales department works closely with travel agents in coordinating group cruises with the line – which account for hundreds of thousands of bookings each year – while initiating creative sales and marketing methods to help agents develop new group business.

Commented Chérie Weinstein, Carnival’s vice president of group sales & administration, "This is truly a great honor for us. Groups are a critical component of our business and this acknowledgement by CruisesOne/Cruises Inc. reinforces our commitment in providing travel agents with the assistance and resources to expand in this area."

Carnival is the world’s largest and most popular cruise line with a fleet of 21 "Fun Ships" operating voyages ranging from three to 16 days in length to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe and the Greek Isles. The line currently has three new ships scheduled to enter service between now and 2009.

[mercedes]

I love Carnival. :grin:

[jacketwatch]

:cool: Very impressive!

[DaCruzNut]

I keep saying that you don't become the #1 cruise line, and get to buy up most of the competition, unless you're doing something right.....

[GottaCruz]

I love Carnival too.